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Khóc Lên Đi, Ôi Quê Hương Yêu Dấu
“Khóc lên đi, ôi quê hương yêu dấu�, một cái tựa thật ấn tượng. Tác phẩm k� v� nạn phân biệt chủng tộc � Nam Phi, nhân vật chính là một mục sư da đen nghèo lên đô th� tìm lại những người thân thất lạc. Chính � nơi đô hội này, ông chứng kiến những giá tr� mới, những cách tân mạnh m� của xã hội da trắng ảnh hưởng đến ch� đ� th� tộc truyền thống. Có những điều mới tốt đẹp song cũng không ít th� làm mục rỗng cuộc sống.
Câu chuyện được k� bằng th� ngôn ng� mộc mạc, giản đi, những câu ngắn, những câu đối thoại b� lửng, những hình ảnh sắc nhưng v� vụn, rời rạc. Hầu hết mọi th� được k� qua cái nhìn của nhân vật chính, ông mục sư da đen, vì vậy ta có th� cảm nhận rõ ràng s� hoang mang của ông, s� lo lắng, s� bối rối bên trong con người ông � một người da đen có chút ít học thức và biết gi� gìn chân giá tr� � trước một xã hội xô b�, hỗn loạn.
Câu chuyện được k� bằng th� ngôn ng� mộc mạc, giản đi, những câu ngắn, những câu đối thoại b� lửng, những hình ảnh sắc nhưng v� vụn, rời rạc. Hầu hết mọi th� được k� qua cái nhìn của nhân vật chính, ông mục sư da đen, vì vậy ta có th� cảm nhận rõ ràng s� hoang mang của ông, s� lo lắng, s� bối rối bên trong con người ông � một người da đen có chút ít học thức và biết gi� gìn chân giá tr� � trước một xã hội xô b�, hỗn loạn.
448 pages, Paperback
First published February 1, 1948
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About the author
Alan Paton
118books685followersAlan Stewart Paton was a South African writer and anti-apartheid activist. His works include the novels Cry, the Beloved Country (1948), Too Late the Phalarope (1953), and the short story The Waste Land.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 5,157 reviews
June 17, 2021
Alan Paton - image from The South African - photo by Terence Spencer
This is a classic, written by a white South African about a time before apartheid. Two fathers, one white, one black and their sons. It is stylistically unusual. Quotes are not used, for example. Conversation is indicated by leading dashes. Also the speech is quite formal most of the time, which conveys some of the culture of the place, I expect. Dark forces are abroad, but hope shows its face here as well, as there are leaders trying to prevent a descent into the madness to come. Zulu pastor Stephen Kumalo and his son Absolom are the focus. Absolom, as an adult, leaves to go to the big city, Jo’burg. He falls in with a bad crowd and is involved in a robbery. He unintentionally shoots a man who surprises them. The man, an idealistic white, is the son of Kumalo’s neighbor out in the country. Kumalo goes in search of his missing son, only to find him, and this horror, at the same time. Characters are portrayed sympathetically, white and black. There is much shared fatherly pain, much humanity here. It is indeed a classic.
November 4, 2018
A few years ago, after twenty years out of high school, I made a point to start rereading all of the classics assigned to me in school. It has been an arduous yet uplifting task as I have experienced these classic books again through an adult mind. In this the third year that I am participating in classics bingo, I took the opportunity to revisit another high school book for the classic of the 20th century square. Alan Paton's Cry, the Beloved Country seventy years later is still considered the greatest South African novel ever written. It exposes worldwide readers to the race relations that the country has experienced during the modern era and the gap that still exists today. The message that Paton writes can go along way toward the issues that modern nations experience to this day.
Stephen Kumalo is a simple parson who lives in the village of Ndotsheni. Although he and his wife have always been happy with their lot in life, his siblings John and Gertrude as well as his son Absalom were enticed by the bright lights of Johannesburg. Paton describes Ndotsheni with breath taking prose, and the people of the region till the land, hoping to make due with their station. Yet, the land is parched, and as readers find out later on, the church is falling apart as well, as this is what the white man has allotted to the native Zulu and Sesuto people. Thus, Johannesburg beckons.
Yet, as Paton so eloquently writes, bigger isn't always better. Problems upon problems befall native Africans from curfews and bus boycotts to wages in the diamond and gold mines and the unfortunate case of being black in a country ruled by whites. Kumalo's daughter and son have fallen upon hard times, and it is up to the parson to use his influence within the church network to bring them to safety.
Paton through his characterization of Absalom Kumalo and Arthur Jarvis, the man he is accused of murdering, reveals the disparity between generations in South Africa. The younger generation is working toward change in racial relations, a change in which whites and blacks live side by side in peace and prosperity and Nkosi Sikelele Afrika becomes a reality. The older, entrenched generation might respect these viewpoints, but for the most part, they are not ready for these changes. Arthur Jarvis' father James admits that his martyred son was of a brilliant mind, but he is not ready a unified South Africa in which blacks and whites live respectfully together. That Paton wrote this novel in the years following World War II and the defeat of fascism show how slow the rest of the world was to change.
I appreciated how the older generation in the characters of Msimangu, Stephen Kumalo, and James Jarvis showed magnanimity toward the end of the novel. Even though a heinous crime had been committed, the fathers were not going to stand for the crimes of their sons and might even accept that a change is coming to a new South Africa. In this era where race relations is unfortunately not a thing of the past, perhaps Cry, the Beloved Country would be an appropriate novel to discuss in high school English classes. Yet, with the exquisite prose and mature topics addressed, I achieved more from this book through adult eyes than I ever had during my high school years. Classics bingo has given me the chance to revisit these lovely novels, and I am happy for the opportunity to do so.
5 full stars
Stephen Kumalo is a simple parson who lives in the village of Ndotsheni. Although he and his wife have always been happy with their lot in life, his siblings John and Gertrude as well as his son Absalom were enticed by the bright lights of Johannesburg. Paton describes Ndotsheni with breath taking prose, and the people of the region till the land, hoping to make due with their station. Yet, the land is parched, and as readers find out later on, the church is falling apart as well, as this is what the white man has allotted to the native Zulu and Sesuto people. Thus, Johannesburg beckons.
Yet, as Paton so eloquently writes, bigger isn't always better. Problems upon problems befall native Africans from curfews and bus boycotts to wages in the diamond and gold mines and the unfortunate case of being black in a country ruled by whites. Kumalo's daughter and son have fallen upon hard times, and it is up to the parson to use his influence within the church network to bring them to safety.
Paton through his characterization of Absalom Kumalo and Arthur Jarvis, the man he is accused of murdering, reveals the disparity between generations in South Africa. The younger generation is working toward change in racial relations, a change in which whites and blacks live side by side in peace and prosperity and Nkosi Sikelele Afrika becomes a reality. The older, entrenched generation might respect these viewpoints, but for the most part, they are not ready for these changes. Arthur Jarvis' father James admits that his martyred son was of a brilliant mind, but he is not ready a unified South Africa in which blacks and whites live respectfully together. That Paton wrote this novel in the years following World War II and the defeat of fascism show how slow the rest of the world was to change.
I appreciated how the older generation in the characters of Msimangu, Stephen Kumalo, and James Jarvis showed magnanimity toward the end of the novel. Even though a heinous crime had been committed, the fathers were not going to stand for the crimes of their sons and might even accept that a change is coming to a new South Africa. In this era where race relations is unfortunately not a thing of the past, perhaps Cry, the Beloved Country would be an appropriate novel to discuss in high school English classes. Yet, with the exquisite prose and mature topics addressed, I achieved more from this book through adult eyes than I ever had during my high school years. Classics bingo has given me the chance to revisit these lovely novels, and I am happy for the opportunity to do so.
5 full stars
May 3, 2008
This isn't an infinitely quotable book, but occasionally it produces a line that is devastatingly clear and true. Lines like, "It was not his habit to dwell on what could have been, but what could never be." and, “It is the duty of a judge to do justice, but it is only the people who can be just.� made me put the book down and stare dumbfounded at the wall. But mostly this isn't a highly quotable book; it's a beautifully written, riveting book where passages or entire halves of scenes are compelling streams of words, readily understandable for actions and conversations, and profound for their insights and suggestions into human life in adversity and prosperity.
If you're going to write a borderline hopeless story, do it like this. Paton's prose is mostly readable and occassionally beautiful, especially in his monologues, letters and prayers. For example: "The truth is that our Christian civilization is riddled through and through with dilemma. We believe in the brotherhood of man, but we do not want it in South Africa. We believe that God endows men with diverse gifts, and that human life depends for its fullness on their employment and enjoyment, but we are afraid to explore this belief too deeply. We believe in help for the underdog, but we want him to stay under. And we are therefore compelled, in order to preserve our belief that we are Christian, to ascribe to Almighty God, creator of Heaven and Earth, our own human intentions, and to say that because He created white and black, He gives the Divine Approval to any human action that is designed to keep black men from advancement." It goes on, but this should give you a sense of Paton's insight and rhetorical ability.
Paton touches on almost every level of trouble in post-colonial South Africa: racism, classism, elitism, residual imperical feelings, how wealth corrupts natives, arbitrary segregation, the loss of family values, the loss of social pride, the abandonment of positive religious teachings, the inability of government and the misunderstanding of the new laws. It doesn't blame white people or black people; it creates individuals who embody multiple faults, and when such people make up a new nation, it shows how such a system could collapse and increase human suffering. Paton does not rub this in your face; even his foreward explains that several of these people are real or are based on real people, and his praises those who are working towards a better world. This novel is every ounce about trying to do something. This isn't literary bleakness or contemptable anti-humanitarianism (a strange view for any author to have, given that all our authors are humans). There are good people stuck in all of this, and from the very first chapter you get a sense that this is, if not a good place, then a place that could be truly great. The difference between Alan Paton here and Edith Wharton or Nathanael West in much of their writing is that the disappointment does not permeate the tone and the myopic view does not bias the story. Paton is a far more sympathetic writer, able to capture the most dangerous elements of humanity in a way that is uniquely his own, though we'd be better off if it became more common.
If you're going to write a borderline hopeless story, do it like this. Paton's prose is mostly readable and occassionally beautiful, especially in his monologues, letters and prayers. For example: "The truth is that our Christian civilization is riddled through and through with dilemma. We believe in the brotherhood of man, but we do not want it in South Africa. We believe that God endows men with diverse gifts, and that human life depends for its fullness on their employment and enjoyment, but we are afraid to explore this belief too deeply. We believe in help for the underdog, but we want him to stay under. And we are therefore compelled, in order to preserve our belief that we are Christian, to ascribe to Almighty God, creator of Heaven and Earth, our own human intentions, and to say that because He created white and black, He gives the Divine Approval to any human action that is designed to keep black men from advancement." It goes on, but this should give you a sense of Paton's insight and rhetorical ability.
Paton touches on almost every level of trouble in post-colonial South Africa: racism, classism, elitism, residual imperical feelings, how wealth corrupts natives, arbitrary segregation, the loss of family values, the loss of social pride, the abandonment of positive religious teachings, the inability of government and the misunderstanding of the new laws. It doesn't blame white people or black people; it creates individuals who embody multiple faults, and when such people make up a new nation, it shows how such a system could collapse and increase human suffering. Paton does not rub this in your face; even his foreward explains that several of these people are real or are based on real people, and his praises those who are working towards a better world. This novel is every ounce about trying to do something. This isn't literary bleakness or contemptable anti-humanitarianism (a strange view for any author to have, given that all our authors are humans). There are good people stuck in all of this, and from the very first chapter you get a sense that this is, if not a good place, then a place that could be truly great. The difference between Alan Paton here and Edith Wharton or Nathanael West in much of their writing is that the disappointment does not permeate the tone and the myopic view does not bias the story. Paton is a far more sympathetic writer, able to capture the most dangerous elements of humanity in a way that is uniquely his own, though we'd be better off if it became more common.
November 20, 2018
This is the story of South Africa, and it is the story of two fathers and two sons. There is a moment in which the fathers meet face-to-face that contains everything there is of humanity and the struggle for understanding and compassion in men. That moment left me eviscerated.
I love that this is not written in the spirit of good vs. evil, but in the spirit of man vs. his baser instincts. I sincerely loved Stephen Kumalo and Mr. Jarvis, and I felt both their heartaches. Some books are meant to be written, they well up from inside an author and spill onto the page because their message is one that must be voiced, and this is such a book.
The history of South Africa is sad and, like all colonializations, it is complicated. There is a way of life destroyed and no attempt to offer a replacement that is viable for the native population.
It suited the white man to break the tribe, he continued gravely. But it has not suited him to build something in the place of what is broken.
In the midst of this chaos and struggle, Paton finds the wisdoms that make humans reflections of God. Msimangu says But there is only one thing that has power completely, and that is love. Because when a man loves, he seeks no power, and therefore he has power. The more I contemplated that statement, the more profound it seemed to me.
Much of what afflicts the people of South Africa at the time of this book’s publication has been remedied, but its message is so strong and so important and so universal that it can easily be applied to much of what we continue to see in the world today. And, at a more personal level, there are the feelings of the men involved that are so true to feelings each of us have or may have.
This was almost the last thing that his son had done. When this was done he had been alive. Then at this moment, at this very word that hung in the air, he had got up and gone down the stairs to his death. If one could have cried then, don’t go down! If one could have cried, stop, there is danger! But there was no one to cry. No one knew then what so many knew now.
Are these not the thoughts that run through our minds at the moment of loss? Why didn’t I do this or that? Why wasn’t I watching closer? Why didn’t I speak up, hold on, stop fate by altering the time frame by one precious second?
I understand that this novel is now included in many high school curricula, and I applaud that. Everyone should read it.
I love that this is not written in the spirit of good vs. evil, but in the spirit of man vs. his baser instincts. I sincerely loved Stephen Kumalo and Mr. Jarvis, and I felt both their heartaches. Some books are meant to be written, they well up from inside an author and spill onto the page because their message is one that must be voiced, and this is such a book.
The history of South Africa is sad and, like all colonializations, it is complicated. There is a way of life destroyed and no attempt to offer a replacement that is viable for the native population.
It suited the white man to break the tribe, he continued gravely. But it has not suited him to build something in the place of what is broken.
In the midst of this chaos and struggle, Paton finds the wisdoms that make humans reflections of God. Msimangu says But there is only one thing that has power completely, and that is love. Because when a man loves, he seeks no power, and therefore he has power. The more I contemplated that statement, the more profound it seemed to me.
Much of what afflicts the people of South Africa at the time of this book’s publication has been remedied, but its message is so strong and so important and so universal that it can easily be applied to much of what we continue to see in the world today. And, at a more personal level, there are the feelings of the men involved that are so true to feelings each of us have or may have.
This was almost the last thing that his son had done. When this was done he had been alive. Then at this moment, at this very word that hung in the air, he had got up and gone down the stairs to his death. If one could have cried then, don’t go down! If one could have cried, stop, there is danger! But there was no one to cry. No one knew then what so many knew now.
Are these not the thoughts that run through our minds at the moment of loss? Why didn’t I do this or that? Why wasn’t I watching closer? Why didn’t I speak up, hold on, stop fate by altering the time frame by one precious second?
I understand that this novel is now included in many high school curricula, and I applaud that. Everyone should read it.
October 28, 2023
Though not published until early in 1948 (and the events leading to its submission for publication, which the author describes in the Author's Note at the beginning, were rather unusual) Cry the Beloved Country was written in late 1946, and is set in the author's present. It's fair to say that it's generally recognized as one of the greatest masterpieces of world literature produced in the 20th century, or indeed any century, and hands down the greatest novel ever written (to date) by a South African writer. (Ironically, it was first published in the U.S., and probably wouldn't have found a publisher in South Africa at the time.) I've regarded it as a must-read for decades. Now that I've at last read it, I greatly regret (as I so often do, with too many books) that I didn't do so much sooner!
The backdrop and central concern of the novel, of course, is race relations in the “beloved country.� Having been granted independence from British rule in 1931, though still part of the Commonwealth and recognizing the king of England as its king, South Africa was (and still is) a nation with a population overwhelmingly black (about 80%), but a nation at that time dominated politically and economically by the descendants of British and Dutch (Afrikaners) colonial settlers. While the fully-developed legal system of racial segregation, or apartheid, would not be officially enacted in all of its particulars until 1948 (soon after this book was published), key components of it were already in place, and the rest of it already enforced by custom. With less than 20% of the population, whites claimed ownership of 90% of the land, owned all of the mines and industries, and completely controlled the government, since blacks were disenfranchised by law. While living standards and incomes for the white community were generally comparable to those of “developed� countries, the black community lived almost entirely in Third World poverty, and was systematically kept in that state to create a permanent pool of cheap labor for white employers. Education was segregated, and provided only inadequately for blacks. Whites and blacks virtually never interacted on any footing of equality, and virtually never had cross-racial or cross-cultural friendships. In that environment, few people of either race thought of the other as individual fellow humans; rather, they were just an undifferentiated mass of alien and possibly hostile Other. Blacks generally resented white exploitation (with good reason); whites generally feared blacks as a potential threat to their own lifestyles, and were tempted to subscribe to theories of black racial inferiority as justification for keeping them subservient.
Paton doesn't start his novel out with a description of this state of affairs (although, in his very short first chapter, he does set the stage by a physical description of his rural setting, with its terrain greatly damaged by human abuse of it, and not able to support its people), because it's something every South African reader would have been viscerally aware of to begin with. So, as his readers would, he just presupposes it, and goes from there. When our story really gets going, in chapter 2, we meet our protagonist, Rev. Stephen Kumalo. He's the priest of the small black Anglican church in the village of Ndotsheni, in Natal (which is, as I understand it from the geographical clues in the book –I don't know a lot about South Africa's internal geography-- in the southwestern, historically British-dominated, part of the country), a 60-year-old man living quietly with his wife on a scanty income. Like many of their fellow Zulus, Stephen's brother-in-law (husband of his sister Gertrude, 25 years younger than Stephen) has been gone a long time. He moved to the great city of Johannesburg (pop. ca. 700,000 at that time) looking for work in the mines, and hasn't been heard from for quite a while. Gertrude finally went to Johannesburg to look for him, and also went silent; Stephen's only child, a young man named Absalom, followed in his turn, looking for her, and he's no longer writing home either. But now, a letter written by a fellow black clergyman has arrived from Johannesburg, informing him that Gertrude is “very sick� and that he needs to come. That journey will be a fateful and pivotal one, marked by tragedy --but also by unexpected light that can shine in darkness. It will bring him together with both familiar faces –including his younger brother John, a fairly prosperous Johannesburg carpenter and influential orator in black political circles, long estranged from both Stephen and the church-- and with entirely new acquaintances, most surprisingly a Ndotsheni neighbor, well-to-do white farmer James Jarvis. These two would normally never have spoken to each other; but fate sometimes has strange twists....
This novel is a cri de coeur for fundamental justice and decency in relations between human beings, delivered with powerful force and clarity. But while I won't say it has no passages of straightforward exposition (well integrated into the text), it derives its force and clarity from the way its message is embedded in an actual involving and emotionally compelling story about characters who become as real as any you meet in your everyday life. And it's a message which recognizes that justice and decency have to flow from love, which means they'll never be achieved by hate and never fostered by fear. The author's vision for the country he loves isn't one that demonizes whites, but one that calls on British-descended whites like Paton himself, Afrikaners (and those two groups, though both white, didn't especially like or trust each other, either) and blacks of all tribes to come together in harmony to build a society that works for everybody. That particular note of inclusion and reconciliation comes from the grounding of this vision in Christian belief. Stephen's faith (and that of other characters, of both races) isn't coincidental to the story; it mirrors and expresses the author's own, and this is a profoundly Christian novel, not just from having some clerical characters, but from depicting lived Christianity in its warp and woof, and inculcating a Christian message as its central reason for being written.
Stylistically, the most notable characteristic here is that Paton doesn't use quotation marks. However, when a character's speech is reproduced, he clearly indicates that a character is speaking, and who it is; and in dialogue, speeches by different characters are on different lines, and set off by a dash. As a rule, I don't care for fictional prose that affects a departure from normal grammatical rules, and normally wouldn't read it. But here I was motivated enough to give the text a chance, and quickly discovered that, at least in this instance, the author didn't sacrifice clarity on the altar of quirkiness; I never had a problem identifying who was speaking. His diction is highly readable, often beautiful and lyrical. He knew black culture, both urban and tribal, and black speech patterns, well enough to bring them to vivid life (okay, I don't have any first-hand knowledge myself; but I can recognize the ring of authenticity when I read it!), and had a good eye for his country's varied landscapes and cityscapes. Though himself white, he writes black characters very realistically, believably getting inside Stephen's head in particular (Stephen and Jarvis will be our two viewpoint character here, and we get much more of the former's viewpoint than the latter's). There's also a lot of serious social insight here that goes beyond the obvious, such as the recognition of the problematic effects of the destruction of traditional tribal community by the white government and white-run economy (which created an anomie and rootlessness in the black community), and of the role of farmland destruction, through overgrazing and practices that maximized soil erosion, in exacerbating rural poverty.
Alan Paton (1903-1988) is described by Wikipedia as a “strong Christian," whose “faith was one of the reasons he was so strongly opposed to apartheid.� At the time he wrote this book, he was principal of a reformatory for youthful black offenders (and very successful in effecting rehabilitation of those in his care); and yes, that experience is relevant to this novel.
Despite the changes in South Africa since 1994, many of the problems and challenges depicted here still remain; and the author's call for racial harmony and cooperation remains as necessary –and too often as elusive-- as it was in 1946. And even though it's delivered in the context of a particular setting, his moral, spiritual and social messages are universal, relevant wherever injustice and fear of the Other is rife; which is to say, always and everywhere. There aren't very many novels that I would actually recommend to all readers. This is one of them.
The backdrop and central concern of the novel, of course, is race relations in the “beloved country.� Having been granted independence from British rule in 1931, though still part of the Commonwealth and recognizing the king of England as its king, South Africa was (and still is) a nation with a population overwhelmingly black (about 80%), but a nation at that time dominated politically and economically by the descendants of British and Dutch (Afrikaners) colonial settlers. While the fully-developed legal system of racial segregation, or apartheid, would not be officially enacted in all of its particulars until 1948 (soon after this book was published), key components of it were already in place, and the rest of it already enforced by custom. With less than 20% of the population, whites claimed ownership of 90% of the land, owned all of the mines and industries, and completely controlled the government, since blacks were disenfranchised by law. While living standards and incomes for the white community were generally comparable to those of “developed� countries, the black community lived almost entirely in Third World poverty, and was systematically kept in that state to create a permanent pool of cheap labor for white employers. Education was segregated, and provided only inadequately for blacks. Whites and blacks virtually never interacted on any footing of equality, and virtually never had cross-racial or cross-cultural friendships. In that environment, few people of either race thought of the other as individual fellow humans; rather, they were just an undifferentiated mass of alien and possibly hostile Other. Blacks generally resented white exploitation (with good reason); whites generally feared blacks as a potential threat to their own lifestyles, and were tempted to subscribe to theories of black racial inferiority as justification for keeping them subservient.
Paton doesn't start his novel out with a description of this state of affairs (although, in his very short first chapter, he does set the stage by a physical description of his rural setting, with its terrain greatly damaged by human abuse of it, and not able to support its people), because it's something every South African reader would have been viscerally aware of to begin with. So, as his readers would, he just presupposes it, and goes from there. When our story really gets going, in chapter 2, we meet our protagonist, Rev. Stephen Kumalo. He's the priest of the small black Anglican church in the village of Ndotsheni, in Natal (which is, as I understand it from the geographical clues in the book –I don't know a lot about South Africa's internal geography-- in the southwestern, historically British-dominated, part of the country), a 60-year-old man living quietly with his wife on a scanty income. Like many of their fellow Zulus, Stephen's brother-in-law (husband of his sister Gertrude, 25 years younger than Stephen) has been gone a long time. He moved to the great city of Johannesburg (pop. ca. 700,000 at that time) looking for work in the mines, and hasn't been heard from for quite a while. Gertrude finally went to Johannesburg to look for him, and also went silent; Stephen's only child, a young man named Absalom, followed in his turn, looking for her, and he's no longer writing home either. But now, a letter written by a fellow black clergyman has arrived from Johannesburg, informing him that Gertrude is “very sick� and that he needs to come. That journey will be a fateful and pivotal one, marked by tragedy --but also by unexpected light that can shine in darkness. It will bring him together with both familiar faces –including his younger brother John, a fairly prosperous Johannesburg carpenter and influential orator in black political circles, long estranged from both Stephen and the church-- and with entirely new acquaintances, most surprisingly a Ndotsheni neighbor, well-to-do white farmer James Jarvis. These two would normally never have spoken to each other; but fate sometimes has strange twists....
This novel is a cri de coeur for fundamental justice and decency in relations between human beings, delivered with powerful force and clarity. But while I won't say it has no passages of straightforward exposition (well integrated into the text), it derives its force and clarity from the way its message is embedded in an actual involving and emotionally compelling story about characters who become as real as any you meet in your everyday life. And it's a message which recognizes that justice and decency have to flow from love, which means they'll never be achieved by hate and never fostered by fear. The author's vision for the country he loves isn't one that demonizes whites, but one that calls on British-descended whites like Paton himself, Afrikaners (and those two groups, though both white, didn't especially like or trust each other, either) and blacks of all tribes to come together in harmony to build a society that works for everybody. That particular note of inclusion and reconciliation comes from the grounding of this vision in Christian belief. Stephen's faith (and that of other characters, of both races) isn't coincidental to the story; it mirrors and expresses the author's own, and this is a profoundly Christian novel, not just from having some clerical characters, but from depicting lived Christianity in its warp and woof, and inculcating a Christian message as its central reason for being written.
Stylistically, the most notable characteristic here is that Paton doesn't use quotation marks. However, when a character's speech is reproduced, he clearly indicates that a character is speaking, and who it is; and in dialogue, speeches by different characters are on different lines, and set off by a dash. As a rule, I don't care for fictional prose that affects a departure from normal grammatical rules, and normally wouldn't read it. But here I was motivated enough to give the text a chance, and quickly discovered that, at least in this instance, the author didn't sacrifice clarity on the altar of quirkiness; I never had a problem identifying who was speaking. His diction is highly readable, often beautiful and lyrical. He knew black culture, both urban and tribal, and black speech patterns, well enough to bring them to vivid life (okay, I don't have any first-hand knowledge myself; but I can recognize the ring of authenticity when I read it!), and had a good eye for his country's varied landscapes and cityscapes. Though himself white, he writes black characters very realistically, believably getting inside Stephen's head in particular (Stephen and Jarvis will be our two viewpoint character here, and we get much more of the former's viewpoint than the latter's). There's also a lot of serious social insight here that goes beyond the obvious, such as the recognition of the problematic effects of the destruction of traditional tribal community by the white government and white-run economy (which created an anomie and rootlessness in the black community), and of the role of farmland destruction, through overgrazing and practices that maximized soil erosion, in exacerbating rural poverty.
Alan Paton (1903-1988) is described by Wikipedia as a “strong Christian," whose “faith was one of the reasons he was so strongly opposed to apartheid.� At the time he wrote this book, he was principal of a reformatory for youthful black offenders (and very successful in effecting rehabilitation of those in his care); and yes, that experience is relevant to this novel.
Despite the changes in South Africa since 1994, many of the problems and challenges depicted here still remain; and the author's call for racial harmony and cooperation remains as necessary –and too often as elusive-- as it was in 1946. And even though it's delivered in the context of a particular setting, his moral, spiritual and social messages are universal, relevant wherever injustice and fear of the Other is rife; which is to say, always and everywhere. There aren't very many novels that I would actually recommend to all readers. This is one of them.
February 12, 2023
سیل که تهدید می کند آدم در نگرانی برای خانه اش بسر می برد اما خانه که خراب شد کاری باید کرد ، در برابر سیل کاری از او ساخته نیست اما خانه ویران را می توان از نو ساخت .
بنال وطن نوشته آلن پیتون نویسنده و فعال و مخالف تبعیض نژادی اهل آفریقا جنوبی داستانی ایست درباره تبعیض نژادی یا آپارتاید در آفریقا و افرادی که درشرایط جهنمی آن زندگی می کنند . نویسنده دورانی را روایت کرده که مردمان چه سیاه و چه سفید در حال آگاه شدن نسبت به آپارتاید و اثرات آن در محیط زندگی خود بوده و شروع به مبارزه در برابر وضع موجود می کنند .
وطن از نگاه نویسنده گویی ویران شده ویا در آستانه ویرانی ایست . وطن او را چاره ای جز زار زدن نیست . پس بنال ای وطن ، برای قبیله در هم شکسته ، برای سنت و قانون پایمال شده ، برای مردی که مرده است بلند گریه کن ، بنال برای زن و فرزندان بی سرپرستش . بنال وطن وقتی درد و رنج تو را پایانی نیست بنال .
قهرمان داستان او کشیش فقیری یا به گویش محلی اومفندیس است که در پی جستجوی خواهر و پسر خود از روستا فقیر خود ایندو تشنی به ژوهانسبورگ می رود . آن چه در ادامه داستان به سر او و خانواده متلاشی شده اش می آید را می توان به عنوان نمونه ای از زندگی فجیع سیاهان در آفریقا جنوبی دانست ، کشیش پیر دیگر دعا نمی خواند ، از درون لال شده و کلمه ها از او گریخته اند . اومفندیس هم اشک می ریزد ، برای خشکسالی ، برای آذوقه ته کشیده و برای باران .
آن چه او را نگاه می دارد دعا و نیایش و یا امید به زندگی بدون رنج نیست . کشیش درک کرده که یک مسیحی یا انسان فارغ از هر دینی نمی تواند از رنج هستی آزاد باشد ، زیرا رنج کشیدن برای نجات از رنج نیست ولی شاید برای تحمل آن باشد .
اومفندیس در بازگشت به روستا خود می گرید و اشک می ریزد . این بار او و وطن گویی با هم می نالند ، پس بنال ای سرزمین محبوب ، برای کودکی که هنوز به دنیا نیامده ، برای ترس ، برای آینده بنال ، برای کودک در حال مرگ بنال .
اومفندیس گویا از آینده و آن چه بر سر مردمان خواهد آمد آگاه است ، او مردمان را به عشق ورزیدن و نفرت نداشتن از هم فرا می خواند ، از نگاه کشیش قدرت و آرزوی قدرت بر دیگران در سر پروراندن است که نفرت می سازد و این گونه شده که در سرزمین آنان نفرت به قدر کافی وجود دارد . ( گویا پیتون ویژگی های رهبر آینده را بیان کرده ، عشق به آدمی و نداشتن نفرت است که ملت را متحد ویک پارچه می سازد و این گونه نلسون ماندلا از میان جماعتی که توصیه به عشق ورزیدن به انسان می کند رهبر مبارزه با تبعیض نژادی می شود )
پایان کتاب وپیش گویی نویسنده حیرت انگیز است ، پیتون در حالی که تاریکی و ظلمات همه جا را فرا گرفته خبر از سحر ، نور و روشنایی داده. در حالی که ایندوتشنی و ژوهانسبورگ و آفریقا جنوبی در تاریکی هستند اما امواج کم نور خورشید آمدن سحر و روشنی را نوید می دهد ، سحر به ایندوتشنی ، به ژوهانسبورگ و کل آفریقا خواهد رسید . نویسنده از رسیدن سحر ایمان دارد اما زمان آنرا نمی داند .
بنال وطن در سال 1948 وهنگام شروع جنبش های ضد آپارتاید نوشته شده ، تقریبا 50 سال طول کشید تا آنچه که پیتون در بنال وطن با مهارت پیش بینی کرده ، یعنی نابودی آپارتاید و تبعیض نژادی محقق شود . شخصیتی که نویسنده در کتاب آفریده یعنی اومفندیس یا کشیش پیر را می توان الگوی افرادی مانند نلسون ماندلا و دزموند توتو دانست . افرادی که با نفی خشونت ، درخواست آشتی ملی ، پرهیز از کینه توزی و نفرت و انتقام رویای پیتون را به سرانجام رساندند .
March 5, 2009
I am a teacher and, after 34 years, attempt to find new combinations in the catalogue of "must reads." I have done this as a staple for years. Last year, when deciding what I wanted to do - kind of like window shopping for lovely clothes -- I decided to read this book after reading Hamlet. I love the mirrored plot structure. I adore the fact that the land is a character. The moral imperative and subsequent hemming and hawing in Hamlet takes on a different light and life in the beautifully wrought quest into the valley of death by Stephen Kumalo. The gentle prod of grace, of questions, of moral hues and tones take me back to the wasteland scene in Hamlet. After speaking with the captain on his way to death against the Polish, Hamlet finally has his epiphany. For Stephen, the wasteland shifts, but the same 20,000 + on their way to death in a mine is the same moral imperative. My students are slowly putting the plots together and the depth that they are mining (pun intended) is impressive. I am quite pleased. They had trouble with the flow of dialogue at first, but they also had trouble starting in medias res in Hamlet. So goes the way with 15 and 16 year old students. We are going to next move to Eliot's wasteland for a quick jaunt through 20th century gardens and graves. Paton is a treasure - put on his shoes, or discover the link with the land through the unshod feet and understand how two men and their families, their villages can wrestle with ethical dilemmas and the imperative of humanity. Powerful when put together! * of particular delight - one of my students noticed two items: the use of Gertrude in both and also the idea of kairos! I was so happy. This is what makes books come alive. When we share, we grow.
December 3, 2017
Cry, The Beloved Country, Alan Paton
Cry, the Beloved Country is a novel by Alan Paton, published in 1948.
In the remote village of Ndotsheni, in the Natal province of eastern South Africa, the Reverend Stephen Kumalo receives a letter from a fellow minister summoning him to Johannesburg. He is needed there, the letter says, to help his sister, Gertrude, who the letter says has fallen ill. Kumalo undertakes the difficult and expensive journey to the city in the hopes of aiding Gertrude and of finding his son, Absalom, who traveled to Johannesburg from Ndotsheni and never returned. In Johannesburg, Kumalo is warmly welcomed by Msimangu, the priest who sent him the letter, and given comfortable lodging by Mrs. Lithebe, a Christian woman who feels that helping others is her duty. ...
عنوانها: بنال وطن؛ گریه کن سرزمین محبوب؛ مویه کن، سرزمین مجبوب؛ تاریخ نخستین خوانش: بیست و نهم ماه جولای سال 1973 میلادی
عنوان: مویه کن سرزمین محبوب؛ نویسنده: آلن پیتون؛ مترجم: فریدون سالک؛ نادر ابراهیمی؛ تهران، امیرکبیر، 1348؛ در 353 ص؛ چاپ دوم 1357؛
عنوان: بنال وطن؛ نویسنده: آلن پیتون؛ مترجم: سیمین دانشور؛ تهران، خوارزمی، 1351؛ در 291 ص؛ چاپ سوم 1354؛ چاپ پنجم اسفند 1361؛
عنوان: گریه کن سرزمین محبوب؛ نویسنده: آلن پیتون؛ مترجم: هوشنگ حافظی پور؛ تهران، اردیبهشت، 1362؛ در 485 ص؛ چاپ دیگر: تهران، مثبت، 1383؛
داستان دربارهٔ مسئلهٔ تبعیض نژادی در آفریقای جنوبی است. دربارهٔ کشیشی فقیر و پیر به نام: استیون کومالو در روستای محروم و کوچک ایندوتشنی است که برای یافتن پسرش (ابسالم کومالو) به ژوهانسبورگ میرو�. او متوجه میشو� که پسرش دختر نوجوانی را باردار کرده و مدتی نیز در دارالتأدیب بوده است. کمی بعد پسرش را به جرم قتل یک مرد سفیدپوست بازداشت میکنن� و ... ا. شربیانی
Cry, the Beloved Country is a novel by Alan Paton, published in 1948.
In the remote village of Ndotsheni, in the Natal province of eastern South Africa, the Reverend Stephen Kumalo receives a letter from a fellow minister summoning him to Johannesburg. He is needed there, the letter says, to help his sister, Gertrude, who the letter says has fallen ill. Kumalo undertakes the difficult and expensive journey to the city in the hopes of aiding Gertrude and of finding his son, Absalom, who traveled to Johannesburg from Ndotsheni and never returned. In Johannesburg, Kumalo is warmly welcomed by Msimangu, the priest who sent him the letter, and given comfortable lodging by Mrs. Lithebe, a Christian woman who feels that helping others is her duty. ...
عنوانها: بنال وطن؛ گریه کن سرزمین محبوب؛ مویه کن، سرزمین مجبوب؛ تاریخ نخستین خوانش: بیست و نهم ماه جولای سال 1973 میلادی
عنوان: مویه کن سرزمین محبوب؛ نویسنده: آلن پیتون؛ مترجم: فریدون سالک؛ نادر ابراهیمی؛ تهران، امیرکبیر، 1348؛ در 353 ص؛ چاپ دوم 1357؛
عنوان: بنال وطن؛ نویسنده: آلن پیتون؛ مترجم: سیمین دانشور؛ تهران، خوارزمی، 1351؛ در 291 ص؛ چاپ سوم 1354؛ چاپ پنجم اسفند 1361؛
عنوان: گریه کن سرزمین محبوب؛ نویسنده: آلن پیتون؛ مترجم: هوشنگ حافظی پور؛ تهران، اردیبهشت، 1362؛ در 485 ص؛ چاپ دیگر: تهران، مثبت، 1383؛
داستان دربارهٔ مسئلهٔ تبعیض نژادی در آفریقای جنوبی است. دربارهٔ کشیشی فقیر و پیر به نام: استیون کومالو در روستای محروم و کوچک ایندوتشنی است که برای یافتن پسرش (ابسالم کومالو) به ژوهانسبورگ میرو�. او متوجه میشو� که پسرش دختر نوجوانی را باردار کرده و مدتی نیز در دارالتأدیب بوده است. کمی بعد پسرش را به جرم قتل یک مرد سفیدپوست بازداشت میکنن� و ... ا. شربیانی
August 22, 2023
Beautiful writing, that is why this book gets four stars. But what do I mean by beautiful writing? That can mean so much. Here every sentence is simple. Every thought is simple. It is writing where all words that can be removed are removed. What remains is clear and concise and beautiful. The core is left, and that core says exactly what has to be said.
The book is about Africa, South Africa in particular and racial injustice in this country. It is about right and wrong and men's strengths and weaknesses. It is about Christian beliefs, but again whittled down to the most elementary concepts. It is not necessary to be religious to appreciate this book.
You will be moved to tears.
You will think: yes, this IS how life is, but dam we must go on fighting because along with sadness and injustice and wrong, there is beauty and kindness. Alan Paton says it all so honestly and so simply. I repeat: gorgeous writing.
I can only judge from my own reading experience. I listened to an audio book, narrated by Michael York. The narration couldn't have been better. Perhaps if I had read it I would have appreciated the words less. Here, every word was spoken with depth and a calm measured strength. You are forced to think and ponder and savor. Would I have appreciated the cadence of the lines or the message imparted had I read the book with my eyes rather than my ears? I am not sure. Some books demand that they be read slowly.
I haven't said one word about what happens. You must read the book to find out.
The book is about Africa, South Africa in particular and racial injustice in this country. It is about right and wrong and men's strengths and weaknesses. It is about Christian beliefs, but again whittled down to the most elementary concepts. It is not necessary to be religious to appreciate this book.
You will be moved to tears.
You will think: yes, this IS how life is, but dam we must go on fighting because along with sadness and injustice and wrong, there is beauty and kindness. Alan Paton says it all so honestly and so simply. I repeat: gorgeous writing.
I can only judge from my own reading experience. I listened to an audio book, narrated by Michael York. The narration couldn't have been better. Perhaps if I had read it I would have appreciated the words less. Here, every word was spoken with depth and a calm measured strength. You are forced to think and ponder and savor. Would I have appreciated the cadence of the lines or the message imparted had I read the book with my eyes rather than my ears? I am not sure. Some books demand that they be read slowly.
I haven't said one word about what happens. You must read the book to find out.
April 14, 2007
I cant say enough about this book. It is lyrically written, reads almost like an epic out of Ireland. The dialog between characters is straightforward, and the book manages to give you a glimpse of Apartheid S. Africa, from the richest people, to the poor urban laborers, to the criminals, to the peaceful rural farmers trying to maintain their land after many years of neglect. This is a classic that I have read probably 3 or 4 times.
My copy is beat to hell, but readable.
My copy is beat to hell, but readable.
November 16, 2021
Alan Paton's 1948 novel, Cry the Beloved Country, is a tale that embraces so very many things well beyond the period of Apartheid in South Africa; among them are the power of faith, the resolute strength of family bonds, the capacity for resilience, urban vs. rural environments, the concept of forgiveness & even beyond that, of reconciliation, all of these portrayed within an abiding biblical context.
Amazingly, the novel was written by someone whose life was spent as a teacher, including for 14 years at a progressive reform school for native (African) offenders, with no initial consideration of becoming a novelist. The gestation process for Alan Paton's manuscript constitutes a story in itself.
The reader is met with a portrait of the abiding prejudice & inequality within South Africa's Dutch-descended Afrikaners' strictly-enforced & particularly rigid response to racial segregation, separating its citizens into either Blank/White or Nie-Blank/Non-White but with 2 additional sub-classes, Asian & Colored, or mixed-race. However, the novel was actually published a few months prior to the installation of Apartheid by the National Party government in 1948.
Much of the story is set in the small town of Ndotsheni, Natal Province of South Africa where the main character, Stephen Kumalo & his family live in a consistent state of borderline poverty, until their life is upended both by a drought and Stephen's son Absalom's fall from grace within the shanty-town slums of Johannesburg where he has gone in search of his older sister.
Stephen Kumalo is always referred to as úԻ徱 (a Zulu word that is pronounced: "oom-foon-dees"), a term of respect meaning "parson". In fact, he is an Anglican priest presiding over his small church & a school, both in decline. His clothes are in tatters & his clerical collar stained brown but his sense of hope & his faith in God are never anything but robust.
In the novel, the passages detailing the pain that the well-off white character of Mr. Jarvis is confronted with in having to endure the aftermath of his late son's death are most uplifting, at least for me. Belatedly, Mr. Jarvis comes to know his son's passion for life and for the cause of black South Africans in a manner that would have been impossible had he lived to continue the struggle, having embraced the message of Christ and that of Abraham Lincoln, both of whose images adorn the son's former office. And in that moment of recognition, his life and other lives are transformed.
Arthur, the son of James Jarvis, has come to the conclusion that "our natives today produce criminals & prostitutes & drunkards, not because it is their nature to do so but because their tribal system of order & tradition & convention has been destroyed." It is felt that African tribal culture, in spite of its faults, did constitute a moral system. Left in his unpublished manuscript is the thought that those in power in S. Africa had an "inescapable duty to set up another system" & to end the segregation of the races. Instead of a son following the pattern outlined in daily living by his father' life, it becomes the reverse in Payton's novel.
For here is the novel's uplifting message:
Through the characters in Cry the Beloved Country & particularly that of Stephen Kumalo, I felt that I could sense the hardscrabble landscape of Ndotsheni & somehow comprehend the complexity of the lives of those who call it home. For that reason & simply because in rereading the novel, I have experienced a renewal of hope for a long-troubled part of the world & mankind in general, I have upgraded by rating to a full 5*s.
I highly recommend Alan Paton's novel, which in Lost in the Stars was translated into an operatic setting by Kurt Weill. There have also been two film versions, one in 1951 & more recently in 1995, the latter starring James Earl Jones & Richard Harris, made shortly after the fall of Apartheid & the election of Nelson Mandela.
*Within my review are photo images of: the author, Alan Paton; a sign delineating an Apartheid-restricted space in S. Africa; a landscape in rural Ndotsheni, Natal, S.A.; Richard Harris & James Early Jones in a scene from the film version of the novel. **My Scribner Library version of the book is a 1959 edition paperback for $1.45, actually bound in signature (with pages stitched together with thread), rather rare for a paperback book.
Amazingly, the novel was written by someone whose life was spent as a teacher, including for 14 years at a progressive reform school for native (African) offenders, with no initial consideration of becoming a novelist. The gestation process for Alan Paton's manuscript constitutes a story in itself.
The reader is met with a portrait of the abiding prejudice & inequality within South Africa's Dutch-descended Afrikaners' strictly-enforced & particularly rigid response to racial segregation, separating its citizens into either Blank/White or Nie-Blank/Non-White but with 2 additional sub-classes, Asian & Colored, or mixed-race. However, the novel was actually published a few months prior to the installation of Apartheid by the National Party government in 1948.
Much of the story is set in the small town of Ndotsheni, Natal Province of South Africa where the main character, Stephen Kumalo & his family live in a consistent state of borderline poverty, until their life is upended both by a drought and Stephen's son Absalom's fall from grace within the shanty-town slums of Johannesburg where he has gone in search of his older sister.
Stephen Kumalo is always referred to as úԻ徱 (a Zulu word that is pronounced: "oom-foon-dees"), a term of respect meaning "parson". In fact, he is an Anglican priest presiding over his small church & a school, both in decline. His clothes are in tatters & his clerical collar stained brown but his sense of hope & his faith in God are never anything but robust.
Who indeed knows the secret of the earthly pilgrimage? Who indeed knows why there can be comfort in a world of desolation? God be thanked that there is a beloved one who can lift up the heart in suffering, that one can play with a child in the face of such misery.Without, intending to give away the specifics of plot or the conclusion of this tale, it involves two families, one white (that of Mr. Jarvis) & the other much less so. They are ultimately brought together in a way that is transformational for both in this novel, which occurs in the midst of the scourge of Apartheid (in place from 1948 to 1984), a time when the book must have been seen as a beacon of hope to those who longed for its demise. Because of the author's strong feelings in favor of racial equality & his membership in the Liberal Party Alan Paton's passport was seized, preventing him from travel outside his homeland for a decade.
Now God be thanked that the name of a hill is such music, that the name of a river can heal, even the name of a river that runs no more. Wise men write many books in words too hard to understand. But this, the purpose of our lives, the end of all of our struggle is beyond all human wisdom. Oh God, my God, do not forsake me.
In the novel, the passages detailing the pain that the well-off white character of Mr. Jarvis is confronted with in having to endure the aftermath of his late son's death are most uplifting, at least for me. Belatedly, Mr. Jarvis comes to know his son's passion for life and for the cause of black South Africans in a manner that would have been impossible had he lived to continue the struggle, having embraced the message of Christ and that of Abraham Lincoln, both of whose images adorn the son's former office. And in that moment of recognition, his life and other lives are transformed.
Arthur, the son of James Jarvis, has come to the conclusion that "our natives today produce criminals & prostitutes & drunkards, not because it is their nature to do so but because their tribal system of order & tradition & convention has been destroyed." It is felt that African tribal culture, in spite of its faults, did constitute a moral system. Left in his unpublished manuscript is the thought that those in power in S. Africa had an "inescapable duty to set up another system" & to end the segregation of the races. Instead of a son following the pattern outlined in daily living by his father' life, it becomes the reverse in Payton's novel.
For here is the novel's uplifting message:
Cry the beloved country, for the unborn child that is the inheritor of our fear. Let him not love the earth too deeply. Let him not laugh too gladly when the water runs through his fingers, nor stand too silent when the setting sun makes red the veld with fire. Let him not be too moved when the birds of the land are singing, nor give too much of his heart to a mountain or a valley. For fear will rob him of all if he gives too much.In not wishing to reveal some aspects of the novel, I inevitably shortchange it. However, it speaks deeply to the forces of kinship & hope that can guide one through a seemingly faith-shattering, almost impossible personal hardship. And beyond that, Alan Paton's Cry the Beloved Country seems to me a timeless tale that offers a message about the potential for forgiveness and well beyond that, for a reconciliation with one's fate in life. Rarely, I suspect are 2 lives so entwined as that of Mr. Jarvis & Mr. Kumalo, resulting as it did via an act of violence.
