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Summary: More than just a classic novel¿
Review: REVIEW: CRY, THE BELOVED COUNTYAs a seminarian, let me first say this: "Cry, The Beloved Country" taught me more about being a true, compassionate Christian minister then from all I've learned in my short time in seminary. How can I make such a statement? Because the author, Alan Paton, does more to illustrate the power and truth of Christian charity than the best Sunday sermon could ever hope to achieve. Like all truly great literary works, this book works on multiple levels, the highest being theological. One could write a doctoral dissertation on the Christian theology which pervades every single page of this novel. And yet there is very little preaching, and only a tiny handful of Bible quotations. We are not being talked down too, we are not being lectured; rather, we are being invited into a world where the best virtues are illustrated, not commanded. Those looking for a political treatise on the evils of apartheid will be sadly disappointed, as this book was written before those laws were put in place. (In fact, the word "apartheid" never appears once in the story.) However, one can easily see the evil seeds being sown that will bear a bitter harvest in years to come. There are three main characters in this story: the old Zulu Anglican pastor Stephen Kumalo, the wealthy white farmer James Jarvis and the country of South Africa as it was in the early to mid 1940's. The way in which these three characters interact with each other is truly remarkable, and sometimes quite surprising. I could say much more about the plot and characters, but it will be much more fun for the reader to discover these things on his own. It is well worth the effort. As I write this review, the book is the current selection of "Oprah's Book Club." While I've always taken that label as a warning to avoid a work of fiction, this time it proved to be an invaluable guide to a book I would have otherwise overlooked. The book club's new emphasis on "the classics" is an excellent idea. The first two choices of "East of Eden" and "Cry, the Beloved Country" are outstanding selections. Much credit goes to Oprah Winfrey for steering us out of the gutter of contemporary fiction, and helping us to enjoy the rich, powerful treasures from our recent past. You go, girl. I read a tremendous amount of books, more so than anyone else I know. So you can truly appreciate how significant it is when I say "Cry, The Beloved Country" is one of the top ten best English language novels I've ever read. Very highly recommended.
Rating: 
Summary: Multidimensional
Review: I thought this book did a good job of presenting characters that were very multidimensional. The characters displayed traits both positive and negative. As the reader, I felt sometimes encouraged, oftentimes sympathetic, and every once and a while disbelief at the actions of the main character Stephen Kumalo. However, I would have enjoyed knowing a bit more Kumalo's son journey while in Johannesburg.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent and not just because Oprah picked it!
Review: I read this book about 2 years ago for Academic Decathlon and it is a wonderful book. It introduces you to entirely different era, atmosphere, culture and belief system. It really makes you think about what it would be like to be oppressed and hated and what it means to fight for something that you believe in.
Rating:
Summary: Very impressed
Review: I didn't know what to think of Oprah's latest selection, I'd never heard of this book before. But, oh, was I happily surprised! I was very impressed. I thought it would be dull and drab, but from page 2, it drew me in and I enjoyed reading this book immensely. Before reading this book, I couldn't find anything that really gave a description, so here's my synopsis, in case you were looking for one: This book is about two families living in Africa. One is black and one white. We follow them through their struggles and hardships and watch their lives intertwine in the most magical way. This book is full of thought provoking ideas and the writing is at times poetical. If you'd find a book about Africa, in the 1940's something that would interest you, I'd very much recommend this book. At 270 pages, it's a short, easy, enjoyable read.
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Summary: hola hola
Review: hello 1 2 3 4 5 6 6&^^&% 9834#78(*3@@^%^*(* %%^&#@#$#^*& ><>?< @655*& )))) !$##%^
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Summary: This book shaped my conscience.....
Review: I read this book in 7th grade english class along with To Kill A Mockingbird. Of course I did not appreciate it at the time; but this book opened my eyes to a larger world of social conscience. I guess my teacher was a holdover from the era the Peace Corps, but between her readings and my mother dragging me to various Merchant-Ivory films, Europa Europa at 13 to start it out, A Passage to India at the tender age of 8 (she said she couldn't find a babysitter)I learned to "rise above my raisin" as mama liked to say and see the larger reality of humanity that existed beyond the boundaries of my blue-collar surroundings.
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Summary: My review of Cry, the Beloved Country
Review: Cry, the Beloved Country is a very moving novel about a black man's country under white man's law. Anyone who is interested in race relations, history, or the African language will enjoy this book like I did. This is an insightful book in which I learned a lot about South Africa. I learned that Johannesburg was the center of the gold mine industry. Many people left their small tribal villages to work there in 1946 which is the year this novel is set in. The basic premise of Cry, The Beloved Country is about a young black man who is accused of and found guilty of murdering a white man. The author does a great job of making the reader care about both the victim and the accused. The author Alan Paton does a great job of describing the character of the victim Arthur Jarvis as a very caring person who was well respected by people of all races. Arthur Jarvis was concerned with the social problems facing South Africa in 1946 like racial crime, the lack of education of African youth, and the conditions of the gold mines, and the welfare of the workers who labored there. Alan Paton does an equally excellent job describing the accused person. Absalom Kumalo is the son of the Zulu pastor Stephen Kumalo who goes in search for his son in the first section of the book. The cause of Absalom's crime according to the author is a breakdown of tribal values and family bonds like working together to achieve a common goal and a sense of belonging to a group. The Western emphasis on focusing on the individual influenced the way of thinking in South Africa that led to this breakdown. I really enjoyed how the fathers of both sons became friends in this book. The white father James Jarvis actually helped Stephen Kumalo The elder Jarvis supplied Stephen Kumalo with milk to nourish the sick children of his village. Jarvis also provided Stephen Kumalo with a person to teach his people how to farm to grow more food. I appreciated the list of words at the end of the book, because some of the African words were hard to pronounce. I love finding out the meaning of new words even if they are in a foreign languages. Cry, the Beloved Country is a beautifully written book about South Africa with strong themes and memorable characters. I loved this book.
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Summary: Must read
Review: I read this book in 1974 as part of my high school Advanced English course growing up in India and was moved by the author's ability to elicit strong emotions while painting a clear picture of the immorality of apartheid in South Africa. I am glad to see it finally on a recommended reading list in America.
Rating:
Summary: A beloved book
Review: This is my most favorite book of all time. Even though it was written in the 40s, it still speaks volumes about human dignity as well as prejudice. Sadly, these things are always with us, and so this book is timeless. A more recent novel of the same genre, set in South Africa and movingly written, is "A Telling Time" by Glynnis Hayward. (ISBN 1591295912) It provides a good companion read with Paton's novel. I highly recommend reading them both, - read one for Oprah, and one for yourself.
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Summary: How great to see a classic like this back in print!
Review: It is great to see a classic like this back in print. Although South Africa is now a free country, it does us no harm to be reminded of what it used to be like and this book does that famously. Christopher Catherwood, author of CHRISTIANS, MUSLIMS AND ISLAMIC RAGE (Zondervan, 2003)
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