Rating: 
Summary: It impressed me years ago, yet again when I re-read it
Review: I first read the book when I was in high school for our novel section of AP English. As a writer now, it is strangely thrilling to see how Paton's ideas and poetry influenced my own prose. "The Grapes of Wrath" by Steinbeck was good, but I felt that it lacked the words of the heart that Paton writes with. Never have I read a more simple and profound book, so lovingly crafted, so authentic and natural, that some fifty years later after Paton wrote the novel, it still has not been superceded. Kumalo's plight is everyman's plight; his burden our burden; his son our son. Dear students, don't read this book because your teacher tells you to, you will learn nothing that way. Read it, because you earnestly desire it, because it is well worth it.
Rating:
Summary: Still waters run deep
Review: I've read many of the reviews of this book, and it doesn't say much about higher education. This is not a book to hurry through to meet a class requirement. It's a book to make you stop and reflect. Despite the crushing sadness of the story, the overall message is one of hope and redemption. If you don't have time for such things, go to your local video store and rent "Dude, Where's My Car?" and get wasted, instead.
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Summary: One of the greatest books I have read
Review: WOW I had to read this book for class but, once I started reading it, I really loved it. It is a great book about race but doesn't give blame to any one race and makes them all look good and bad.
Rating: 
Summary: BORE
Review: the style of the writing was really confusing, I had to read this book this summer for my sophomore honors english class. I agree with Dave, The author just wasted my time describing things on...and on...which completely bored me. I only had 5 days to read this book...so i skipped some pages that some people stated "poetic". I may be harsh...like Dave...it could be because i cant fully apreciate his writing.
Rating: 
Summary: Dull and Unmoving
Review: I had to read Cry, the Beloved Country for school, and I have to say, I would definetly not have read it if I had a choice. My two main problems with this book were that I really felt no compassion for the main character, Kumalu and the story was uninteresting. Kumalu is an Anglican parson living in South Africa who travels from his sheltered, obscure, little valley to Johannesburg to find members of his family with whom he has lost contact. When he gets there, he basically finds that everybody in the big city is corrupt, especially his son. I found Kumalu to be naive and unappealing. When he is looking for his son the story gets a bit more interesting. But, he has to go to so many different places to find the son's home, and he doesn't even find the son! Couldn't the author just have cut to the chase and sent him to two or three places? Another thing I disliked about this book was that all of the pious people that worked at the mission where Kumalu stayed in the city kept getting mad when people laughed or talked "idly." It just got annyoing after Kumalu's sister was scolded three or four times for doing this. I don't think this book was poetically written, it was just slow moving and described the valley for about ten pages. In short, I would not recommend this dull and unmoving book.
Rating:
Summary: A wonderful story, a tedious writing style
Review: I read this book in my sophomore year of high school, and wasn't very fond of it. My classmates agreed.
The book had an interesting plot, I can give it that at least. Kumalo, a South African priest, travels to Johanessburg, a huge city, to find that his entire family has basically forgotten him. His brother doesn't recognize him, his sister lives in the slums, and his son... well, I won't go there as I don't want to give away the plot.
My major complaint about the book is the writing style. It's confusing, lengthy, and one of my friends said they could have cut an entire page of what Paton said into about 3 words. Another complaint I have was that when reading it, it was hard for me to understand who was talking, because the dialogue same as Steinbeck's Grapes of Wrath. There aren't any quotation marks in the entire book. All in all, the writing style is just plain tedious for those who don't enjoy it. Who knows, maybe my 15 year old mind can't quite fully appreciate the "genius" of Paton's writing. But that's just me. As you can tell from other reviews listed here, other people obviously love the writing style. Although I found it confusing and unnecessary. To wrap things up, I would give this book a 2.5 if it were possible... I enjoyed the story, but I disliked the way it was written.
Rating:
Summary: Amazing
Review: 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.
Rating:
Summary: Breath Taking
Review: Better than any "non-fiction" tale about Africa and Apartheid, this novel shows us the vast and multifacited project of colonialism, modernization and racism through the lens of real, concrete people and their experiences. Although he was white, Paton was a part of this epic and on-going saga, and so we shouldn't be so quick to dismiss his portrayal of black experience, especially since his life was spend struggling for equality. Affter hundreds of years living together, eating together, breeding together and fighting with each other, Africa will never again be "the dark continent" it once was. It is, and will continue to be, the most racially and culturally diverse country in the world: with "Cape-Coloreds" (yes, they are actually called that), British, Afrikaners, a vast array of different Native Africans, and every shade and hue there between. However, the question of how all these different groups will live together peacefully continues to haunt the country even now after the Mandella era, and this simple, profound, and poetic book takes dead aim at this ancient cultural conundrum, which has proven to be as perplexing as the Riddle of the Sphinx. The story is based on real trends in South Africa at the time, and so the plot is like a well-grounded historico-poetic synthesis. After his son is indicted for a murder, an old Zulu father comes down from the hills (which are suffering flagrant soil erosion from over-use) and heads for Johanesburg to find his son and discover the truth. Johanesburg has been a magnet to young impoverished Africans who go there to seek work opportunities and city life. Unfortunately, the boys often end up in laboring in the coal or diamond mines for pennies on the dollar, while the ladies end up selling their bodies and liquor. I'm not going to give the story away, but through his inquisitive quest the old Zulu ultimately reveals the heart and soul of an entire nation, and perhaps the world at large -- a world still suffering from the same cataclysmic industrial and cultural tensions. By far and away one of the best novels out there. Don't forget to read the introduction to this edition. Although most intros are boring and useless, this one provides a lot of important information about the life and experiences of Paton (he ran a school for poor black children) that are invaluable for understanding his perspective.
Rating:
Summary: Boring Book
Review: this book really was boring. the style paton decided to use in this book is one of a psychopathic moron. his - before what the person said and you having to guess who says what and when is too overwhelming for anyone. Not only did i get lost, but i was confused when i wasn't lost. i don't recommend this book to any sane person.
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Summary: Cry, the Beloved Country
Review: It is true that Cry, the Beloved Country tells us of suffering, of injustice, of conflict, of South Africa. What sets this book apart, however, is its beauty: the beauty of the language, the beauty of faith in the forge, the beauty of the people, some struggling with their oppression, othes struggling with their privilege . You cannot fully appreciate this book if you only see it as a statement. It is not merely a statement, but a . . . well, a cry, not of pain only, but also of hope. It is profoundly touching. It astonishes me that I did not discover this work until I was twenty years out of college. Beautiful, touching, unique in style, and very relevant. It should be on every English department's short list.
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