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Cry, the Beloved Country

by Alan Paton

3.79 · rating details · 20,485 ratings · 1,602 reviews

Cry, the beloved country, for the unborn child that is the inheritor of our fear. Let him not love the earth too deeply. Let him not laugh too gladly when the water runs through his fingers, nor stand too silent when the setting sun makes red the veld with fire. Let him not be too moved when the birds of his land are singing, nor give too much of his heart to a mountain or...more

Paperback, 316 pages

Published November 25th 2003 by Scribner (first published 1948)

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May 02, 2008

John Wiswell rated it

· review of another edition

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 scenes ...moreThis 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 scenes are compelling streams of words, readily understandable for actions and conversations, and profound for their insights and suggestions into human life in adversity and prosperity.

If you're going to write a borderline hopeless story, do it like this. Paton's prose is mostly readable and occassionally beautiful, especially in his monologues, letters and prayers. For example: "The truth is that our Christian civilization is riddled through and through with dilemma. We believe in the brotherhood of man, but we do not want it in South Africa. We believe that God endows men with diverse gifts, and that human life depends for its fullness on their employment and enjoyment, but we are afraid to explore this belief too deeply. We believe in help for the underdog, but we want him to stay under. And we are therefore compelled, in order to preserve our belief that we are Christian, to ascribe to Almighty God, creator of Heaven and Earth, our own human intentions, and to say that because He created white and black, He gives the Divine Approval to any human action that is designed to keep black men from advancement." It goes on, but this should give you a sense of Paton's insight and rhetorical ability.

Paton touches on almost every level of trouble in post-colonial South Africa: racism, classism, elitism, residual imperical feelings, how wealth corrupts natives, arbitrary segregation, the loss of family values, the loss of social pride, the abandonment of positive religious teachings, the inability of government and the misunderstanding of the new laws. It doesn't blame white people or black people; it creates individuals who embody multiple faults, and when such people make up a new nation, it shows how such a system could collapse and increase human suffering. Paton does not rub this in your face; even his foreward explains that several of these people are real or are based on real people, and his praises those who are working towards a better world. This novel is every ounce about trying to do something. This isn't literary bleakness or contemptable anti-humanitarianism (a strange view for any author to have, given that all our authors are humans). There are good people stuck in all of this, and from the very first chapter you get a sense that this is, if not a good place, then a place that could be truly great. The difference between Alan Paton here and Edith Wharton or Nathanael West in much of their writing is that the disappointment does not permeate the tone and the myopic view does not bias the story. Paton is a far more sympathetic writer, able to capture the most dangerous elements of humanity in a way that is uniquely his own, though we'd be better off if it became more common.(less)

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Apr 14, 2007

brook rated it

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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.

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Feb 09, 2009

Marcia Case rated it

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Just when I thought I had a handle on this book, it got really complicated. After getting over the shock of how much South African history and turmoil were skimmed over or ignored completely in my history classes, I felt like this story outlined a pretty clear cut good guy vs an obvious bad guy. My initial thoughts were that the natives were a perfectly content group of people who were just fine on their own until the Europeans stepped in and muddled up their entire culture. I thought Johannesbu...more

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Jun 04, 2008

Denise rated it

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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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Jun 04, 2008

Gwendolyn rated it

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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 Mande...more

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Mar 04, 2009

Kat rated it

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Shelves: eyeopening, books-i-was-made-to-read-and-loved

I am a teacher and, after 34 years, attempt to find new combinations in the catalogue of "must reads." I have done this as a staple for years. Last year, when deciding what I wanted to do - kind of like window shopping for lovely clothes -- I decided to read this book after reading Hamlet. I love the mirrored plot structure. I adore the fact that the land is a character. The moral imperative and subsequent hemming and hawing in Hamlet takes on a different light and life in the beautifu...more

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Feb 19, 2008

Beth rated it

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Shelves: favorites

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 discussions w...moreI 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 discussions were detailed enough to ace the tests by).

It was my loss, I guess, because this book is excellent. More than a story of racial inequality, social problems, and injustice (which is what I remember about the plot from high school), this is first and foremost a story of forgiveness and hope.

