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A review by soroushtorkian
Born a Crime: Stories From a South African Childhood by Trevor Noah
4.0
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One of the things I loved most about the book was Trevor's willingness to expose the dark sides of his past and the struggles he faced growing up in South Africa during the time of Apartheid. Despite these challenges, Trevor persevered and ultimately found success as a comedian and television host.
One of the most touching moments in the book for me was when Trevor spoke about his deep love and care for his mother. His relationship with his mother reminded me of the Tupac song "Mama," and it was one of the few times that a story has elicited such a strong, sentimental feeling in me.
Another thing that I appreciated about the book was Trevor's ability to put things into perspective. He talks about how differences in geography or culture can shape our perceptions of historical figures that have committed heinous atrocities, such as how Hitler is seen as a powerful leader and not an evil one, so his friend was named that way…
In some parts of the East, Genghis Khan is revered as a mighty leader. But in other parts of the world, both Hitler and Genghis Khan are seen as barbaric savages. This really made me think about how our experiences and backgrounds can shape our understanding of the world.
Overall, I highly recommend "Born a Crime." It's a thought-provoking and poignant look at Trevor's life and experiences, and it puts into perspective one of his jokes about his brother informing him about his mother being in the hospital on a very deep and sentimental level.
This book might be appreciated by Trevor’s fans but it may also be of interest to people who are curious about apartheid in South Africa in the eyes of an individual citizen who has lived there.
One of the things I loved most about the book was Trevor's willingness to expose the dark sides of his past and the struggles he faced growing up in South Africa during the time of Apartheid. Despite these challenges, Trevor persevered and ultimately found success as a comedian and television host.
One of the most touching moments in the book for me was when Trevor spoke about his deep love and care for his mother. His relationship with his mother reminded me of the Tupac song "Mama," and it was one of the few times that a story has elicited such a strong, sentimental feeling in me.
Another thing that I appreciated about the book was Trevor's ability to put things into perspective. He talks about how differences in geography or culture can shape our perceptions of historical figures that have committed heinous atrocities, such as how Hitler is seen as a powerful leader and not an evil one, so his friend was named that way…
In some parts of the East, Genghis Khan is revered as a mighty leader. But in other parts of the world, both Hitler and Genghis Khan are seen as barbaric savages. This really made me think about how our experiences and backgrounds can shape our understanding of the world.
Overall, I highly recommend "Born a Crime." It's a thought-provoking and poignant look at Trevor's life and experiences, and it puts into perspective one of his jokes about his brother informing him about his mother being in the hospital on a very deep and sentimental level.
This book might be appreciated by Trevor’s fans but it may also be of interest to people who are curious about apartheid in South Africa in the eyes of an individual citizen who has lived there.