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3.77 AVERAGE
3.77 AVERAGE
Classic book written by a white South African during apartheid. I listened to it on audiobook, and thought the narrator did a brilliant job. There's a lot of dialogue without any kind of dialogue tags, etc, and I actually think those conversational pieces worked well in audio form. Very interesting format, and a very moving story.
dark
emotional
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
This is books is timeless for a reason. Once you get passed the strange formatting of the the dialogue, the book really shows how South Africa was being damaged by apartheid, racism, fear, as well as the breaking of the tribe. Not only that it has an underlying message of hope for those who are true to their faith.
Emotional story about two men facing a heartbreaking nightmare and how compassion and empathy can overcome hate.
Although this book was quite heart-breaking at times, what really stood out to me is Paton's overall belief in the goodness of mankind. I really loved that through his use of language, customs and traditions, South Africa really came to life.
A well written book discussing topics such as racial hatred, the effects of colonism and the issue of the modern day economy and how society priorities whiteness over enrichment of other’s cultures.
I read this in high school and have always held it highly. I decided to reread it almost 10 years later. And I must say, this book is truly beautiful. Not only is the imagery and the story emotional, thoughtful and provoking of a sensory experience, but it has carried me through to the end with the idea that man’s relationship with faith and themself is one that cannot be replaced. As someone that doesn’t have a religion, I hold this book as one reason to seek out faith. There’s not much else I can say that will do this story justice, so I will leave you with a quote that connected with me, “Although nothing has come yet, something is here already.”
Cry, the Beloved Country is a profound example of finding hope in the midst of cultural, familial, and religious crises.
In a book that feels like it should follow every standard for tragedy known, Patton seems to do the opposite time and time again. Every time the main character Stephen Kumalo is knocked down, there is a profound moment of clarity, peace and hope.
This book tackles racial, economic, and cultural issues through beautiful story telling, and fascinating prose.
In a book that feels like it should follow every standard for tragedy known, Patton seems to do the opposite time and time again. Every time the main character Stephen Kumalo is knocked down, there is a profound moment of clarity, peace and hope.
This book tackles racial, economic, and cultural issues through beautiful story telling, and fascinating prose.
This book was powerful to me on many different levels. It struck me as such a portrait of PLACE - and a love of a place. I love the relationships and the tone - the style of writing is superb. I felt like I learned a lot about South Africa and its struggles as well. An incredible read.
2018 review:
A father and a son. A land and its people. Cry, the Beloved Country is about both the one and the many. Our story follows Zulu pastor Stephen Kumalo, a humble man from a very humble place who travels to the city of Johannesburg to try and find his son Absalom. In the South Africa of the 1940s, the friction between "native" and "white" is a murmur with the volume increasing, terrifying to those both in power and to the natives who know who will truly suffer whenever there is violence. Pastor Kumalo's journey is an emotional one and what he learns and how he processes it is at the crux of this novel. His love of his son and of his people, his introspection and his choices - they are what make this novel so unbelievably beautiful. The writing is exquisite - sparse in some ways but so deep in others. The word choice, the images, it made me feel so much compassion both for the pastor as well as for all the non-Europeans who were trying to eke out a life for themselves in a land that was dying and under the thumb of the white man who claimed that dying land.
I love that there are good and bad choices made by people of both races. Here is humility. Here is compassion and devastation and a love for something bigger than yourself. Here is trying to find peace in a world that does not favor you. It is hard and it is heavy. But it is beautiful, too.
2018 review:
A father and a son. A land and its people. Cry, the Beloved Country is about both the one and the many. Our story follows Zulu pastor Stephen Kumalo, a humble man from a very humble place who travels to the city of Johannesburg to try and find his son Absalom. In the South Africa of the 1940s, the friction between "native" and "white" is a murmur with the volume increasing, terrifying to those both in power and to the natives who know who will truly suffer whenever there is violence. Pastor Kumalo's journey is an emotional one and what he learns and how he processes it is at the crux of this novel. His love of his son and of his people, his introspection and his choices - they are what make this novel so unbelievably beautiful. The writing is exquisite - sparse in some ways but so deep in others. The word choice, the images, it made me feel so much compassion both for the pastor as well as for all the non-Europeans who were trying to eke out a life for themselves in a land that was dying and under the thumb of the white man who claimed that dying land.
I love that there are good and bad choices made by people of both races. Here is humility. Here is compassion and devastation and a love for something bigger than yourself. Here is trying to find peace in a world that does not favor you. It is hard and it is heavy. But it is beautiful, too.