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A review by leahegood
Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood by Trevor Noah
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.
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.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Cursing, Racism, Sexism, and Classism
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Alcohol, and Colonisation
Minor: Animal cruelty and Suicidal thoughts