There are many reasons for South Africa, the country commanded to “cry” in the title, to do just that: poverty and famine drive many to choose paths that are less than admirable, sometimes immoral. And there and many reasons for the main character, a humble priest from a rural Zulu tribe, to give up his faith in both God and humanity — and yet throughout the story there is a calm sense of hope for the future. Stephen Kumalo meets good men along his tragic journey that give hope to him and to the country as a whole: friends, family, and even one who should be his deepest enemy. And Kumalo himself is one to be emulated: for his meekness and gratitude, for his acceptance of trials, for his charity, and even for his occasional human-ness but then sincerely repentant nature. To enjoy a book, I have to have a main character to at the least empathize with — Kumalo is one that I not only appreciate but admire.

And the writing is downright lyrical in some places. It’s easy to see why it’s a modern classic.

Being awakened to the injustices of prejudice and poverty is all right, but this book does more than that — it inspires hope in the midst of hard times. A book to add to my long list of favorites. ;-)

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Jul 24, 2009

Elisabeth rated it

· review of another edition

Recommended to Elisabeth by: Maria

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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Feb 06, 2009

Valerie rated it

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Shelves: classic, male-protagonist, historical-fiction

Okay, I had to read this book for a class I'll admit but this book surprised me. I actually got into it. These men are old but somehow so full of promise. They learn so much and I learned a lot about South Africa. The reason I didn't give this book a higher rating is because its just so sad almost the whole time and just when I thought it was getting hopeful the author had to put some doubt into the mix. If you like nice sugary ending like I do I would not recommend this book. However I saw the ...more

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Mar 16, 2009

Kelly rated it

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Shelves: fiction

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Nov 12, 2008

Dan Smith rated it

· review of another edition

Recommends it for: Anyone

Recommended to Dan by: The perfectly-preserved dust jacket!

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 Ken...more

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Mar 01, 2008

Tammra rated it

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Shelves: favorites, classics, own, adult-fiction

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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Apr 07, 2008

Renee rated it

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Shelves: good-reads

"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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Dec 26, 2008

Hannah rated it

· review of another edition

Bleak and sad, and yet so very worth reading.

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Mar 31, 2009

Doc Opp rated it

· review of another edition

This was a very interesting book. The style of the writing was very unusual - it felt like a mixture of a tribal oral history and a modern western novel. Which I suppose makes sense, given that it takes place in South Africa during a time of westernization. The book, despite what you might expect, is not really about Apartheid, although Apartheid is omnipresent in the background. It is about what happens when the old system of enforcing standards of behavior breaks, without anything to repla...more

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Jan 18, 2012

emi Bevacqua rated it

This simple, beautiful book is about a Zulu pastor named Stephen Kumalo who travels from his poor countryside home in Ndotsheni to the dangerous and crowded streets of Johannesburg in search of his son Absolom, and sister Gertrude. He finds them, but too late to save them.

The story is divided into 3 parts: the first is about Kumalo and his journey and isolation (from his beloved home and family as he ventures away; from his brother who is power-drunk, politically motivated, and man...more

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Jan 02, 2012

Daniel rated it

· review of another edition

I really liked this book. This book has a lot of depth in it. You have to stop and think about what you just read to fully understand the message the author is trying to get across.

This book has some sad parts in it. Alan Paton does a really good job portraying the inequality of the blacks v.s. whites in Johannesburg. But because of this, it can get really sad. There is one part in the book where the black people in Johannesburg have no transportation so they have to walk ever...more

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Nov 16, 2011

Tonya rated it

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Beautiful story of redemption.

I admire authors who have the ability to comment on the depth and complexities of human relationships (all kinds...with other individuals, with cultures, with nature, with God) within the tight context of a story with relatively few words. The shorter the story, the fewer the words, the better the book and more profound the insights. ("A River Runs Through It" is the best example of this, in my opinion...this book is a close second.)

