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A review by rachelditty
The Power of One by Bryce Courtenay
challenging
emotional
inspiring
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
This book took me so long to actually get into. My co-worker gave it to me, and it took me months to really start paying attention to it. I don't know if it was because the first half of the book had the war in it, or Courtenay's writing style, or what. But once Peekay got to boxing in the prison, I was really hooked.
"'Always listen to yourself, Peekay. It is better to be wrong than simply to follow convention. If you are wrong, no matter, you have learned something and you will grow stronger. If you are right, you have taken another step toward a fullfilling life... Experts, what did I tell you about experts, Peekay?... Alway you should go to the source, to the face of the rock, to the beginning. The more you know, the more you can control your destiny. Man is the only animal who can store knowledge outside his body. This has made him greater than the creatures around him. Everything has happened before; if you know what comes before, then you know what happens now. Your brain, Peekay, has two functions; it is a place for original thought, but also it is a reference library. Use it to tell you where to look, and then you will have for yourself all the brains that have ever been.'" (p. 157).
"'Always it is man who wants to make heaven and hell. God is too busy training the bees to make honey and every morning opening up all the new flowers for business.'" (p. 171).
"'Cleverness is a false presumption... It is like being a natural skater, you are so busy doing tricks to impress that you do not see where the thin ice is and before you know, poof! You are in deep, ice-cold water, frozen like a dead herring. Intelligence is a harder gift. For this you must work, you must practice it, challenge it, and maybe toward the end of your life you will master it. Cleverness is the shadow, whereas intelligence is the substance.'" (p. 268).
"'The rest is easy. The rest is only good management. When men can be made to hope, then they can be made to win.'" (p. 337).
"Good conversational debate is an end in itself, and talking for the love of conversation is what makes us human." (p. 385).
"'Requiem for Geel Piet' is not my music, it is the music of the People. The necklace is only mine because I strung the beads.'" (p. 388).
"Hoppie's dictum to me, 'First with the head and then with the heart,' was more than simply mixing brains with guts. It meant thinking well beyond the powers of normal concentration and then daring your courage to follow your thoughts." (p. 423)
I think Peekay and Morrie fall in love in college, by the way.
"'Always listen to yourself, Peekay. It is better to be wrong than simply to follow convention. If you are wrong, no matter, you have learned something and you will grow stronger. If you are right, you have taken another step toward a fullfilling life... Experts, what did I tell you about experts, Peekay?... Alway you should go to the source, to the face of the rock, to the beginning. The more you know, the more you can control your destiny. Man is the only animal who can store knowledge outside his body. This has made him greater than the creatures around him. Everything has happened before; if you know what comes before, then you know what happens now. Your brain, Peekay, has two functions; it is a place for original thought, but also it is a reference library. Use it to tell you where to look, and then you will have for yourself all the brains that have ever been.'" (p. 157).
"'Always it is man who wants to make heaven and hell. God is too busy training the bees to make honey and every morning opening up all the new flowers for business.'" (p. 171).
"'Cleverness is a false presumption... It is like being a natural skater, you are so busy doing tricks to impress that you do not see where the thin ice is and before you know, poof! You are in deep, ice-cold water, frozen like a dead herring. Intelligence is a harder gift. For this you must work, you must practice it, challenge it, and maybe toward the end of your life you will master it. Cleverness is the shadow, whereas intelligence is the substance.'" (p. 268).
"'The rest is easy. The rest is only good management. When men can be made to hope, then they can be made to win.'" (p. 337).
"Good conversational debate is an end in itself, and talking for the love of conversation is what makes us human." (p. 385).
"'Requiem for Geel Piet' is not my music, it is the music of the People. The necklace is only mine because I strung the beads.'" (p. 388).
"Hoppie's dictum to me, 'First with the head and then with the heart,' was more than simply mixing brains with guts. It meant thinking well beyond the powers of normal concentration and then daring your courage to follow your thoughts." (p. 423)
I think Peekay and Morrie fall in love in college, by the way.