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4.56 AVERAGE
4.56 AVERAGE
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!
Horrible pacing, long chapters and overall bad writing
Let me preface by saying I don't do audiobooks. I have nothing against them, but during the times in which I feel inclined to listen to something, I have tons of podcast backlog and Taylor Swift songs at my disposal. However, this was one book in which I knew I had to make an exception. Trevor Noah tells, with humor and candor, the story of his childhood growing up in South Africa. He goes through many common childhood experiences, such as getting in trouble with his mom and spending hours in church most days of the week. But there are also may dangers and levels of racism that most people of our generation cannot fathom. Learning more about the ways in which apartheid intentionally sought to persecute darker skinned people was fascinating and brought to light the horrendous ways humans treat each other while justifying their actions.
I loved being about to hear his pronunciations of several native languages, and his writing and delivery caused me to laugh out loud on more than one occasion. This was such an enjoyable listening experience, and it opened my eyes to many of the racial and cultural practices that I was not privy to going on in South Africa.
I loved being about to hear his pronunciations of several native languages, and his writing and delivery caused me to laugh out loud on more than one occasion. This was such an enjoyable listening experience, and it opened my eyes to many of the racial and cultural practices that I was not privy to going on in South Africa.
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
reflective
medium-paced
fast-paced
I don’t often read non-fiction or biographies. This was an interesting collection of anecdotes, but I did keep expecting a more consistent through line. (I think that’s the fiction reader in me being pretentious.)
For a book that talks so much about religion, and with all these church- and Jesus-related anecdotes, I’m not fully confident that our narrator believes in Jesus at all. Which is an interesting perspective to read.
emotional
funny
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
fast-paced