Reviews tagging 'Colonisation'

Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood by Trevor Noah

101 reviews

cor_vus's review against another edition

emotional funny informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Domestic abuse, Genocide, Gun violence, Hate crime, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Slavery, Violence, Kidnapping, and Colonisation

Moderate: Medical content, Kidnapping, Religious bigotry, Fire/Fire injury, and Gaslighting

Minor: Rape

leahegood's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful informative sad medium-paced

3.5

Summary
The title is kind of all the summary this book needs. It tells the story of one boy with mixed parentage growing up in South Africa in the aftermath of apartheid.

My Thoughts
I read this book to fit a prompt in a reading challenge. "A funny memoir." Other reviewers had tagged this book as funny, and for sure there were funny moments (as one might expect from someone with a career as a comedian), but "funny" is not the first thing that comes to my mind immediately after finishing the book. There was a lot of insight and soul to this book. A lot of swearing too, unfortunately. And a lot of very complex relationships--the complexities artfully articulated. So yes. It was funny. As in, it had funny moments and often a comedic tone in the writing voice, but it was also sad and informative and hopeful.

Content
As mentioned, there was a good deal of swearing, including f-bombs.

There was mention of s*xual activity (not involving the author) and the threat of SA, but none of it is graphic or "on screen." Individuals dance in a provocative manner. Noah's mother also intentionally decided to have a child out of wedlock.

Violence and the threat of violence surround Noah throughout most of his childhood and young adult years. Though not described graphically, this is present throughout.

Noah's mother is deeply religious throughout the book. Noah seems skeptical, perhaps even dismissive, but is not derogative ... even ending the book with a begrudging acknowledgement of a miracle.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Cursing, Racism, Sexism, and Classism

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Alcohol, and Colonisation

Minor: Animal cruelty and Suicidal thoughts

sarahb919's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

4.75

Really interesting book but a challenging read. Challenges a lot of preconceptions I had about South Africa and its people. Glad I read it. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Homophobia, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Excrement, Police brutality, Antisemitism, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Alcohol, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Moderate: Fatphobia, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Trafficking, and Sexual harassment

linnylionheart's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny fast-paced

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racism, Sexism, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Excrement, Medical content, Trafficking, Fire/Fire injury, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, War, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Mental illness, Gaslighting, Alcohol, Colonisation, and Classism

Minor: Drug abuse, Drug use, Rape, and Pregnancy

Others: minors consuming alcohol

sylviea28's review against another edition

challenging emotional inspiring medium-paced

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Hate crime, Racism, Violence, Police brutality, Murder, and Colonisation

outofthepinksky's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful reflective fast-paced

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Domestic abuse, Racism, Violence, Colonisation, and Classism

Moderate: Addiction, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child abuse, Cursing, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gun violence, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Slavery, Xenophobia, Blood, Police brutality, Fire/Fire injury, War, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Bullying, Fatphobia, Mental illness, Rape, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Kidnapping, Pregnancy, and Gaslighting

adrireism's review against another edition

adventurous funny hopeful informative inspiring reflective fast-paced

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism

Moderate: Colonisation

hollydyer328's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional funny informative reflective tense medium-paced

5.0

What a book! I’m speechless! The stories are unreal but told with humor that was cathartic. Whether or not you’re a Trevor Noah fan, you have to read this book. I’m so glad he shared his stories with the world.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Gun violence, Excrement, Police brutality, and Colonisation

Moderate: Animal death and Gore

jasperreads's review against another edition

emotional inspiring reflective

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Hate crime, Racism, Colonisation, and Classism

Moderate: Gun violence, Violence, Xenophobia, and Fire/Fire injury

tehstorm's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Bullying, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racism, Sexism, Violence, Medical trauma, Fire/Fire injury, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism