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The Power Of One

4.32 of 5 stars 4.32 · rating details · 30,832 ratings · 3,112 reviews

Set in a world torn apart, where man enslaves his fellow man and freedom remains elusive, The Power of One is the moving story of one young man's search for the love that binds friends, the passion that binds lovers, and the realization that it takes only one to change the world. A weak and friendless boy growing up in South Africa during World War II, Peekay turns to two...more

Published (first published 1989)

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Apr 13, 2007 Deanne rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I just finished reading The Power of One by Bryce Courtenay which was recommended to me by JK in our little cross country virtual book club. Divided into three parts, this is a story of a boy named Peekay coming of age in 1930-1950's South Africa. So, we've got major historical things happening - Boer War aftermath, Hitler Germany and WWII, the buddings of Apartheid. And then you have this really small boy going through hell at age 5 in a boarding school and learning at this infant stage in life...more

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Mar 03, 2008 Claudia rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. This book is a wonderful story of the hope and success of an underdog, of relationships breaking barriers of race, age, religion, wealth, and of a boy learning who he is and who he should be. I would really like to rate this book a 4.5. I loved about 500 pages of this book, but was disappointed with the ending.

***SPOILER ALERT*** For most of the book I really thought, this could really happen. And then, to make a "nice ending", of course it all comes full circle in the end and the frayed ends a...more

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Mar 19, 2007 craige rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I firmly believe that a book or a movie can be about absolutely anything as long as its well written. There are a few sports movies out there that I have enjoyed, that I got wrapped up in, all because what they were really were was just good stories. This is a book like that. If you do happen to read the back cover, you will learn that the book is about boxing, but it's hardly just about boxing. Saying The Power of One is only about boxing is like saying doing well in school is only about showin...more

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Apr 10, 2007 Megan rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I had high hopes for this book, but in the end was a little disappointed. It seems towards the end of the book he lost track of where he was going with it all and just ended it, although maybe this says more about my lack of getting his point than it does about his writing style. One thing he does have though is energy, and that helped in keeping me interested. I also think the "power of one" is a rather funny concept considering the main character, Peekay, who supposedly possesses (or cultivate...more

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Feb 11, 2008 Kathy rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: everyone

This is the story of Peekay, a young boy growing up in South Africa before, during, and after World War II, and the good people he met along his way to becoming the welterwieght boxing champion of the world. The memorable characters included (among many) Giel Peet, an imprisoned black man who taught Peekay to box; Doc, a gentle 6'7" German professor who taught Peekay to love nature and music and books; and, Miss Boorstein, a brilliant Jewish teacher who fostered Peekay's intellectual genius thr...more

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May 29, 2007 Heather W rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

One of my favorite books! This is a truly inspirational historical fiction about of boyhood in South Africa at the birth of apartheid. Follow the life of a British child who comes of age amidst resentful Boers who are recovering from their own persecution while simultaneously championing the causes of Hitler in Germany. This precocious boy struggles to understand the clash of races and racism while simultaneously overcoming boundaries through the medium of competitive boxing.

One perhaps could ma...more

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Jul 18, 2007 Sarah rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: everyone

Shelves: re-reading

I wasn't sure whether I would like this book since all I knew was that it was about boxing which I am not a big fan of, but a girl had told me this was her favorite book so I thought I would give it a try. I loved it. In some ways it is a fasinating look at South Africas devastating history, but the protagonist's innocent perspective just draws you into his story. The characters in the story are what really make it great, Peekay's mentors, friends and even the evil adversaries he has to overcome...more

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Feb 24, 2009 David rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This is one of the most important books I have ever read. The reader really gets pulled into the life of PK, experiencing his trials and successes. There are some great laugh out loud moments, such as during his train ride with Big Hettie, and when Granpa Chook decides to express his opinion of The Judge and his Nazi party (though the surrounded circumstance is sad and grim). There are also some very dark times in his life, but these serve to prove the triumph of the human spirit and so are a va...more

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Aug 03, 2011 Karen rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: historical

I don't usually review a book unless there is something about it that grips me more than usual. This one had a lot going for it, in spite of the information that repeated two or three times, which should never have got past the editor and likely would not have these days.

The ending nearly spoiled the entire story for me. The story and the boy, had one major goal that he was determined to reach for the entire novel, one that was repeated throughout no matter what happened to him. I would make a g...more

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Feb 04, 2012 Stephen rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: historical-fiction, books-read-in-2012, teen-reads, and-saw-the-movie

[The book that I read was the Young Readers' Condensed Edition.]
A good hearted young man comes of age in a troubled land at a difficult time.

