Debbie Go Home

by Alan Paton

Short stories set in the South Africa of Alan Paton's "Cry The Beloved Country"
Stories:
Debbie Go Home; Ha'penny; The Divided House; Life for a Life;
Death of a Tsotsi; The Worst Thing of his Life; The Waste Land; A Drink in the Passage; Sponono; The Elephant-Shooter

Genres: Africa, Short Stories, Fiction, South Africa, Classics

132 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1961

About the author

Alan Stewart Paton was a South African writer and anti-apartheid activist. His works include the novels Cry, the Beloved Country (1948), Too Late the Phalarope (1953), and the short story The Waste Land.

Reviews

[Karen Michele Burns · Rating 4 out of 5]

Alan Paton’s stories tell of a South Africa before the end of Apartheid. Many of them are about a reform school principal who is likely to be based on Paton’s first-hand experiences in that job. The tales are well told and describe the racial tensions in the country without being overly heavy handed and “preachy”. My favorite example of this was “A Drink in the Passage”. It dealt with an artistic prize usually only given to whites that went to a black man and described other racist laws over the course of the story. Although this and the other stories are dated in their descriptions of racism in South Africa, I was reminded of an article posted recently on Facebook by another author, Junot Diaz, “If you’re lucky enough to earn a living from your art, you’re probably white” (http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/w...). Well written stories like Paton’s remind us that we have come a long way in the world, but still have a way to go when it comes to conquering racism worldwide.

[Nicolas de Wet · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great intro to Alan Paton - a collection of short stories that dive deep into the human condition & make for an interesting read.

[Anthe · Rating 3 out of 5]

This collection of short stories was very interesting to read. It gives the reader an insight into the lives of people from different (racial) backgrounds in South Africa. Out of all 10 stories A Drink in the Passage and Life for a Life were my personal favourites. I will definitely try to read his Cry, the Beloved Country in the near future!

[Alison · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great collection of short stories, especially "Spinono"

[Rita · Rating 3 out of 5]

1961 thin book of short stories
Favorite was 'Death of a Tsotsi' [tsotsi = I guess a black gang member].
Very moving, and good at presenting the impossible situation of trying to resign from a gang.

Several stories from the perspective of the head of a reformatory, where black youth are imprisoned. Presumably based on his personal experiences. Mostly depressing stories with unhappy endings, though maybe Paton did not mean it that way?

Penguin intro says Paton"became principal of Diepkloof Reformatory for delinquent African lads in Johannesburg, where he set out to introduce a system of graduated freedom, and transformed it from a prison to a school."

[Julius · Rating 2 out of 5]

Eine Sammlung von Kurzgeschichten, die meistens wohl zumindest zum Teil autobiographisch sind: Der Autor war selber Direktor einer Besserungsanstalt für Jugendliche (reformatory) in Südafrika von 1935 - 1949. Danach war er übrigens Mitgründer der Liberal Party of South Africa, die sich gegen das Apartheitsregime gestellt hat.

Von den Kurzgeschichten sind allerdings nur diejenigen interessant, in denen es nicht um das Reformatory und seinen patronisierenden Schreibstil geht - so progressiv seine Ansichten damals auch waren.

Am besten gefallen hat mir die Geschichte A Drink in the Passage (S. 85-95).

[Mary Sisney · Rating 3 out of 5]

These stories are not as compelling as Paton’s classic novel (CRY, THE BELOVED COUNTRY) was, but then I read it when I was very young. The title story was one of the weakest. The more interesting stories were set in a reformatory and narrated by the “principal.” But I also liked “A Drink in the Passage,” which focuses on a black artist’s accidental encounter with a white fan.

[lucía]

solo m he leído "a drink in the passage" (para la carrera once again) pero honestamente creo q algún día m leeré el resto d historias pq m ha encantado la sutileza con la q describe todo lo q estaba sucediendo

[Noni Maina · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would like to read it again. The stories take on a different angle to the apartheid era.

[Steve Nation · Rating 4 out of 5]

Powerful stories of life in the apartheid era in South Africa. Fictional stories, but ones that bring out such a depth of emotion.

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stunning writing. BEAUTIFUL