Born A Crime Stories from a South African Childhood Trevor Noah 9781473635296 Books
Download As PDF : Born A Crime Stories from a South African Childhood Trevor Noah 9781473635296 Books
Born a Crime-Hodder & Stoughton-Trevor Noah-2017-EDN-1
Born A Crime Stories from a South African Childhood Trevor Noah 9781473635296 Books
I am generally a pretty critical reader, and it's almost embarrassing to write such a glowing review, but I can say without reservation that this book is a treasure. (And no, I am not a friend of the family. I haven't even watched him on The Daily Show, although I'll probably start to watch now.) Trevor Noah is a superb storyteller, and this memoir is his eloquent and touching account of growing up as the mixed race child of a single mother, living in poverty in deeply racist and sexist South Africa. He provides an inside look at a life very different from what almost anyone has experienced (due to his unusual ethnicity and upbringing), yet it is easy to relate to him and fascinating to read his stories. The book reads like a novel, but it is so much more affecting because it is true. Reminiscent of The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls, it is a superbly written story of a perceptive and resilient child thriving in very difficult circumstances, and it beautifully captures these circumstances seen through the eyes of a child.Trevor's mother taught him to use humor to help cope with life, and he learned that lesson well. Despite having good reasons for feeling self-pity and resentment, Trevor had a knack for finding the humor in even the most difficult circumstances. Not forced, jokey humor, but just a low-key appreciation for the weirdness of life. As I turned the last page, I smiled at the ending, which was perfect, but I also felt sad that the story ended. I want to know what happened next. I hope he will write a sequel.
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Born A Crime Stories from a South African Childhood Trevor Noah 9781473635296 Books Reviews
I didn't look at the reviews until after I bought Born a Crime and read it for myself. While reading the 1 star reviews, out of curiosity, I was shocked at some of the negative reviews. Life in third world countries is different than what you would experience in America or other developed countries. Culturally they have beliefs, behaviors, and/or customs that may be considered weird or ugly to those who are not familiar. In my opinion, I believe Trevor Noah wrote wonderfully. He was completely transparent with his feelings, thoughts and experiences as a child growing up in an abusive third world country under apartheid and the aftermath. One reviewer spoke of a horrific animal situation (it was terrible and I do not support animal cruelty of any sort) but you have to remove yourself from it. If you are mad because he didn't respond the way YOU wanted, obviously there is a lack of understanding of his situation in life (I am not in anyway saying it was ok but it is a product of his environment). He was writing about his thoughts (he had at that moment), as a child growing up in a culture/society with ugly thoughts about that particular animal (I'm attempting to not give away any part of the plot while writing this). He was a product of his in environment and if he was taught something else maybe he would of had a different reaction at that time. I thought about giving the book a 5 star but I noticed all the existing reviews so I decided to reach those who would read the negative reviews, like myself, before purchasing a book. I thoroughly enjoyed Born a Crime. There were times I laughed. Times where I was utterly shocked. And a time when I got a bit emotional. Trevor Noah did a great job explaining the horrors of domestic violence and the lack of protection for women and children that still exists all over the world today. The nonexistent opportunities for children of poverty in third world countries especially regarding education. Being in an interracial marriage in America, I CANNOT fully understand what it must of been like for Trevor Noah's parents or as a mixed child growing up in such a hateful yet separated society. This is just my opinion. Take it for what it is.
I don't review a lot of books anymore, but this one got to me. There are lots of books written by people -- including me -- who had a hard time growing up. Abusive parents, poverty, oppression. War. There is a lot of awful stuff children endure.
Trevor Noah endured all of it. Name something bad that a kid can experience and it probably happened to him. Born under apartheid, his existence was illegal. His birth was, as the title of his book suggests, a crime.
As the child of a white father and a black mother under South Africa during apartheid, if he had been noticed by the authorities, they would have taken him from his family and put him ... somewhere. So merely surviving until the end of apartheid was no mean feat. Add to that extreme poverty, violence and life under the most oppressive, racist regime you can imagine. Actually, you may not be able to imagine it. I knew it was bad, but South Africa refined oppression into an art form.
One of the other noteworthy things about this book was that I learned great deal about things I thought I already knew. I don't know if Noah intended it as a cautionary tale, but it is. Chilling.
I didn't read the book. I listened to the audiobook because Noah reads it himself. He has a beautiful, melodic voice and a lovely cadence. It was a treat for my ears and my brain.
You might think with all of this terrible stuff -- and some of it is really horrific -- that this would be an angry, possibly embittered man. But he isn't.
He's funny when humor is possible. Even when he's serious, there is grace and wit -- plus a sweetness and generosity of spirit that's rather uplifting. I don't think I've ever said that about a book. It's not a word I use lightly. Trevor Noah is a rare person, able to appreciate the good stuff in his life and not obsess over the considerable amount of injustice he has experienced.
I'm not usually a big fan of celebrity memoirs or autobiographies, but this is exceptional. If you have the patience, listen to it as an audiobook. Otherwise, consider reading it. He's a smart guy, a good writer, and an astute observer of humanity, government, politics, and relationships. Insightful, witty, and entertaining, I highly recommend it.
I am generally a pretty critical reader, and it's almost embarrassing to write such a glowing review, but I can say without reservation that this book is a treasure. (And no, I am not a friend of the family. I haven't even watched him on The Daily Show, although I'll probably start to watch now.) Trevor Noah is a superb storyteller, and this memoir is his eloquent and touching account of growing up as the mixed race child of a single mother, living in poverty in deeply racist and sexist South Africa. He provides an inside look at a life very different from what almost anyone has experienced (due to his unusual ethnicity and upbringing), yet it is easy to relate to him and fascinating to read his stories. The book reads like a novel, but it is so much more affecting because it is true. Reminiscent of The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls, it is a superbly written story of a perceptive and resilient child thriving in very difficult circumstances, and it beautifully captures these circumstances seen through the eyes of a child.
Trevor's mother taught him to use humor to help cope with life, and he learned that lesson well. Despite having good reasons for feeling self-pity and resentment, Trevor had a knack for finding the humor in even the most difficult circumstances. Not forced, jokey humor, but just a low-key appreciation for the weirdness of life. As I turned the last page, I smiled at the ending, which was perfect, but I also felt sad that the story ended. I want to know what happened next. I hope he will write a sequel.
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