Cry, the Beloved Country in Around the World in 80 Books

Jul 02, 2012 Ra rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites, africa, african-writer

For a book that was written over 60 years ago, it is remarkable how much its speaks to the soul of South Africa. The broken lives of both black and white people and how the only redemption is through forgiveness, and working together.

It is a simple story of an old pastor who travels from rural Kwazulu-Natal, to find his son. The place he comes from is impoverished and broken, the land is abused by primitive farming and agriculture and families are broken. It is a land of old men and children be For a book that was written over 60 years ago, it is remarkable how much its speaks to the soul of South Africa. The broken lives of both black and white people and how the only redemption is through forgiveness, and working together.

It is a simple story of an old pastor who travels from rural Kwazulu-Natal, to find his son. The place he comes from is impoverished and broken, the land is abused by primitive farming and agriculture and families are broken. It is a land of old men and children because the young leave to work in the cities, serving the industry of white men.

Kumalo ultimately arrives too late, because he cannot save his son from the evils of the big city. It is the tragedy of many Africans who leave their homeland never to return, they are swallowed by the city and its ills, the crime, the booze, and the loose living. Those who survive these ills are lost in a struggle for power or in politics, and stray one way or another. In either way there is no return.

Alan Paton speaks with compassion about the problems of South Africa and points to a solution, that is valid even now. Love the land, work for the land. The idea of redemption is strongly linked in the story with the Christian faith, but it also had a strong element of respecting the wisdom of the land, and believing in the kindness and humanity of other. The human story remains as poignant and fresh today as if Alan Paton has just written it. No wonder that this book is one of the greatest pieces of African writing.

It contains very pointed insight. I was struck especially by the depiction of the traditional African chief. Paton describes through his protagonist, how the white man broke down the traditional tribe, and knocked the chiefs down, then restored them to be rulers over swathes of broken and used up land. It is a sad reality that is perhaps valid all over the world. The puppets are never as good as the real chiefs that would have been born from the wisdom of the land and the people. Excellent book should be read by everyone, especially those connected to Africa and South Africa. ...more

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