A review by dan_oyei
Cry, The Beloved Country by Roy Blatchford, Jennie Sidney, Alan Paton
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.75
really enjoyed this book, especially the prose and the way it flowed. the beginning chapters of the first two parts and they juxtaposition really vividly set the the scene. i also admired how, akin to wole soyinka's writing of yoruba speech in death and the king's horseman, zulu is heaver and richer with proverbs than other languages despite the novel being written in english.
i also like that even though this book is clearly pro-Christianity, it didn't shy away from the fact that in times of trouble in a community, the church should not just sit back but instead take the right stance, and how not doing that could stifle progress. the black people who criticised the church for not doing anything in the fight to end apartheid were completely right, and i wish they had been given more of a voice.
this book did not have an overwhelmingly complicated or heavy plot, which i appreciated. in its simplicity, it was able to transfer the atmosphere of the story and the behaviours of the people in it. the ever-present backdrop of apartheid taught me a lot about the period of time in south africa and how people lived under it.
overall, this book was really an experience to read, and i would recommend it as it's a short but poignant read.
i also like that even though this book is clearly pro-Christianity, it didn't shy away from the fact that in times of trouble in a community, the church should not just sit back but instead take the right stance, and how not doing that could stifle progress. the black people who criticised the church for not doing anything in the fight to end apartheid were completely right, and i wish they had been given more of a voice.
this book did not have an overwhelmingly complicated or heavy plot, which i appreciated. in its simplicity, it was able to transfer the atmosphere of the story and the behaviours of the people in it. the ever-present backdrop of apartheid taught me a lot about the period of time in south africa and how people lived under it.
overall, this book was really an experience to read, and i would recommend it as it's a short but poignant read.