I saw the movie years ago and as usual the book is better. The young man that this tale centers on is valiant and caring and a generally good soul. He observes a certain amount of cruelty in the world around him but since he's known no other he accepts it and makes the best of his lot. And in so doing makes it better for pretty much all of those around him...more

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Sep 06, 2009 Caleb Rogers rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Power of One starts off disgustingly. The first chapter contains mostly shitting and pissing, and even better, people getting shit and pissed on. I'm sure an AP english teacher would say this represents something quite shitty, such as how shitty Africa is, but I just know the author was fighting through some strange fetishes at the time of writing Power of One. It's the only plausible explanation. After a final awesome scene wherein the main character's bald old chicken takes a big dump in a bul...more Power of One starts off disgustingly. The first chapter contains mostly shitting and pissing, and even better, people getting shit and pissed on. I'm sure an AP english teacher would say this represents something quite shitty, such as how shitty Africa is, but I just know the author was fighting through some strange fetishes at the time of writing Power of One. It's the only plausible explanation. After a final awesome scene wherein the main character's bald old chicken takes a big dump in a bully's mouth (clearly representative of the author's secret self loathing of never doing anything about being picked on in school and always depending on others to help him, i.e., bald chickens), the main character runs off to get some shoes or suckers or something and gets on a train, does some growing up and plans his life around a single boxing match, and meets a really fat chick. Seriously, this chick was fat. So fat she couldn't even stand up when she fell over in a drunken stupor. So fat that she didn't even bother trying once she was on the ground and instead decided to die after eating three chickens and a chocolate cake. Another fetish of the author's is revealed, in the form of BBW. More growing up happens, and the story turns into a smart kid being smarter than everybody else around him and beating people up who pick on him. He cries a bit about being forced to be a winner, how horrible it is to always be winning and be a god of Africa and to have everybody love him more than their own mothers, and how he's still too good to take a loan to go to Oxford. Then he beats up the bully from the beginning again. Oh, also, the bully was a nazi. Bryce Courtenay must have once dreamt of being a little kid kick'n the nazi's asses.

Took me a long time to read this one, for some reason. Never really devoted an afternoon to it, which made it nice and stretched out. An overall good book, I would suggest it to others, it really is quite funny, and meaningful, and whatnot. I'm sure somebody more learned could find some meaningful lesson in it.(less)

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Jan 26, 2009 Brad rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

When talking about The Power of One, it is easy to be distracted by "the power of one" itself and place ultimate importance on Peekay's slippery personal philosophy. But to do so to the exclusion of all else but racism is to read only a small portion of Bryce Courtenay's masterwork.

The Power of One also deals with class, religion, science, obsession, faith vs. reason, objectivism, homosocial intimacy, and in one of the finest literary expressions of its kind, the importance of violence.

Peekay's...more

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Feb 25, 2008 Judy rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I found this book to be a mixed bag. For example, I loved the story of the main character's relationships with others, particularly with an old German professor who helps to shape his mind. However, I got bored with the focus on boxing, something I have no interest in but which permeated every aspect of the story. I thought the treatment of racial and cultural issues was excellent, especially the insights into struggles among the Boers, Afrikaners, and English settlers. On the other hand, I got...more

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Mar 21, 2008 Mason Wiebe rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: everyone

At least 3 people I know have told me that this is their favorite book, so I just had to give it a read. It is really, really good. The book follows a young man, Peekay, as he grows up in South Africa in the 30s and 40s. He meets a series of very influential adults and is constantly being shaped by them and also by his many differing experiences growing up. The one theme that stays true throughout is his desire to become the welterweight boxing champion of the world. This is the kind of book tha...more At least 3 people I know have told me that this is their favorite book, so I just had to give it a read. It is really, really good. The book follows a young man, Peekay, as he grows up in South Africa in the 30s and 40s. He meets a series of very influential adults and is constantly being shaped by them and also by his many differing experiences growing up. The one theme that stays true throughout is his desire to become the welterweight boxing champion of the world. This is the kind of book that you find yourself not wanting to put down and you miss it when you aren’t reading it. I definitely recommend this book to anyone at all. While I won’t list it as my favorite, it is definitely one of my favorites.

“Always listen to yourself. It is better to be wrong than to simply follow convention. If you are wrong, no matter, you have learned something and you will grow stronger. If you are right, you have taken another step towards a fulfilling life.”

