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3.77 AVERAGE
3.77 AVERAGE
Not a single word misplaced. Every movement and moment in its place, woven together with a master’s hand. The joy of slowly weaving through every thread of this color and that was only overshadowed by the wonder of seeing it all radiantly together as a whole.
This is a story that is neither propaganda nor polemic, but an honest telling as the eyes see it and the body feels it and the heart knows it. Of things true that must be spoken, and of things too true to be spoken of at all in words, yet which somehow are still heard.
Paton’s story of two fathers whose lives collide with the twin forces of tragedy and triumph—of our most desperate fears, and of our most holy instincts—rings true because it never fought to be. It is true in the same way as a harmony (of which Paton is a literary master). It sings on its own. It needs no explaining or defense. As the reader, I happily surrendered to it.
Paton invited us into his home, and I have a great hunger to keep exploring. To find answers to our great human condition of life and life together in this world. To be invited such, and to know great answers will be found along the way, is in a way the magic of literature.
This is a story that is neither propaganda nor polemic, but an honest telling as the eyes see it and the body feels it and the heart knows it. Of things true that must be spoken, and of things too true to be spoken of at all in words, yet which somehow are still heard.
Paton’s story of two fathers whose lives collide with the twin forces of tragedy and triumph—of our most desperate fears, and of our most holy instincts—rings true because it never fought to be. It is true in the same way as a harmony (of which Paton is a literary master). It sings on its own. It needs no explaining or defense. As the reader, I happily surrendered to it.
Paton invited us into his home, and I have a great hunger to keep exploring. To find answers to our great human condition of life and life together in this world. To be invited such, and to know great answers will be found along the way, is in a way the magic of literature.
challenging
emotional
hopeful
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
challenging
emotional
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
A beautiful book with some banger quotes. It was interesting to read about South Africa, as I have little knowledge of the country. The format with the dialogue in dashes instead of quotations was off-putting but manageable. The descriptions are so well written. The political and social commentary was also insightful and woven perfectly throughout the novel. I recommend it. The end broke my heart.
emotional
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:
Complicated
Audiobook narrated by Frederick Davidson.
And old man, a Zulu pastor in a small impoverished South African town, has lost three dear relatives to the big city. His brother, John, has gone to Johannesburg and opened a business. He no longer writes. His much younger sister, Gertrude, took her son to Johannesburg to look for her husband who had gone previously to find work; the husband never wrote, and Gertrude has not written. And finally his son, Absalom, went to Johannesburg to look for his aunt, and he too has been swallowed up by the big city and no longer writes. So when he receives a letter from a priest in J-burg giving news of Gertrude, Stephen Kumalo travels to the city to find his family members and bring them home.
First published in 1948, Cry the Beloved Country has remained an international bestseller. It tells of a personal tragedy, but also of a national tragedy – apartheid. The writing is lyrical and evocative of time and place. Stephen is a gentle hero, who derives his strength from faith, hope and charity. His capacity for love and forgiveness is admirable. I was surprised, and touched, by the compassion and forgiveness shown by Jarvis (the white farmer in the village).
Their personal tragedy is the focus on the novel, but it is framed by the larger issues facing South Africa – the loss of tribal culture, poverty, flight to the already overcrowded city slums – and issues facing all humankind – justice, good governance, retribution, compassion, and forgiveness.
Frederick Davidson does a good job narrating, but I did find his narration very slow. His very slow delivery made it hard for me to get engaged in the story, but grew on me, as the character of Stephen Kumalo is revealed – he is a man who takes his time pondering and deliberating over issues, a man who never acts in haste.
And old man, a Zulu pastor in a small impoverished South African town, has lost three dear relatives to the big city. His brother, John, has gone to Johannesburg and opened a business. He no longer writes. His much younger sister, Gertrude, took her son to Johannesburg to look for her husband who had gone previously to find work; the husband never wrote, and Gertrude has not written. And finally his son, Absalom, went to Johannesburg to look for his aunt, and he too has been swallowed up by the big city and no longer writes. So when he receives a letter from a priest in J-burg giving news of Gertrude, Stephen Kumalo travels to the city to find his family members and bring them home.
First published in 1948, Cry the Beloved Country has remained an international bestseller. It tells of a personal tragedy, but also of a national tragedy – apartheid. The writing is lyrical and evocative of time and place. Stephen is a gentle hero, who derives his strength from faith, hope and charity. His capacity for love and forgiveness is admirable. I was surprised, and touched, by the compassion and forgiveness shown by Jarvis (the white farmer in the village).
Their personal tragedy is the focus on the novel, but it is framed by the larger issues facing South Africa – the loss of tribal culture, poverty, flight to the already overcrowded city slums – and issues facing all humankind – justice, good governance, retribution, compassion, and forgiveness.
Frederick Davidson does a good job narrating, but I did find his narration very slow. His very slow delivery made it hard for me to get engaged in the story, but grew on me, as the character of Stephen Kumalo is revealed – he is a man who takes his time pondering and deliberating over issues, a man who never acts in haste.
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
A poignant commentary on South Africa, on politics, on racism, on economics and on the human experience with sacred vs profane.
This book was one I stumbled upon by going through older years of Oprah’s book club picks. I’ve read a number of her book club features in the last year and they’re typically very compelling, so this one made my list. I didn’t realize until I received it that it was actually published more than 80 years ago! The story ages well and was a good read. To describe it as a sad story is the understatement of the year. It follows the tribulations of Stephen Kumalo, a poor minister in a rural village in South Africa, as he seeks to resolve the troubles of his wayward family members. A pious and good man, Stephen travels to Johannesburg to come to the aid of his sister, her son, and his own son – all who have ventured far from their home and have gotten into trouble with the law or otherwise. While his travels do not result in his being able to help his immediate family members, he is able to help those in their circle and to build valuable relationships (through hardship) to help his impoverished community. Written in the 1940s just before the adoption of aparthaid, the book highlights the clear inequities between white and black, particularly in the heyday of mineral extraction where black workers worked in dangerous conditions for very little pay. I didn’t know this prior to reading it, but the author, Alan Paton, is a particularly famous author and anti-aparthaid activist. An area of global history that I know little about, it was very interesting to examine through the lens of how aparthaid so divided South Africa for decades following the publication of this book.
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
An absolutely incredible read. Heartbreaking, intense, and gripping from the beginning to the end.