Rating: 
Summary: BooHoo!
Review: When you read this book, not only will you cry for the beloved country, but you will also cry for the natives getting kicked around by the whites, cry for all the injustice, murder, and other crimes that these people had to suffer from. This story portrays several different points of view. A humble and honest man, Steven Kumalo, journeys to the mystical city of Johannesburg. His sister Gertrude has been sick and he must go to help her heal. While Kumalo is there, he intends on finding his son who now lives in Johannesburg but never communicates with his parents anymore. As we follow Kumalo on his excursion through South Africa, we witness a series of events that causes him to open his eyes to all the world around him. For the first time in his life, Steven Kumalo realizes that there are other worlds besides the one he lives in.
Rating: 
Summary: Journey of Stephen Kuemalo
Review: I found Cry the Beloved Country to be a very exciting book. In my opinion it had a very good plot and story line, but there was too much uneeded information. I found some of it hard to understand, although there are reasons that I had fun reading this novel. The story compelled me to continue reading. I had a blast learning about South Africa. I also enjoyed reading about the journeys of Stephen Kumalo. Over all I found this novel to be very intersting, fun, and educational. I give it three stars because it was unclear and there was too much uneeded information, but it was very good otherwise.
Rating: 
Summary: The struggle of Steven Kumalo
Review: Over all I found Cry the Beloved Country to be a interesting book. I can honastly say it's the best book i've read in a long time. There are many reasons that I enjoyed reading this book. First off the way that Alan Paton showed Steven struggle to bring his family back from the depths of Johannesburg. Second I loved reading about all the new places that Steven would travel to and all the people he would meet. Also I thought that Alan Paton really showed how badly the natives in South Africa were being treated. Finally I highly recommend this to anyone who enjoys a good book.
Rating:
Summary: A Pleasure to Read
Review: Sure, the book got a bit confusing at times because of the lack of quotation marks, but this book never got boring. It was quite enjoyable to read and opened up my mind to the sufferings of black people in South Africa, and more than likely at one time or another, all over the world.I now intend to read some of Paton's other books!
Rating:
Summary: The book was interesting but not entertaining.
Review: The book had its ups and its down. The plot was obvious right from the start but then changed dramaticly starting with book 2 in the court room. I thought the plot was interesting but dulled when all Kumalo and Msimangu did was search one house to the next. The overall book itself was interseting but lacked to entertain me. I thought it was interesting because it contained moments when you didn't know if Kumalo was going to actually find his son and how he would react as well as his sister. It lacked entertainment because there was no real climax to the whole thing and it was really drug out. Overall I recommend it to patient readers.
Rating:
Summary: The tragic tale of hope in a troubled world.
Review: This beautifully written novel portrays the tale of a priest searching for a son he had lost. At the beginning of the novel, Alan Paton beautifully describes the land of South Africa somewhat the way Steinbeck used vivid description in the novel Grapes of Wrath. This novel deeply speaks the truth of racism and hatred during the time of apartheid. Stephen Kumalo faces many problems on his quest. He encounters many people both black and white. Reminescent of the segregation that had plagued the United States in the early 1900's Kumalo finds that the natives of the land are being exiled into the slums of the city while the white people sit on their thrones. Kumalo discovers, though, that hope exists as he encounters kind-hearted people both white and black. He discovers that the people he once felt he knew have been consumed by the troubles and dangers of the city. Though he begins his quest with a heavy heart, he returns with new hope as the pregnant wife of his son Absalom returns with him. His quest brings him closer to a white man named Jarvis. This relationship brings hope to the cause of the natives as this shows that there is hope that people can one day live together as equals. This book boldly states a problem that is all too common in a world divided. It strongly speaks that until we can treat everybody as equals reguardless of our differences we shall never be free.
Rating:
Summary: Book teaches a good lesson on racism and family breakdown.
Review: This book was a good book. It was pretty exciting, most of the time. At parts the book drifted off and became boring. Then it came back suddenely. The book teaches some very great lessons. It teaches about racism and the breakdown of families over time. The story is quite interesting. It is about Stephen Kumalo, a priest in Ndotsheni, who goes to Johannesburg, the big city, to find his sister, brother, and son. They had left a while ago and were not heard from since. He goes to Johannesburg and one by one finds each one of them. He is not pleased by most of them, but is happy to see his family again. Then he learns some terrible news about his son, something that could tear his family apart. To find out what happens to Kumalo, and if he brings back his family read this great book. You should also get the cliff notes, because parts of the book are hard to understand and the cliff notes help you a great deal.
Rating:
Summary: This Novel portrayed the travisty of Aparthied in a family.
Review: This novel was about a parson in South Africa during the time of Aparthied. Most of his family has moved to the city and he receives a letter that informs him that his sister is sick. Dispite fears and a tight budget he sets out on a quest. During the book Alan Paton explores everything from discrimination and immorality to Murder and famine though the eyes of Stephen Kumalo. The book is heart wrenching and I was almost moved to tears several times. It also convays a message that our society needs to learn, "Together we can." This is not a book to miss so be sure to read this soon to be classic. Let me tell you it is already a classic in my heart.
Rating:
Summary: A Sad Day in Ndotsheni
Review: After reading Cry the Beloved Country, it was very clear the point they were trying to get across. Throughout the tragic novel there were many hardships suffered with many characters. It was a well written novel for being written years ago. Kumalo, the narrator, tells his journey to the wonderful place of Johannesburg. At thatpoint in time, racism was in the air. Kumalo, main character and narrator, examines a letter that tells him to ship out to the town of Johannesburg. There, is where he reunites with his housebroken family. He goes through many horrifing experiences with the family. The one who suffers the most is his son Absolam. Although his son Absolam was suffering his sister Gertrude was had a very sad desease. Not the one that the citizens are aware of. When reading this book, there is a sad but beautiful mood. It is a good book but could be better. Recommending this book would be a good idea if you want to read about life in the year 1948.
Rating:
Summary: It's good, if you're wide awake when you read it...
Review: Alan Paton's "Cry, the Beloved Country" is a very well-written novel, but you have to take into account that it was also written several decades ago and in an entirely different country. The adventure Paton takes us through in the eyes of Rev. Stephen Kumalo is a very emotional one. While there are times of happiness throughout the story, there are also many times of sorrow, as Kumalo goes through many hardships. But in the end, although it's not the happiest ending possible, it still ends on an uplifting note. As I said, this novel was written by someone from a different country in a different time, so some of the story will seem a bit garbled. One chapter in particular sounded like complete gibberish to me, completely switching the point of view and location. So, will you enjoy this novel? If you're a hard-core reader who enjoys analyzing the text, then yes, but I'm not sure about everyone else.
|