“…God is too busy making the sun come up and go down and watching so the moon floats just right in the sky to be concerned with such rubbish. Only man wants always God should be there to condemn this one and save that one. Always it is man who wants to make heaven and hell. God is too busy training the bees to make honey and every morning opening up all the new flowers for business… In Mexico there is a cactus that even sometimes you would think God forgets. But no, my friend, this is not so. On a full moon in the desert every one hundred years he remembers and he opens up a single flower to bloom. And if you should be there and you see this beautiful cactus blossom painted silver by the moon and laughing up at the stars, this is heaven…This is the faith in God the cactus has… It is better just to get on with the business of living and minding your own business and maybe, if God likes the way you do things, he may just let you flower for a day or a night. But don’t go pestering and begging and telling him all your stupid little sins, that way you will spoil his day.”

“…in this world are very few things made from logic alone. It is illogical for a man to be too logical. Some things we must just let stand. The mystery is more important than any possible explanation. The searcher after truth must search with humanity. Ruthless logic is the sign of a limited mind. The truth can only add to the sum of what you know, while a harmless mystery left unexplored often adds to the meaning of life. When a truth is not so important, it is better left as a mystery.”

“The mind is the athlete; the body is simply the means it uses to run faster or longer, jump higher, shoot straighter, kick better, swim harder, hit further, or box better. “First with the head and then with the heart” was more than simply mixing brains with guts. It meant thinking well beyond the powers of normal concentration and then daring your courage to follow your thoughts.”
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Sep 08, 2007 Marc rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

A interesting novel set in South Africa spanning from World War II to the early 1960's. It is told by the main character who grows up under the care of his black nanny and attends boarding school as a white student who is sympathetic to Kaffirs (this is the word white South Africans used to refer to blacks). He goes through many hardships, but learns to find the power to believe in himself to become an amazing boxer. Through the entire book...I'm almost finished...about 50 pages left he meets a...more

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Jan 03, 2009 Maryanne rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: adults

"The Power of One" is an epic of survival...[and]a portrait of evil...It is also infected with a mischievous sense of comedy." The Sunday Times (London)
This book tells of how a variety of people see and react to life, it is rough, not for the young or weak of heart, but I found it fascinating. I really liked many of the people Bryce Courtenay portrayed.

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Dec 06, 2009 Sarah rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This book was simply wonderful. I knew about the setting, since I lived in Lorenco Marques (aka Maputo, Mocambique) in the late 70s/early 80s.

While the story is uplifting and is a fantastic story of determination and struggle all on it's own, it is the setting that put it over the top for me. One thing that comes through so pitch perfectly is the insidiousness of the systemic racism and overt cruelty of the Boer society. It was something that was so prevalent in the society that it was common t...more

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Jan 31, 2009 Amy rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Bryce Courtenay does a wonderful job following the childhood and young adulthood of a boy growing up in South Africa during the 1940s. The story starts when PK (as he later is named by a man he meets. His real name is never mentioned.) is bullied and tortured by the "judge" and "jury" as he calls them at a boarding school. He vows to be able to hold his own and finds boxing through a man he meets on his way home from school named Hoppie Groenwald. The story of his rise to become the boxing champ...more

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Nov 11, 2008 Jessica Donaghy rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction

I thoroughly enjoyed many elements of this book, and I learned a tremendous amount about boxing and the history of South Africa, through a child's eye view. However, my opinion took a downward plunge toward the end of the book -- specifically the final 5 pages of the book. I don't want to include any spoilers, but what on earth was the author thinking?!? I interpreted the book's message so differently from what is depicted in the final scene. Perhaps I owe the author a second reading. STRANGE!!!...more

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Aug 12, 2007 Stacie rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

It is hard for me to find words to describe this book. I have to admit I was a little disappointed with the end, but that was only because of my desire to have it wrapped up and end with Peekay reaching his goal. But, that is not how life works and I think that is what Courtenay was getting at. I can't remember a book that I felt so invested in the character AND loved the writing. I also can't remember the last time I read a book that made me cry more than once. It was a beautiful coming of age...more

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Aug 23, 2011 Ruth rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Picked this up from my sister's give away stack, so far is very interesting novel about growing up in South Africa... Very interesting book! I liked it alot. Interesting study in class, race and culture of South Africa. Jody told me it's a movie, I've put it on my netflix list.