Through the characters in Cry the Beloved Country & particularly that of Stephen Kumalo, I felt that I could sense the hardscrabble landscape of Ndotsheni & somehow comprehend the complexity of the lives of those who call it home. For that reason & simply because in rereading the novel, I have experienced a renewal of hope for a long-troubled part of the world & mankind in general, I have upgraded by rating to a full 5*s.
I highly recommend Alan Paton's novel, which in Lost in the Stars was translated into an operatic setting by Kurt Weill. There have also been two film versions, one in 1951 & more recently in 1995, the latter starring James Earl Jones & Richard Harris, made shortly after the fall of Apartheid & the election of Nelson Mandela.
*Within my review are photo images of: the author, Alan Paton; a sign delineating an Apartheid-restricted space in S. Africa; a landscape in rural Ndotsheni, Natal, S.A.; Richard Harris & James Early Jones in a scene from the film version of the novel. **My Scribner Library version of the book is a 1959 edition paperback for $1.45, actually bound in signature (with pages stitched together with thread), rather rare for a paperback book.
June 4, 2008
This book is one of those classics that I'm glad I read, but will probably never read again. The themes are important (racial equality, morality, forgiveness) and the writing is lyrical, but it's still hard to read. Alan Paton doesn't use any quotation marks. He chooses, instead, to preface each line of dialogue with a dash. I could get used to this technique, if he were consistent with it, but he's not. Sometimes the dialogue is in the middle of a paragraph, with no indication it's spoken aloud. It drove me crazy, having to re-read everything to figure out if someone was talking, or just thinking, or if it was just the writer giving us information.
The story is set in South Africa, and it helped me understand why that country has been such a mess for so long. There are so many different races, languages, belief systems, and classes, it's a wonder anything gets done there at all. It's interesting to see the effects of apartheid, the growing pains of a country trying to find equality for all races. It was written in the 40s, so things have changed enormously since it was first published, but it still functions as a cautionary tale. It is infuriating, inspiring, slow-moving but worth the time.
The story is set in South Africa, and it helped me understand why that country has been such a mess for so long. There are so many different races, languages, belief systems, and classes, it's a wonder anything gets done there at all. It's interesting to see the effects of apartheid, the growing pains of a country trying to find equality for all races. It was written in the 40s, so things have changed enormously since it was first published, but it still functions as a cautionary tale. It is infuriating, inspiring, slow-moving but worth the time.
February 9, 2009
Just when I thought I had a handle on this book, it got really complicated. After getting over the shock of how much South African history and turmoil were skimmed over or ignored completely in my history classes, I felt like this story outlined a pretty clear cut good guy vs an obvious bad guy. My initial thoughts were that the natives were a perfectly content group of people who were just fine on their own until the Europeans stepped in and muddled up their entire culture. I thought Johannesburg represented the whites (the crime, all the immoral behavior, the fast-paced city life, and the constant quest for more gold, more development, more, more, more) and the native life was represented by Kumalo's village (few possessions, close family and community ties, and the prevalent church). But I should've known real life doesn't come in neat and tidy little boxes. And this situation was much more complicated than that. At any rate, this story taught me a lot about South Africa and the westernized "help" that white people are so anxious to provide. And the loose ends leave me searching for more South African literature!
April 15, 2022
“Ağla Sevgili Yurdum� modern Afrika edebiyatının klasiklerinden. Güney Afrikalı yazar Alan Paton ülkesi özelinde tüm Afrika’yı anlatmış aslında. Sömürü edebiyatının keskinliği yerine renk ayrımının yakıcılığını ön planda tutmuş romanında.
“Tanrı Afrikayı Kurtarsın� şarkısının bir milli marş olduğu Güney Afrika’daki siyah derili insanların bu şarkı ile kendilerini “adaletten korkan korkudan kurtarsın, insanlardan korkan korkudan kurtarsın� dediğini ifade ediyor. Hatta “beyazlar günün birinde sevgiye döndüklerinde, bizi nefrete dönmüş bulacaklar� şeklinde özetlediği düşüncelerini ötküye sindirmiş.
Biraz Hristiyanlık propagandası kokuyorsa da öykünün akıcılığını, öykü kahramanlarının başarılı tanımlarını ve öykünün gerçekçiliğini olumlu notlar olarak kaydettim. Bulunduğu kırsal ve fakir yerleşimden kurtuluş umuduyla ayrılıp Johannesburg’a kaçan ve orada cinayet işleyen oğlunu ve fahişelik yapan kızkardeşini aramaya çıkan siyahi rahip Kumalo’nun öyküsü yürek yakıyor.
Çok beğendim, öneririm.
“Tanrı Afrikayı Kurtarsın� şarkısının bir milli marş olduğu Güney Afrika’daki siyah derili insanların bu şarkı ile kendilerini “adaletten korkan korkudan kurtarsın, insanlardan korkan korkudan kurtarsın� dediğini ifade ediyor. Hatta “beyazlar günün birinde sevgiye döndüklerinde, bizi nefrete dönmüş bulacaklar� şeklinde özetlediği düşüncelerini ötküye sindirmiş.
Biraz Hristiyanlık propagandası kokuyorsa da öykünün akıcılığını, öykü kahramanlarının başarılı tanımlarını ve öykünün gerçekçiliğini olumlu notlar olarak kaydettim. Bulunduğu kırsal ve fakir yerleşimden kurtuluş umuduyla ayrılıp Johannesburg’a kaçan ve orada cinayet işleyen oğlunu ve fahişelik yapan kızkardeşini aramaya çıkan siyahi rahip Kumalo’nun öyküsü yürek yakıyor.
Çok beğendim, öneririm.
October 25, 2021
"Cry, the Beloved Country" is an important story set in 1940s South Africa with its tensions between the various ethnic and racial groups, and between urban and rural life. Reverend Kumalo leaves his rural village to bring back his sister and his son from Johannesburg. Both of them have been influenced by bad company and the corruption in the lawless city. His son has been involved in a terrible crime.
The story later tells of the kindness of a white plantation owner, inspired by his son's work for social justice, who helps Reverend Kumalo's Zulu village. Kumalo feels that a strong family life and a strong village community are very necessary, but the young people often move away for financial reasons. The author's love for beautiful South Africa, his deep compassion, and his dismay over racial injustice act as a backdrop for this moving story.
The story later tells of the kindness of a white plantation owner, inspired by his son's work for social justice, who helps Reverend Kumalo's Zulu village. Kumalo feels that a strong family life and a strong village community are very necessary, but the young people often move away for financial reasons. The author's love for beautiful South Africa, his deep compassion, and his dismay over racial injustice act as a backdrop for this moving story.
January 28, 2019
A novel that we read in junior high (in grade nine English, to be exact), Alan Paton's Cry, the Beloved Country was likely the first school-assigned literary classics offering that I truly and with all my heart and soul unreservedly enjoyed reading. And while Cry, the Beloved Country was not exactly an easy reading experience, it was immensely satisfying, intense, emotionally riveting, and personally very much appreciated, as my parents were absolutely horrified and aghast that our English teacher would dare have us read a novel they themselves considered politically problematic (as both of them were I guess afraid of me somehow turning into a raging Socialist or Communist, as I had always had a very developed sense of justice versus injustice, and was therefore often, but especially upon reading Cry, the Beloved Country vehemently and loudly pontificating that Apartheid was one of the most unjust and evil political and economic systems ever and needed to be changed, pronto). Highly recommended is Cry, the Beloved Country and yes, most definitely also suitable for teenagers, although the issues encountered should, no they must, be discussed and debated (and not to forget Alan Paton's exquisite writing style, as we often seem to focus only on the contents and themes of novels, whilst ignoring or at least skimming over questions of stylistics, parallelisms, irony, in other words, the structures in and through which the contents and themes of novels, of any writing, are presented to and featured for potential readers).