Pa...more

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Sep 20, 2011

Phyllis rated it

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Cry, the Beloved Country is perfect. Every word has been meticulously thought through by Alan Paton, who has created a work of art. This is the only novel I know I'll get something new out of, every time I read it. The format is unique, and gets rid of typical visual distractions, and with that and the fluid language, is more poem than novel. It has beautiful symbolism for the eyes that want to see, and has brilliantly insightful plots and side plots, that add a dimension to its pages that are u...more

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Sep 07, 2011

Teresa Davis rated it

· review of another edition

Teresa Davis
Mr. Rich
English II
September 1, 2011
Cry, the Beloved Country Book Review
Paton, Alan. Cry, the Beloved Country. New York, NY: Macmillan Publishing Group, 1948. 312. Print.

Cry, the Beloved Country was rather dispiriting. Although it is probably the most famous South African novels and most contemporary books possible, there was an excessive amount of depression in it, that I did not enjoy. I did not particulary love reading it, however, I did ...moreTeresa Davis
Mr. Rich
English II
September 1, 2011
Cry, the Beloved Country Book Review
Paton, Alan. Cry, the Beloved Country. New York, NY: Macmillan Publishing Group, 1948. 312. Print.

Cry, the Beloved Country was rather dispiriting. Although it is probably the most famous South African novels and most contemporary books possible, there was an excessive amount of depression in it, that I did not enjoy. I did not particulary love reading it, however, I did benefit from it. I learned to be grateful for many of the things I have, because many people in the world, would kill to be blessed the way that I am.
When reading, I discovered many of the issues in the novel, such as impoverished shanty towns, racial strife, and the mining economy, which is still current in contemporary South Africa today. Because the towns are so destitute, their healthcare is not as up to par, which is why they are also struggling with dealing with things like the scourge of AIDS. In the book, I discerned that poverty turns many of the country's black citizens to participate in gang violence and other belligerent activites.
Life in this South African city, led people to become adolescent pregnant mothers, start prostitution, go to jail, and even the harsh reality of murder. Cry, the Beloved Country tells the story of Stephen Kumalo, whom is a black priest from rural Natal, who goes to Johannesburg because he ascertains news that his younger sister is sick and has not heard from his son at all.When he gets to the city he finds out that his sister is a prostitute and alcoholic, his son has infused a young woman, and worst yet that he has been locked up for killing a white man named Arthur, in a boggled burglary.
The book also follows James Jarvis, whom is the father of recently deceased racial-equality activist Arthur Jarvis. Unexpectedly, the murder brings the two fathers together. James, who was inspired by his son's writing, eventually decides to contribuate a farming groundwork and a dam in Kumalo's bethel. The way James Jarvis and Kumalo become friends was extremely surprising to me. "When a deep injury is done us, we do not recover until we forgive," (86) was an extremely important quote in the book, because neither of the men would have carried on with their lives if they did not forgive each other, their sons, and the society.
Throughout the novel, South African’s of both African and European background perform the small acts to help their fellow country men. While Cry, the Beloved Country acknowledges the intense seperation that existed at the time, it also emphausized hope that racial tolerance and understanding would one day be plausible worldwide. The book is a search for justice in a land where injustice kills. As for injustice and hate, the book makes us believe that we should still continue to have hope. From this book, I learned that although we have no role in deciding they way we are born to live, change is possible. And, the fragments of our past can still be picked up, rearranged a bit, and play a part in our near future.
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Jul 20, 2011

John rated it

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This is a classic. Its inclusion on a Great Books of the 20th century list initially brough it to my attention. Surprisingly, this book is quite popular and is assigned reading for many students. My experience with South African neo-colonial novels consisted mainly of J. M. Coetzee. Reading this work, which preceded Coetzee by at least two generations, one feels the same sense of outrage and shame. A beautiful country with magical landscapes and exotic names inhabited by warring cultures, to...more

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Jul 14, 2011

Sarah rated it

“He went out of the door, and she watched him through the little window, walking slowly to the door of the church. Then she sat down at his table, and put her head on it, and was silent, with the patient suffering of black women, with the suffering of oxen, with the suffering of any that are mute.”

