Rating: 
Summary: Wearisome writing style ruined the plot.
Review: "Cry, the Beloved Country" had a very intriguing and educational plot, but Paton's writing style is what ruined it for me. The dialogue format was confusing at times, and the switching of narration also put a damper on the story. Symbolism was strong, but easily spotted. If only the writing style wasn't so bad. I do not recommend.
Rating: 
Summary: One of the best books ever!
Review: This is a wonderful book! The family's struggles are well portrayed. I would recommend it to everyone.
Rating:
Summary: WOW
Review: This book was one of the most fantastic pieces of literature i have ever read. The language of Paton in and of itself will keep you glued to the book, and when you mix the themes and general plot into it, it is simply fantastic. This book is outstanding for pleasure, education, and any other reason you could possibly want to read a book.
Rating: 
Summary: Good message...in so many words
Review: This book has many beautiful themes tangled into its plot if you can dig through the many lengthy descriptions of the setting. While these descriptions are very wordy, the book would not be the same without them. They are tedious and repetitive, but Paton conveys the beauty of South Africa with the hardships and despair that the natives are facing.Paton does a wonderful job of showing exactly how Kumalo, the main character feels. From his characterizations, the reader understands his motives, thoughts and actions.
The setup of the book was confusing because the first section starts in chronological order, then the second section starts in the middle of the plot. Also, there are no quotations which makes the book hard to follow.
Overall, the novel celebrated two cultures reaching out to one another, and the bond between families especially father and son. For people who do not mind lavished detailed settings, I recommend this book highly because the themes taken out of it are unforgettable.
Rating:
Summary: Voices of South Africa
Review: If you find the style at all tedious, you probably haven't experienced first-hand the melodious, story-telling voices of South Africans. Paton weaves a complex tapestry of images, and perspectives; and he uses native South African Voices to do it. For example - revealing how wealthy Pastor Kumalo looks to his poor, shoeless parishoners; but how wealthy whites see this same man as old, tired, and in poor cheap clothes, frayed at the edges as so many of their people seem to be. The imagery is both beautiful and heart-breaking. I first read this as Apartheid was coming to an end in South Africa. My friends tell me that though laws have changed and continue to change, many customs and prejudices are much harder to break down and renew. So Paton's work is in many ways still current - and always poignant.
Rating: 
Summary: Absolutely Overrated
Review: I have heard that this book was incredible in how it told the story of the conflict in South Africa, and the destruction the Apartheid brought into South Africa. The book turned out to be a symbolic piece of trash. The plot was so tedious it almost made me want to vomit. I thought character development was decent. You were able to see James Jarvis transform from an indoctrinated white man into an understanding one (much like his son). Overall, if you are really interested about the Apartheid, read an autobiography on Nelson Mandela rather than waste away 4 or 5 hours reading this tedium.
Rating:
Summary: Review
Review: This has to be my favorite book of all time. Even though it is set historically in Apartheid South Africa, it speaks of themes that are universal and timeless eg. love, hatred, prejudice,and injustice, and through it all is the magnificent soul of the priest. Paton's writing is skilfull.
Rating:
Summary: A True Classic
Review: The evils of the Apartheid -- the subject of Cry, the Beloved Country -- have mercifully disappeared from South Africa, but Alan Paton's novel still entrances millions of readers. When we'd rather forget the atrocities of that era, Cry still bewitches us more than fifty years after its publication. Why?
Indeed, the work, similar to Barbara Kingsolver's the Poisonwood Bible, is a moving testament to the injustice and corruption of 1940's South Africa. The author's devotion to his homeland and the heartache he feels for her plight are eloquently etched on every page. He delineates some of the worst problems in detail, but expresses hope that they will ameliorate with cooperation and the genuine desire for reform.
Paton's masterpiece is far more than a protest against social and political issues, however. It is a tenderly evocative character study of three men molded and changed by suffering. A black Zulu priest journeys from his country village to dissolute Johannesburg to track down his profligate sister and son. The conditions in which he finds them and his efforts to save them profoundly affect his attitude about his avocation and prompt him to bring much-needed improvement to his village; the reverend's naive, impressionable son matures and repents of his wrongdoings during his murder trial; and the white father of the murdered man, rather than becoming bitter, is moved to compassion for the black villagers he oversees and brings about the means for the reform that the priest desires.
Cry beautifully recounts the separate odysseys of these three intertwined characters with the turmoil of South Africa as a fitting backdrop. Paton's phenomenally lyrical prose and unique narrative techniques are my favorite aspects of the novel, capturing Africa itself in all its graceful simplicity and painful upheaval.
This is why Cry still relates to readers so universally and on so many levels. Suffering, redemption, the ability of love to conquer obstacles, the fear and misuse of absolute power in a country torn by unbroken strife...these concepts will always strike a chord with every human being as long as the world keeps turning.
This ethereal story will touch you, inspire you, and remain with you for a lifetime. I am proud to rank it among my favorite books. I urge everyone to read it; it's well worth your time. You will fall in love with it as I have. Buy it now!
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Summary: the best book that I've read in English
Review: I find this book very interesting. At first Ithought it would be very boring, but I had it wrong. The book is so good because the characters are described very vividly. it was also funny to read, because the author used the african language. That was very funny, because there are a lot words the same in Dutch. the story was not at all boring, because you don't know where the story ends. it was also nice to read because there were two perspectives, so you could read the book from two different angles. i think it's a very nice book to read, so if you want to read someting special, READ THIS.
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Summary: Disappointing
Review: I have always wanted to read this book because I thought it was considered one of THE great books of our time. In addition, I am extremely interested in South Africa and apartheid in general. I was disappointed by this book and forced myself to finish it. I felt the characters were just shells of people who were difficult to envision and impossible to identify with. The reader is never let inside the heads of any of the characters. It's as if the story is told from someone sitting 500 yards away from these folks. Also, I found the author's writing style confusing at times, especially the dialog scenes.
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