Cry, the Beloved Country (Oprah's Book Club)
by Alan Paton
published
September 1st 2003
(first published 1948)
by Scribner
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binding
Paperback, 320 pages
isbn
0743262174
(isbn13: 9780743262170)
description
Cry, the Beloved Country is a beautifully told and profoundly compassionate story of the Zulu pastor Stephen Kumalo and his son Absalom, set in...more
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avg 3.96
Read in May, 2008
recommends it for:
African issues readers, historical readers, modern classics readers, humanitarian readers
This isn't an infinitely quotable book, but occasionally it produces a line that is devastatingly clear and true. Lines like, "It was not his habit to dwell on what could have been, but what could never be." and, “It is the duty of a judge to do justice, but it is only the people who can be just.” made me put the book down and stare dumbfounded at the wall. But mostly this isn't a highly quotable book; it's a beautifully written, riveting book where passages or entire halves of sce...more
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Read in October, 2008
recommended to Dan by:
The perfectly-preserved dust jacket!recommends it for: Anyone
This book caught my attention at a used book store in San Clemente, CA that I frequent when I am in town for my annual beach vacation. It caught my eay because it had the original dustjacket (already protected by an acetate sleeve) it was a first edition and it also bore the curious dedication, "To Aubrey & Marigold Burns of Fairfax, California". I found it highly unusual that the town where the dedicees lived was listed and it was significant to me because I was born and raised in...more
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Read in August, 2008
recommends it for:
everyone
I would definitely include this book in my personal top 10. I don't claim to have read all of the great books, but the story is powerfully told, and the message is profound. I don't remember if I read this in school (or was supposed to read it in school) but it is one that I will come back to again.
If you are bothered by non-standard syntax and editing or words/names that you can't pronounce, then you might not enjoy this book. I will admit to a bias in favor of "voice," but I hones...more
If you are bothered by non-standard syntax and editing or words/names that you can't pronounce, then you might not enjoy this book. I will admit to a bias in favor of "voice," but I hones...more
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This book is one of those classics that I'm glad I read, but will probably never read again. The themes are important (racial equality, morality, forgiveness) and the writing is lyrical, but it's still hard to read. Alan Paton doesn't use any quotation marks. He chooses, instead, to preface each line of dialogue with a dash. I could get used to this technique, if he were consistent with it, but he's not. Sometimes the dialogue is in the middle of a paragraph, with no indication it's spoken ...more
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Read in January, 2004
After hearing of Bryson's call to South Africa, it made me remember this book I read years ago. It is a fantastic book that opens your eyes to the cultural and political challenges in South Africa. Since I read it so long ago, the following is an "official" review:
"Cry, the Beloved Country is a monument to the future. One of South Africa's leading humanists, Alan Paton vividly captured his eloquent faith in the essential goodness of people." — Nelson Mandela*
Th...more
"Cry, the Beloved Country is a monument to the future. One of South Africa's leading humanists, Alan Paton vividly captured his eloquent faith in the essential goodness of people." — Nelson Mandela*
Th...more
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Read in November, 2006
I was supposed to read Cry, the Beloved Country my senior year of high school. But you know how senior year is. Well, I wasn’t like that — promise. I wasn’t one who started slacking because I had my acceptance letter to college in hand. But I did decide that I didn’t really care for English, and that I found my European History class much more fascinating, and thus I spent all my study time pouring over my history textbook instead of my English novels (especially since the in-class discu...more
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Read in August, 2008
This was a deeply moving book that will stay with me for a long time. It falls into the elite category on my bookshelf of "I will read this again and again". I loved Paton's writing style...short, concise sentences and the dialogue written without quotation marks (as well as the social themes in the book) made this very reminiscent of another of my all-time favorites, The Grapes of Wrath. The book looks at themes of equality and social justice in pre-apartheid South Africa from both...more
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I love this book. It is one of my all-time favorites. The author had the beautiful ability to write about the tragedies in South Africa and at the same time interweave a deeply moving story of two fathers having the worst experience of their lives. The gripping sadness of the experience is overshadowed by the love and faith of a father who is just trying to do the right thing. Alan Paton's prose and insight make for an awesome reading experience. I highly recommend this book not only for re...more
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Read in April, 2008
"Cry, the Beloved Country is a beautifully told and profoundly compassionate story of the Zulu pastor Stephen Kumalo and his son Absalom, set in the troubled and changing South Africa of the 1940s. The book is written with such keen empathy and understanding that to read it is to share fully in the gravity of the characters' situations. It both touches your heart deeply and inspires a renewed faith in the dignity of mankind. Cry, the Beloved Country is a classic tale, passionately African, ...more
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Read in February, 2008
The writing style was hard to follow because Paton didn't introduce the speakers of quotes or use quotation marks. Having to figure out which quotes were said by whom distracted some of my attention from the story. The book is divided into three parts, with the first two being a little slow and most of the book's events occurring in the third part. The third part of the book was excellent, but I am not sure that it made up for the slowness of the first and second parts.
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Has a copy to sell/swap
I cant say enough about this book. It is lyrically written, reads almost like an epic out of Ireland. The dialog between characters is straightforward, and the book manages to give you a glimpse of Apartheid S. Africa, from the richest people, to the poor urban laborers, to the criminals, to the peaceful rural farmers trying to maintain their land after many years of neglect. This is a classic that I have read probably 3 or 4 times.
My copy is beat to hell, but readable.
My copy is beat to hell, but readable.
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Read in October, 2008
This book was truly one of the most moving books about compassion, forgiveness, hope, and love that I've ever read. I was so touched when I finished reading this book - my understanding and awareness of mercy and justice, and the charity one is capable was increased tenfold. It is my opinion that anyone who reads the story of Rev. Steven Kumalo, set in beautiful yet struggling South Africa, will walk away a better person for the experience.
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Read in January, 2008
What a beautiful book. Mr. Paton's prose flows like honey. I love books where I can find symbolism, themes and motifs. This was one of them. His characters were deep, dignified and rich with hope and introspection. I loved it. A good read for all.
This book was part of the 501 Books to Read and rightly so.
This book was part of the 501 Books to Read and rightly so.
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Read in January, 1995
recommends it for:
all
A personal account of a black from southern Africa which captures the essence of challenges and changes on the continent of Africa in the mid 20th Century. A classic and very readable piece of liturature on Africa from the not so distant past.
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I first read this book in high school and it had a huge impact on how I view the world. I love to re-read every now and again... truly inspiring
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Read in January, 2002
excellent visualizing, i could feel all the words within me... and their fate is so much like my own people's fate, but in a different style
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Reads like poetry. Beautiful and poignant.
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Read in January, 2005
This is a classic, written by a white South African about a time before apartheid. Two fathers, one white, one black and their sons. It is stylistically unusual. Quotes are not used, for example. Conversation is indicated by leading dashes. Also the speech is quite formal most of the time, which conveys some of the culture of the place, I expect. Dark forces are abroad, but hope shows its face here as well, as there are leaders trying to prevent a descent into the madness to come. Zulu pastor St...more
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Read in September, 2008
I found this book in someone's "Free Books" box in our neighborhood. Because it looked like one of those books you're "supposed" to have read, I picked it up, hoping to improve my mind. Thanks to a long wait at the local DMV a few weeks ago, I was able to read the first 100 pages without interruption. After that, it took me a while to pick it up again because I got distracted with a faster, less intense read. But I got a chance to resume reading while waiting for my MRI t...more
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