Cry, The Beloved Country is a gentle statement on anti-apartheid South African politics. Though this book was written by a novice, and there are several evidences of this, the whole of the ...more“He went out of the door, and she watched him through the little window, walking slowly to the door of the church. Then she sat down at his table, and put her head on it, and was silent, with the patient suffering of black women, with the suffering of oxen, with the suffering of any that are mute.”

Cry, The Beloved Country is a gentle statement on anti-apartheid South African politics. Though this book was written by a novice, and there are several evidences of this, the whole of the book qualifies it as an important work.

I say gentle because the story is told through the experiences of two sympathetic characters: one a small Zulu tribe, country pastor and the other, a white farmer humbled by the untimely death of his son and by the truth he finds in search of the same. The pastor, Stephen Kumalo, while physically searching for his son in the depths of Johannesburg, encounters the troubles of his black people caused by the breaking down of their tribal communities...in their wake is only a lawlessness that is upheld by apartheid, or separateness. Kumalo's goodness allows him to discern light in the face of fear and to begin again a life dedicated to helping his people. The farmer, James Jarvis, while spiritually searching to know his murdered son, discovers a cause that promises healing, for himself and his country. Jarvis, now empowered by his son's life-work, sets in motion all that is necessary to save Kumalo's own people. Both men employ forgiveness and love as the most crucial tools for saving their country and themselves.

I could as easily have used the word tough instead of the word gentle to describe the tone of the book. Though Kumalo and Jarvis both have moral discernment to accompany them, the truths that they face are firm and unforgiving. That families and lives are being destroyed is hard. That men and women are losing their faith in the face of fear is immutable. That their children are being tossed into the tempest unprepared is absolute. And yet, that hope, in the face of ruin, will be an incredible feat is perhaps the most demanding truth. It is hope to which Jarvis' son, Arthur, dedicated his life. Arthur's treatise on the exploitation of the black population is as unrepentant in it's summation as the more devastating truths that beset Kumalo and Jarvis. Tough truths that cause fear and tough truths that call for action.

Why then, did I give this book an "I liked it" rating? I reference my comment that there are several evidences of Paton's novice. The story could have been better formed had both Jarvis' and Kumalo's stories developed and unfolded side-by-side rather than set against each other. Jarvis is missing a beginning. Likewise, I found it a bit boring in several places. And, though far less important to me, the punctuation was flawed with Paton's choice to use hyphenation instead of quotation marks to set off a character's speech...in my opinion.

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Jul 05, 2011

Sara rated it

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Few words could be used to describe this novel and the impact it has made on me. I wish to go back and read it again, immediately following my first reading. I wish to read each word slowly, savor them, taste them. I wish to consider deep and long that of which the author speaks. I wish to gain a deeper understanding of the fear, the sorrow, the anger, the love, the hope, the courage, the compassion, of which Mr. Paton writes with a passion and power that moves me tears.

The plot ...moreFew words could be used to describe this novel and the impact it has made on me. I wish to go back and read it again, immediately following my first reading. I wish to read each word slowly, savor them, taste them. I wish to consider deep and long that of which the author speaks. I wish to gain a deeper understanding of the fear, the sorrow, the anger, the love, the hope, the courage, the compassion, of which Mr. Paton writes with a passion and power that moves me tears.

The plot itself is simple. The story is that of an old South African parson, a Zulu, who finds he must go to Johannesburg to find his son, who is lost. To find his sister, who is lost. To find his brother, who is lost. To find the daughter of his tribesman, who is lost. What he finds, in that great and terrible city, is not what was hoped for. He finds friendship and knowledge and truth, but he also finds deceit and fear and anguish. In the end he returns home, having been able to save only a small portion of those he had left for. He returns home in despair, with more questions than answers. Yet it is here, in his most desperate time of need, that he is uplifted. Uplifted by his tribe, uplifted by God, and uplifted by the most unlikely of friends.