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Jul 20, 2007 Mandy rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites

Although this book is really not much at all like the movie (which I highly recommend watching, one of my favorites), it was still a great book. At times, it was a little hard to get into - a lot of talking about boxing, which I don't really care too much about, but in the end it was totally worth it for me. I think this is one of the only books that has ever made me cry, meriting the five stars. Something very near the end caught me off guard and really touched me, bringing me to tears. It felt...more

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Mar 01, 2009 Mike rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: literature-classics

This is an amazing book. It is very well written, with wonderful characterization, and does a very good job of capturing the setting (WWII era South Africa, and the racial tensions therein).

If I was asked to choose the books largest fault (and it *is* a large fault), oddly enough I would say that the largest fault is it's conscious handling of South Africa and Apartheid. Whenever the author tries to intentionally address these issues he veers too far into sentimentality and symbolism, and the th...more

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Jan 25, 2009 Bobby rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I really liked reading "The Power of One" by Bryce Courtenay. I had it lying around in my house because i was supposed to read it as a sophomore, but i never got through it. I am glad that i did read it because i found it to be really inspiring, and full of great advice for how to view and live life.

Peekay showed an amazing amount of mental and physical strength starting from the age of 5 all the way into his adulthood. The story of his life inspires one to be both intellectually advanced and ph...more

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Jan 08, 2009 Ismael Hernandez added it · review of another edition

The book I read was The Power Of One by Bryce Courtenay. It is a nonfiction book. It’s about a caucasian boy that grows up in South Africa and about the obstacles he faces.
The main character’s name is Peekay. He lived on a farm with a black nanny because his mom had a mental breakdown. It takes place in South Africa during World War II. He goes to a boarding and is made fun of and ridiculed because he’s white. He eventually leaves because his mom comes back. He goes home on a train and the guar...more

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Dec 11, 2008 Erick rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The book I’m reviewing today is The Power of One by Bryce Courtenay. It’s nonfiction story based on Bryce Courtenay Life. Courtenay’s main theme in The Power of One is that anyone can change the world.
The Power of One is based on a boy named Peekay and follows him on an adventure, during the age five through seventeen. This takes place during the World War II and during era when Hitler was taking over. This is all going in South Africa, a country with racial discrimination and hatred. His moth...more

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Dec 10, 2008 Kadedra rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The Power of One
1st Draft

The Power of One is a historical fiction novel by Bryce Courtenay. The theme of the book is to how to become a strong person after having a troubled childhood. The Power of One mainly focuses on how Peekay grew up to be a strong person after years of abuse in Africa.
Peekay known as Pisskop in the beginning is sent to a boarding school after his mother suffers from a nervous breakdown. While at the boarding school Peekay is bullied by all the other older boys, but speci...more The Power of One
1st Draft

The Power of One is a historical fiction novel by Bryce Courtenay. The theme of the book is to how to become a strong person after having a troubled childhood. The Power of One mainly focuses on how Peekay grew up to be a strong person after years of abuse in Africa.
Peekay known as Pisskop in the beginning is sent to a boarding school after his mother suffers from a nervous breakdown. While at the boarding school Peekay is bullied by all the other older boys, but specifically by boy the others call the Judge (he is the leader of the bullies). They mostly pick on Peekay because he is white and he wets the bed.
Peekay leaves the boarding to live in a place called Barberton. He meets many people while in Barberton, Professor “Doc” Von Vollensteen, Jackhammer(a cocky boxer), and Big Hettie. Professor Von Vollensten had the most impact on Peekay’s life because he became a mentor and the person who Peekay looked for when he needed guidance. Doc taught Peekay how to play music, and how to box and they became like father and son until Doc was arrested on suspicion of being a German spy. Doc was later released but soon dies.
Peekay has now grown up and he gets a job at a factory that makes copper. He decides that it is time to move out of Barberton and before he leaves he goes to the local bar and ends in a fight with someone very familiar.
I would recommend this book to people who read the Anne Frank story because the two books are very similar because Anne gets pulled away from her home and has to go to a concentration camp and she has to do slave work, Peekay also gets moved away from his home to do slave work and he has to worry about disease and death. The setting of both stories were around the time when Nazi’s were killing everyone who were not like them.
I really like this book because it shows that white people are not the only ones to have owned slaves. It shows that African people were just as bad as the whites when it came to owning slaves and abusing them. The book also shows that just because you are in a bad situation doesn’t mean you can’t grow up to be successful. Before Peekay fought in the bar he was a well known boxer.
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Feb 07, 2013 Kayla Chmiel rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The Power of One by Bryce Courtenay is a very inspiring fictional book. The novel is set during the 1940’s in South Africa and is told in the main character, Peekay’s, point of view. The novel starts with his horrifying experiences at boarding school, where he is tormented by the older kids for not being German, but an English man. This causes a lot of self-doubt and low self-esteem in Peekay. When he leaves boarding school the book goes on to introduce several characters that will change the wa...more The Power of One by Bryce Courtenay is a very inspiring fictional book. The novel is set during the 1940’s in South Africa and is told in the main character, Peekay’s, point of view. The novel starts with his horrifying experiences at boarding school, where he is tormented by the older kids for not being German, but an English man. This causes a lot of self-doubt and low self-esteem in Peekay. When he leaves boarding school the book goes on to introduce several characters that will change the way Peekay looks at the world and add a little stability to his life; even if they are with him for only a short time. The first of these people is Hoppie Gronewald. Hoppie is able to rebuild the confidence in Peekay in only two days by teaching him that big does not always beat small when you believe in the power of one. When Peekay finds out Hoppie is a boxer, he is determined to become the next welterweight champion of the world. The next three are Doc, Miss Boxall, and Miss Bornstein. These characters all have an immense effect on the quality of Peekay’s education. The next character that has a great impact on Peekay’s life is his boxing coach, Geel Piet. Geel Piet is one of the first times Peekay really notices racism. He had known about all his life but until he became friends with Geel Piet he had not known all that it entailed and it is continually observed in the book. Overall the author was successful with instilling the themes of tolerance, persistence, and courage throughout the novel. This is through the way Peekay handles his bullies and any other situation that intimidates him.

