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3.77 AVERAGE
3.77 AVERAGE
This is a fantastic book! I listened to it on tape from the library while I was working as a custodian on campus and the reader was really good, so that's a fun way to approach it. I felt that it explored a lot of different themes and gave an introduction into the struggles and strengths of the people of South Africa. I liked that it was written from the perspective of both Kumalo and Jarvis-- it definitely added to the roundness of the story.
Honestly, if it weren't for my legendary literature teacher, I would have stopped halfway through the gem of this book and abandoned it.
But spending an entire year on this book with the Godly Mrs Dabbs, growing and sharing pain with each and every character, I have come to love this book, it's message and it's characters very very deeply. As real people.
The book is so rich that if it were to be read 10 times, new lessons and enlightenments will pop out every time, for eternity.
The writing style is dense and at times hard, but it forces you slow down and savour each and every word, sometimes making you go back to to reread the linss again. And that is a true masterpiece.
So poignant. So beautiful.
Thank you umfundisi. There is always hope and forgiveness in this world. We just must have the courage to find it.
But spending an entire year on this book with the Godly Mrs Dabbs, growing and sharing pain with each and every character, I have come to love this book, it's message and it's characters very very deeply. As real people.
The book is so rich that if it were to be read 10 times, new lessons and enlightenments will pop out every time, for eternity.
The writing style is dense and at times hard, but it forces you slow down and savour each and every word, sometimes making you go back to to reread the linss again. And that is a true masterpiece.
So poignant. So beautiful.
Thank you umfundisi. There is always hope and forgiveness in this world. We just must have the courage to find it.
challenging
emotional
informative
inspiring
emotional
hopeful
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Some bits were so profoundly moving while others were so confusing, I don’t know where I sit on this one, but I hope I read it another day.
Serious "white guy writing about black people" vibes here, but undeniably powerful. Also useful as a picture of a place and time.
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
reflective
slow-paced
My teacher said it was in her top five favorite books of all time. I have no idea why she thinks that.
How has this book not been on my radar in the past? It is phenomenal! I kept having to remind myself this book was published in 1948 (the same year that Apartheid officially began). Paton did an incredible job weaving together a gripping story containing the best elements of a great book, in my opinion. Cry, the Beloved Country was the perfect blend of challenging nuance, storytelling, and poetry.
The depth of thought that was presented was astounding. I mean, the issues Paton was talking about continue to be relevant to this day. And not just the issues on race, but the commentary on justice,
the commentary on class,
and on Christianity.
This book is powerful, beautiful, and encouraging.
The depth of thought that was presented was astounding. I mean, the issues Paton was talking about continue to be relevant to this day. And not just the issues on race, but the commentary on justice,
The Judge does not make the Law. It is the people that make the Law. Therefore is a Law is unjust, and if the Judge judges according to the Law, that is justice, even if it is not just.
It is the duty of a Judge to do justice, but it is only the People that can be just. Therefore if justice be not just, that is not to be laid at the door of the Judge, but at the door of the White People, for it is the White People that make the law.
the commentary on class,
They say that higher wages will cause the mines to close down. Then what is it worth, this mining industry? And why should it be kept alive, if it is only our poverty that keeps it alive? They say it makes the country rich, but what do we see of these riches? Is it we that must be kept poor so that others may stay rich?
and on Christianity.
The truth is that our Christian civilization is riddled through and through with dilemma. We believe in the brotherhood of man, but we do not want it in South Africa. We believe that God endows men with diverse gifts, and that human life depends for its fullness on their employment and enjoyment, but we are afraid to explore this belief too deeply. We believe in help for the underdog, but we want him to stay under. And or are therefore compelled, in order to preserve our belief that we are Christian, to ascribe to Almighty God, Creator of [[Heaven]] and Earth, our own human intentions, and to say that because He created white and black, He gives the Divine Approval to any human action that is designed to keep black men from advancement. We go so far as to credit Almighty God with having created black men to hew wood and draw water for white men.
The truth is that our civilization is not Christian; it is a tragic compound of great ideal and fearful practice, of high assurance and desperate anxiety, of loving charity and fearful clutching of possessions.
This book is powerful, beautiful, and encouraging.