This novel is heartrending in a fashion that no other novel before or after it can hope to achieve. For while it is the story of Stephen Kumalo and his son Absalom, it is written for South Africa. It is written for every man, woman, and child who inhabits this nation - English, Afrikaaner, native Africans, colored (of mixed race, not to be confused with the Africans), and Indian. This novel has awakened something inside me. It has made look deep into my heart and my soul. Yes it is the story of a father and a son, yes it is the story of a nation and a people, but it is also the story of all of us, of all fathers and sons, mothers and daughters, all nations, all races, all people. It is the story of all mankind.

"The tragedy is not that things are broken. The tragedy is that they are not mended again." (less)

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Jul 02, 2011

Pati Walker Miller rated it

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This is my favorite book of all time! I have read it many times and each time I fall in love with it more!

Cry, the Beloved Country is a social protest against the structures of the society that would later give rise to apartheid. Paton attempts to create an unbiased and objective view of the dichotomies this entails: he depicts the Whites as affected by 'native crime', while the Blacks suffer from social instability and moral issues due to the breakdown of the tribal system. It shows ...more

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Jun 18, 2011

Embejo rated it

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This was one of those books that when I’d finished, I wondered where it had been all my adult reading life. (Or prehaps where I’d been, or perhaps why hadn’t my High School English teacher set this as a required text?) I’d borrowed this book from a friend, but it one I definitely want on our shelves.

Published in 1948 about aparteid South Africa. This is a moving story about a black pastor Kumalo who leaves his village for Johannesburg to find his son who had gone away to work, but had ...moreThis was one of those books that when I’d finished, I wondered where it had been all my adult reading life. (Or prehaps where I’d been, or perhaps why hadn’t my High School English teacher set this as a required text?) I’d borrowed this book from a friend, but it one I definitely want on our shelves.

Published in 1948 about aparteid South Africa. This is a moving story about a black pastor Kumalo who leaves his village for Johannesburg to find his son who had gone away to work, but had stopped writing home. As he follows his son’s trail to find his whereabouts, the news is increasingly grim.

The novel also tells the story of a white farmer whose farm is near the same village. His son, an engineer in Johannesburg was murdered by a young black man who’d broken into his house. The murdered man Arthur Jarvis was an advocate for black people.

I found it an intelligent and unbiased look at the injustices of the time. So very beautifully written in the Zulu oral tradition, the story and the characters engaged me and the issues were addressed with sensitivity and understanding. The central themes are the land, justice and fear.

A paragraph I’ll take away with me and have been giving a lot of thought to, comes from a document the murdered man had been working on at the time of his murder. It was found among his papers by his father. He is writing here about the problem of the breakdown of the family and the tribe because of mine workers being away from the villages and their wives and children…

What we did when we came to South Africa was permissible. ….

…

It was permissible when we discovered gold to bring labour to the mines. It was permissible to build compounds and to keep women and children away from the towns. It was permissible as an experiment, in the light of what we knew. But in the light of what we know now, with certain exceptions, it is no longer permissible. It is not permissible for us to go on destroying family life when we know that we are destroying it. It is permissible to develop any resources if the labour is forthcoming. But it is not permissible to develop any resources if they can be developed only at the cost of the labour. It is not permissible to mine any land, if such mining and manufacture and cultivation depend for their success on a policy of keeping labour poor. It is not permissible to add to one’s possessions if these things can only be done at the cost of other men. Such development has only one true name, and that is exploitation. It might have been permissible…before we became aware of it’s cost…. But now that the cost is known, it is no longer permissible.

I can’t stop thinking about that sentence above which I’ve highlighted.

Loved, loved, loved this book.l loved how it told a great story that made me cry, examined real issues which despite being based around the events in SA in the 40′s are just as relevant today (in fact are universally relevant), and it made me think! (less)

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Apr 02, 2011

Sherry rated it

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This is a beautiful compelling novel of the struggles of apartheid in South Africa. It raised my awareness and imparted a strong love for this wonderful country and its people

When first published in 1948, Cry, the Beloved Country raised more than eyebrows as a powerful book about the power of unity and an author's unflinching hope of a future where segregation no longer exists. The book summoned feelings of pride, optimism, and anticipation of a long-desired goal. But Paton's lyrical...more