Before I read this book I had watched the film about it (this is what made me want to read the book) so I thought I mostly knew what it would be like. Now that I have read the book I realize that I was way off in assuming that I already knew how it would go. This book far exceeded my expectations of what it would be. With Peekay narrating it, you get to see directly how everything that happens to him, impacts or influences him, and I personally like the inside story. The author never ceased to amaze me with the way that he created Peekay’s thoughts and ability to cope with his ever-changing world.

I really enjoyed the book because it is a generally heartening, exciting, and at some points an uplifting story. Even though there are rough spots in Peekay’s life, it is heartening, and uplifting to see how he faces each of his obstacles and comes out on top. The exciting part is that with each new hindrance he experiences, he becomes wiser in the way to handle the next one. I also liked the lessons that Courtenay infused in the novel that could be applied to real life situations. The most profound example is how Peekay uses his courage and inner strength when facing his adversaries. The author also points out many of the social issues during that time period, like racism. The only drawbacks in my opinion were that the book has a slower start and it is hard to get into it. The other is that sometimes it seems that the author forgot to put some information in the beginning of the book so he fills it in as he goes and it can get a little confusing. I would recommend this book for anyone in high school and up.
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Feb 07, 2013 Pat Wootton rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The Power of One was the debut - and best-known - novel of this prolific author who died just a few months ago. Bryce Courtenay was born in South Africa and the novel is 'semi-autobiographical' - it is left to the reader to decide just which parts are true and how much is a product of the writer's imagination. Certainly there are many similarities between the childhood of the author and that of the novel's protagonist, the self-styled Peekay.

Peekay is an exceptional child of English descent who...more The Power of One was the debut - and best-known - novel of this prolific author who died just a few months ago. Bryce Courtenay was born in South Africa and the novel is 'semi-autobiographical' - it is left to the reader to decide just which parts are true and how much is a product of the writer's imagination. Certainly there are many similarities between the childhood of the author and that of the novel's protagonist, the self-styled Peekay.

Peekay is an exceptional child of English descent who encounters horrific bullying when sent to a boarding school at the tender age of five. Surrounded by Afrikaaners who have no love for the English, Peekay learns to survive - initially by blending in and refusing to cry. Nevertheless, his experiences at the hands of his nemesis 'the judge' affect his entire youth, eventually culminating in a violent conclusion that effectively brings the novel full circle. A chance encounter on the train ride home introduces the young boy to boxing - a sport that fascinates him and for which, thanks to the help and advice of two mentors, he develops an incredible ability. As a young amateur he never loses a fight, gaining self-confidence and learning many invaluable life lessons along the way.

However, the book is not just a story of boxing - in fact there are so many different elements in this novel that it is difficult to attribute it to any particular genre. It is a coming-of-age novel, a novel of South African life and racism in the 30s, 40s and 50s; it is mystical, an adventure novel and much more. The Power of One deals with gritty subjects such as bullying, torture by brutal prison wardens, the horrors of apartheid and the unbelievably harsh life of the Rhodesian copper mines. At the same time, it is a fascinating and compelling story of adventure, love, friendship, nature and triumph over adversity.

