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4.56 AVERAGE
4.56 AVERAGE
funny
informative
reflective
fast-paced
emotional
funny
inspiring
fast-paced
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
funny
medium-paced
emotional
funny
informative
fast-paced
It was an amazing book. I got a little lost as it was not a linear story telling, but otherwise I loved it.
Content warnings for domestic violence, including attempted murder and violence against children, gun violence, animal cruelty, drug and alcohol use, interactions with police, racism, starvation/food insecurity, and Christianity. Also, note that there are several words that have different meanings between the US and South Africa. In particular, the word 'colored' has a more specific and neutral meaning in South Africa, and is used frequently with that definition in this book.
It always feels weird rating a memoir. The three star rating here is more a reflection of my own mistake in reading the physical version instead of listening to the audiobook. Trevor Noah's comedy doesn't translate as completely to the written word as, say, Tina Fey or Mindy Kaling. Not that this book has the same tone as a standard comedy memoir, but Trevor Noah has told similar stories in his Between the Scenes segments and stand-ups, and he's more engaging with the spoken word. Also, this book includes snippets of Xhosa, Zulu, and Afrikaans. English translations are always provided, but hearing him say the words would carry much more depth than the transliteration. I fully expect this book would be a 4+ star audiobook.
Overall, this book is a good introduction of the history and current state of South African racism to American audiences, with enough humor to keep from dragging me down until at least the last chapter. As the subtitle suggests, if you're looking for any stories from Noah's time outside South Africa, you won't find them here.
It always feels weird rating a memoir. The three star rating here is more a reflection of my own mistake in reading the physical version instead of listening to the audiobook. Trevor Noah's comedy doesn't translate as completely to the written word as, say, Tina Fey or Mindy Kaling. Not that this book has the same tone as a standard comedy memoir, but Trevor Noah has told similar stories in his Between the Scenes segments and stand-ups, and he's more engaging with the spoken word. Also, this book includes snippets of Xhosa, Zulu, and Afrikaans. English translations are always provided, but hearing him say the words would carry much more depth than the transliteration. I fully expect this book would be a 4+ star audiobook.
Overall, this book is a good introduction of the history and current state of South African racism to American audiences, with enough humor to keep from dragging me down until at least the last chapter. As the subtitle suggests, if you're looking for any stories from Noah's time outside South Africa, you won't find them here.
funny
informative
sad
medium-paced
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
emotional
funny
inspiring
fast-paced
I'm forever reading anything by Trevor!