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Jan 27, 2011

Rachael rated it

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I didn't love the style at first (influenced by Steinbeck and a little choppy in places), but it really grew on me by the end. Paton wrote so much meaning into his words that it became rich and beautiful to me. I was also wary of the painful truths Kumalo discovers upon reaching Johannesburg (talk about depressing!), but I loved the strong theme of redemption and hope by the end. It was a surprising combination of reconciliation and forgiveness within the context of political unrest, fear, pr...more

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Dec 07, 2010

Craig rated it

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Shelves: fiction

This novel is set in South Africa in 1946 just after the end of WWII. Cumalo, an aging black Anglican Priest in a rural village some distance from Johannesburg has just received a letter advising that his sister who lives in Johannesburg is ill and in need of his help. Cumalo determines to go, and while there, look for his son Absolon who also left for Johannesburg some time before. Cumalo has never received a letter from either his sister or his son. Upon arriving at the great city (for the...moreThis novel is set in South Africa in 1946 just after the end of WWII. Cumalo, an aging black Anglican Priest in a rural village some distance from Johannesburg has just received a letter advising that his sister who lives in Johannesburg is ill and in need of his help. Cumalo determines to go, and while there, look for his son Absolon who also left for Johannesburg some time before. Cumalo has never received a letter from either his sister or his son. Upon arriving at the great city (for the first time in his life), Cumalo observes a very different life style among the whites and the blacks. The blacks are oppressed with many caught up in drugs, alcohol, prostitution, theivery, etc. and the whites are seeking their fortunes in the gold mines or other commercial activities. Tribal life in the rural villages is deteriorating as the blacks flock to the mines and the cities and abandon their fields and rural culture. The whole country is in a state of dynamic change. Yet, in Johannesburg Cumalo encounters many whites who sincerely desire to help the blacks and who devote their life's efforts to that cause. He also encounters many blacks, filled with hate and anger. After much seeking, Cumalo finds his son under tragic circumstances which dramatically alter Cumalo's life. He returns to his village with much sadness, yet with great hope. He has faith in man's ability to work together for their mutual good. The author Alan Paton has written a very engaging novel which touches your very heart-strings. His literary style is somewhat unusual. Spoken words often carry a cadence reminescent of an Africa we might imagine. He describes a period in Africa (mid 1940s) when Apartheid is just becoming established, despite the efforts of many whites and blacks who detest it and desire a country where mutual regard and cooperation among the races is the norm. Paton has written a great piece of historical fiction which describes a changing period of history in South Africa. I highly recommend the book.(less)

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Jun 04, 2010

Heather rated it

· review of another edition

I just reread this for my book club this month. I had forgotten how beautifully and powerfully written it is. Rather than a review, I'll just share one of my favorite passages. This is when Stephen has arrived home after his journey to Johannesburg that was so trying that his friend asks him how he can still be a believing Christian.

"— This world is full of trouble, umfundisi.
— Who knows it better?
— Yet you believe?
Kumalo looked at him under the light of the la...more

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Jun 01, 2010

Meredyth rated it

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Shelves: south-africa

"Yet he is despised by some, for this golden voice that could raise a nation, speaks always thus. For this place of suffering from which men might escape if some such voice could bind them all together, is for him no continuing city. They say he preaches of a world not made by hands, while in the streets about him men suffer and struggle and die. They ask what folly it is that can so seize upon a man, what folly is it that seizes upon so many of their people, making the hungry patient, he s...more

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About Alan Paton

Alan Stewart Paton was born and educated in Pietermaritzburg, KwaZulu-Natal. He started his career by teaching at a school in Ixopo where he met and married his first wife. The dramatic career change to director of a reformatory for black youths at Diepkloof, near Johannesburg, had a profound effect on his thinking. The publication of Cry, The Beloved Country (1948) made him one of South Africa's...more

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“But there is only one thing that has power completely, and this is love. Because when a man loves, he seeks no power, and therefore he has power.” — 35 people liked it

“The tragedy is not that things are broken. The tragedy is that things are not mended again.” — 31 people liked it

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