Reviews tagging 'Colonisation'

Born a Crime: Stories From a South African Childhood by Trevor Noah

104 reviews

_0_'s review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring lighthearted reflective relaxing fast-paced

4.75

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Content Warnings

Minor: Racism, Toxic relationship, Violence, Antisemitism, Death of parent, Murder, Colonisation, and War

madisonfrank's review against another edition

challenging emotional informative inspiring reflective fast-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Bullying, Child abuse, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Violence, Blood, Colonisation, and Classism

cnnr876's review against another edition

adventurous emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring lighthearted reflective fast-paced

5.0

6 / 5 stars. I loved loved loved this book. Best audiobook I've ever listened to. His intertwining of personal stories with historical commentary of the development of apartheid and South Africa was incredibly impactful. I have no notes!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Gun violence, Misogyny, Racism, Blood, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, Colonisation, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Violence

mokey81's review against another edition

adventurous funny informative inspiring lighthearted fast-paced

5.0

Not only is this book so entertaining, but it is also super informative and insightful regarding apartheid and its atrocities. It was a 5-star read from chapter 1. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Racism, and Colonisation

jacob_dion's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring fast-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Gun violence, Hate crime, Physical abuse, Racism, Slavery, Police brutality, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Colonisation

clarabooksit's review against another edition

funny inspiring reflective fast-paced

3.5

This is good—not as good as the hype claims, but enjoyable. If you like Noah’s comedy and especially his delivery style, you’ll like this.

Noah is clever, nerdy and funny and this memoir showcases that. His love of South Africa, where he came from and his mother are apparent on every page, even as he’a cracking jokes about them. I especially enjoyed learning a lot about South Africa.

Where the book let me down is in its lack of emotional resonance. That and it was very obviously written for a U.S. American audience, which felt confining even if I’m a part of that audience.

Noah has lived a fascinating life full of sticky, incredible and awful moments, but his voice remains distant like the person at a party who tells wild and traumatic stories for laughs without registering how deeply personal they are. While there’s a great deal of reflection in the book, it all felt anecdotal to me. The format of the book also makes every story feel like a lesson and that didn’t quite work for me.

To be fair, that may be more of a reflection on me than the book. I did like it: it’s zippy, I learned a lot, it made me laugh and at the very end, it made me cry. But it didn’t thrill me. Would still recommend.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Gun violence, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racism, Sexism, Slavery, Violence, Xenophobia, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Moderate: Body shaming, Bullying, Drug use, Slavery, Excrement, Police brutality, Medical content, and Fire/Fire injury

Minor: Animal cruelty and Rape

nils_0's review against another edition

adventurous informative reflective tense medium-paced

2.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Bullying, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Racism, Slavery, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Colonisation, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Kidnapping, Murder, and Pregnancy

awaywiththefairies's review against another edition

reflective slow-paced

2.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Gun violence, Hate crime, Racism, Violence, Police brutality, Medical trauma, Murder, and Colonisation

asen123's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny informative inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

5.0

This book was a masterpiece. It detailed extremely important ideas of poverty and racism and belonging. He detailed so much about his relationship with his mother and his early life. This novel is one of the best things I have read. I truely have no words. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Racism, Colonisation, and Classism

Moderate: Addiction, Bullying, and Violence

ali_k0's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring lighthearted reflective fast-paced

3.75

These fast past essays paint a vivid picture of a childhood in Apartaid and Post Apartaid South Africa. It is sad, joyful and victorious. A fascinating tale for anyone wishing to journey into nonfiction and. It 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Xenophobia, Colonisation, and Classism

Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Fire/Fire injury, and Alcohol