Peekay is a young man of extraordinary ability in many spheres who is mentored by Doc, an elderly German professor, who educates him in nature and music and profoundly influences his entire youth. Peekay later earns a scholarship to a prestigious private school where he befriends Morrie - a wealthy Jewish boy. Together the boys run many successful scams - even operating a bank for fellow students. His friendship with Morrie is set to be lifelong and gives Peekay yet another perspective on discrimination.

The Power of One paints a vivid picture of a childhood in South Africa during World War II and at the beginning of apartheid. As the centre of the story, Peekay is an engaging character who enjoys the reader's emotional support and empathy throughout. This is a book you will find difficult to put down. (less)

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Dec 31, 2012 Kathleen Hagen added it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2012-audio-books

The Power of One, by Bryce Courtenay, Narrated by Humphrey Bower, Produced by Bolinda Audio, Downloaded from audible.com.

This was Bryce Courtenay’s first book, written and published at age 55. It is at least partially autobiographical. Courtenay just died. He will be sorely missed. This first novel sets the tone for the long epoch novels which made him famous. This one is written about a little boy in South Africa starting around the time of WW II. This little boy was sent away to boarding schoo...more The Power of One, by Bryce Courtenay, Narrated by Humphrey Bower, Produced by Bolinda Audio, Downloaded from audible.com.

This was Bryce Courtenay’s first book, written and published at age 55. It is at least partially autobiographical. Courtenay just died. He will be sorely missed. This first novel sets the tone for the long epoch novels which made him famous. This one is written about a little boy in South Africa starting around the time of WW II. This little boy was sent away to boarding school at age five because his mother was in a mental institution. He had a miserable time as he was the youngest, and everyone picked on him, partly because he was English and they were Afrikaners, and partly because even at that young age he was more intelligent than many older boys. After two intolerable terms, he came home to find that everything had changed. His mother was now home. His grandfather had lost the house they lived in and had moved back to a farm they owned. His nanny had been dismissed because she wouldn’t become a fundamentalist Christian like his mother, and everything was very different. But on the train home from his miserable boarding school experience, he met a boxer who changed his life. This man told him that he had the power within himself to make changes for himself. He encouraged him to become a boxer, and told him that whatever else happened he should remember to “lead with his head and then with his heart.” In other words, use reason first and then passion. This is a wonderful book that takes our boy, who changes his hated name to Peekay, (the initials of his first and last name) from age five to about age 19. He has wonderful friends, a boxing career where, by that age, he hadn’t yet lost a fight, and teaches him many things about the South Africa that was just starting to emerge at that time, with the Afrikaners in control and Black totally oppressed. I always hate for these books to end. I want to know what happened next to the main character, and of course Humphrey Bower is the perfect narrator.
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2012-2013 AP Chiefs: The Shawshank Redemption	3	9	Aug 19, 2012 07:13pm
2012-2013 AP Chiefs: Crystal Cave of Africa	6	14	Aug 19, 2012 06:00pm
2012-2013 AP Chiefs: Geel the Teacher	1	6	Aug 19, 2012 04:28pm
2012-2013 AP Chiefs: Peekay and Forrest Gump	4	11	Aug 19, 2012 03:06pm

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Young Adult > Coming Of Age

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About Bryce Courtenay

I was born illegitimately in 1933 in South Africa and spent my early childhood years in a small town deep in the heart of the Lebombo mountains.

It was a somewhat isolated community and I grew up among farm folk and the African people. At the age of five I was sent to a boarding school which might be better described as a combination orphanage and reform school, where I learned to box - though less...more

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Books by Bryce Courtenay

The Potato Factory (The Potato Factory, #1)

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Trivia About The Power of One

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Quotes from The Power of One

“First with the head, then with the heart.” — 85 people liked it

“Always in life an idea starts small, it is only a sapling idea, but the vines will come and they will try to choke your idea so it cannot grow and it will die and you will never know you had a big idea, an idea so big it could have grown thirty meters through the dark canopy of leaves and touched the face of the sky.' He looked at me and continued. 'The vines are people who are afraid of originality, of new thinking. Most people you encounter will be vines; when you are a young plant they are very dangerous.' His piercing blue eyes looked into mine.' Always listen to yourself, Peekay. It is better to be wrong than simply to follow convention. If you are wrong, no matter, you have learned something and you grow stronger. If you are right, you have taken another step toward a fulfilling life.” — 52 people liked it

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The Power Of One

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