- Hardcover: 320 pages
- Publisher: Scribner (Dec 2 2003)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 074326195X
- ISBN-13: 978-0743261951
- Product Dimensions: 23.2 x 13.7 x 2.7 cm
- Shipping Weight: 544 g
- Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars See all reviews (149 customer reviews)
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Amazon Bestsellers Rank:
#174,108 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #33 in Books > Literature & Fiction > World Literature > African > Central & South African
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Product Details |
Product Description
From Publishers Weekly
In search of missing family members, Zulu priest Stephen Kumalo leaves his South African village to traverse the deep and perplexing city of Johannesburg in the 1940s. With his sister turned prostitute, his brother turned labor protestor and his son, Absalom, arrested for the murder of a white man, Kumalo must grapple with how to bring his family back from the brink of destruction as the racial tension throughout Johannesburg hampers his attempts to protect his family. With a deep yet gentle voice rounded out by his English accent, Michael York captures the tone and energy of this novel. His rhythmic narration proves hypnotizing. From the fierce love of Kumalo to the persuasive rhetoric of Kumalo's brother and the solemn regret of Absalom, York injects soul into characters tempered by their socioeconomic status as black South Africans. (May)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Audio CD edition.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Audio CD edition.
Review
'A beautiful novel, rich firm and moving...compelling' New York Times 'Cry, The Beloved Country...was the great raiser of popular awareness of South Africa...the most influential South African novel ever written' Nadine Gordimer, Observer
--This text refers to the
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First Sentence
IT IS SOME eleven years since the first Author's Note was written. Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Excerpt | Back Cover
IT IS SOME eleven years since the first Author's Note was written. Read the first page
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Front Cover | Copyright | Excerpt | Back Cover
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Most helpful customer reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
A heartbreaking story of redemption and forgiveness,
By
This review is from: Cry the Beloved Country. (Paperback)
Tragic story set in South Africa during a now-ended era. Cry the Beloved Country is worth a careful read for its many-layered messages of loss and faith, of murder and penitence, of guilt and redemption - and through it all is Rev. Kumalo's love for his people (and not just his, but for the inherent goodness in ALL people), his family, his church - and most of all, his country.It's a classic that has already withstood the test of time - and will doubtless continue to do so. Don't miss it, and share it with someone else.
5.0 out of 5 stars
Amazing,
By Roger Keane (Columbia, SC) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Cry the Beloved Country. (Paperback)
This book is one of the most incredible I have ever read. Many people rave about its depiction of apartheid and racism in South Africa, but it's so much more than that. This novel is a beautifully told story of one man's struggle against fate and a system set against him, of human compassion, and of renewal on a multitude of levels- the renewal of the physical earth, the lives of the people of Ndotsheni, and Kumalo's soul. The frailty and confusion felt by Kumalo, the anger at society of the young white social worker, the fear of young Kumalo, and the passion of Msimangu are all set beautifully against a vivid depiction of a racially divided South Africa in which the Africans themselves have no hope. Paton's style is perfect. His characters on occasion are a bit simple, but they are so vividly described that it seems that if there is a problem, it lies with you the reader! The settings are beautiful, and Paton's love of South Africa and thirst for equality run throughout the novel. Everyone should read this book.
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
With all the touching of Humanity,
By A Customer
This review is from: Cry the Beloved Country. (Paperback)
My own grandfather was very close to Alan Paton. They worked together, in South Africa, on the developments of a Liberal Party, the purpose of which was to help the blacks. They wanted, primarily, to create legally equality of the races. Eventually, Paton would come to North America, touring and lecturing. My grandparents showed him Toronto. And so, I myself have a special bias in favour of Paton.Having read his CRY, THE BELOVED COUNTRY, I can only applaud the man. His very style is mimical of Steibeck's THE GRAPES OF WRATH. There is repitition (individual sentences are said over and over), poetry, and the asking of philosophical questions. The story is of Stephen Kumalo, a black priest. He has lost his family. His brother, sister, and son have left the village. They have gone to Johannesburg, where the white men are. Where industry is. And so the journey begins. In fact, Kumalo will see things he has never seen before. He will be robbed, he will be lied to, he will be tired of walking so many miles, he will see prostitution, crime, hatred. The simplicity of his beautiful village is not found here in Johannesburg. Incidentally, he finds some white men who show compassion to him. I will say no more. The story has depth of passion, brilliance, and love of South Africa. Paton, himself a white man, devoted his life to the helping of blacks. He was a hero to South Africa, and remains a hero even to me. Please read this book.
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