February 20, 2008
I was supposed to read Cry, the Beloved Country my senior year of high school. But you know how senior year is. Well, I wasn’t like that � promise. I wasn’t one who started slacking because I had my acceptance letter to college in hand. But I did decide that I didn’t really care for English, and that I found my European History class much more fascinating, and thus I spent all my study time pouring over my history textbook instead of my English novels (especially since the in-class discussions were detailed enough to ace the tests by).
It was my loss, I guess, because this book is excellent. More than a story of racial inequality, social problems, and injustice (which is what I remember about the plot from high school), this is first and foremost a story of forgiveness and hope.
There are many reasons for South Africa, the country commanded to “cry� in the title, to do just that: poverty and famine drive many to choose paths that are less than admirable, sometimes immoral. And there and many reasons for the main character, a humble priest from a rural Zulu tribe, to give up his faith in both God and humanity � and yet throughout the story there is a calm sense of hope for the future. Stephen Kumalo meets good men along his tragic journey that give hope to him and to the country as a whole: friends, family, and even one who should be his deepest enemy. And Kumalo himself is one to be emulated: for his meekness and gratitude, for his acceptance of trials, for his charity, and even for his occasional human-ness but then sincerely repentant nature. To enjoy a book, I have to have a main character to at the least empathize with � Kumalo is one that I not only appreciate but admire.
And the writing is downright lyrical in some places. It’s easy to see why it’s a modern classic.
Being awakened to the injustices of prejudice and poverty is all right, but this book does more than that � it inspires hope in the midst of hard times. A book to add to my long list of favorites. ;-)
It was my loss, I guess, because this book is excellent. More than a story of racial inequality, social problems, and injustice (which is what I remember about the plot from high school), this is first and foremost a story of forgiveness and hope.
There are many reasons for South Africa, the country commanded to “cry� in the title, to do just that: poverty and famine drive many to choose paths that are less than admirable, sometimes immoral. And there and many reasons for the main character, a humble priest from a rural Zulu tribe, to give up his faith in both God and humanity � and yet throughout the story there is a calm sense of hope for the future. Stephen Kumalo meets good men along his tragic journey that give hope to him and to the country as a whole: friends, family, and even one who should be his deepest enemy. And Kumalo himself is one to be emulated: for his meekness and gratitude, for his acceptance of trials, for his charity, and even for his occasional human-ness but then sincerely repentant nature. To enjoy a book, I have to have a main character to at the least empathize with � Kumalo is one that I not only appreciate but admire.
And the writing is downright lyrical in some places. It’s easy to see why it’s a modern classic.
Being awakened to the injustices of prejudice and poverty is all right, but this book does more than that � it inspires hope in the midst of hard times. A book to add to my long list of favorites. ;-)
September 22, 2008
What the..?!?!
Why is this rating so high?
This book was tortuous to read. Every page, DESPITE the wordings was worse than getting my eyelashes pulled.
Oprah.
Seriously? Seriously Oprah?
Here's my summary of it:
Man goes to find son who dies because he killed some guy, man goes back home.
The end.
Why is this rating so high?
This book was tortuous to read. Every page, DESPITE the wordings was worse than getting my eyelashes pulled.
Oprah.
Seriously? Seriously Oprah?
Here's my summary of it:
Man goes to find son who dies because he killed some guy, man goes back home.
The end.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 22, 2020
I read the Reader's Digest Condensed Books version of this when I was 12 or 13, then read the unabridged version around 2008. They might as well have been two different books.
October 24, 2023
Discovering A Classic Novel
Alan Paton's novel "Cry, the Beloved Country" (1948) somehow escaped me over the years. Paton's novel was already a staple on high school reading lists when I was in school, and I tend to avoid such books. A glance at some of the many reviews here on Amazon suggests that the book continues to be force-fed to students, a situation that discourages appreciative reading. When our book group selected the novel, I became an initially reluctant reader. But I soon realized I had missed a great deal in not reading this book.
Set in South Africa in 1948, Paton's novel examines race relations in that troubled country just before the formal institution of apartheid. The primary character is an elderly Zulu minister, Stephen Kumalo who lives and tends to his congregation in a poor farming community which has depleted its soil by poor farming practices on hills. Steven's brother John, his sister Gertrude and his only son Absolom have left the homestead to try to find their ways in Johannesburg. When Steven receives a message that his sister is in desperate straits, he undertakes the lengthy, expensive rail journey to Johannesburg in search of his family. Steven finds each of the three, and the novel tells their stories. The book develops primarily around Absolom who has become a troubled, delinquent young man. Absolom is arrested and tried for the murder of a young white man, Arthur Jarvis. Arthur's father, James, is a wealthy landholder and near-neighbor of Stephen Kumalo. During the trial of Stephen's son, the two men become close. In his life, Arthur had studied closely South Africa's racial situation and had written and spoken out eloquently for change. With his son's death, the novel shows how James, who had been apathetic on the issue at best, came to understand and share the convictions of his son.
"Cry, the Beloved Country" is immeasurably more than a polemic against racism in South Africa. In my belated reading of the book, I tried to think of how the work transcended its time and place to become a convincing work of art. Here are some of my ideas. The writing style of the book in its lyricism, solemnity, repetition, and detail frequently is more akin to poetry than to fictional narrative. The tone of the book is sad and thoughtful much more than it is critical. Paton seems less inclined to blame any party for the origins of racism in South Africa than he is to understand. He explores how racism developed and he examines the fears of all the participants in the system. The aim is not to condemn but to understand, forgive, and change.
There are beautiful portrayals of South Africa in all its aspects, from the small native communes and compounds to the mines to the metropolis of Johannesburg. The book celebrates reading and the life of the mind primarily through Arthur Jarvis, whose library and thought Paton explores in depth. Abraham Lincoln receives great and devoted attention in this book, showing the universal appeal of this great American president.
More than the portrayal of an unjust social system or the depiction of a complex country, "Cry the Beloved Country" is a religious work. Few, if any characters in this story are entirely evil. Although shown as a person with flaws and a tendency to hurt others, Stephen Kumalo emerges as a committed Christian minister to his people. When he travels to Johannesburg, he meets several other ministers and church officials who, contrary to much literature, are portrayed selflessly and positively.
Several other characters, including a lawyer who defends Stephen's son pro bono ("pro deo"), and a native landlady are shown as unselfish, well-meaning and noble. The book tells its story of hope, forgiveness, and correction of injustice without derogating.
On my reading, I found "Cry, the Beloved Country" in large part a religious novel of an unusual and profound spirit in the way it approached its themes. I was drawn by the goodness and sincerity of the characters. The book helps show what religion, Christianity in particular, can be at its best in a troubled time. Forgiveness and not condemnation is the overriding theme of the book. I was grateful to take the opportunity to read Paton's novel at last.
Robin Friedman
Alan Paton's novel "Cry, the Beloved Country" (1948) somehow escaped me over the years. Paton's novel was already a staple on high school reading lists when I was in school, and I tend to avoid such books. A glance at some of the many reviews here on Amazon suggests that the book continues to be force-fed to students, a situation that discourages appreciative reading. When our book group selected the novel, I became an initially reluctant reader. But I soon realized I had missed a great deal in not reading this book.
Set in South Africa in 1948, Paton's novel examines race relations in that troubled country just before the formal institution of apartheid. The primary character is an elderly Zulu minister, Stephen Kumalo who lives and tends to his congregation in a poor farming community which has depleted its soil by poor farming practices on hills. Steven's brother John, his sister Gertrude and his only son Absolom have left the homestead to try to find their ways in Johannesburg. When Steven receives a message that his sister is in desperate straits, he undertakes the lengthy, expensive rail journey to Johannesburg in search of his family. Steven finds each of the three, and the novel tells their stories. The book develops primarily around Absolom who has become a troubled, delinquent young man. Absolom is arrested and tried for the murder of a young white man, Arthur Jarvis. Arthur's father, James, is a wealthy landholder and near-neighbor of Stephen Kumalo. During the trial of Stephen's son, the two men become close. In his life, Arthur had studied closely South Africa's racial situation and had written and spoken out eloquently for change. With his son's death, the novel shows how James, who had been apathetic on the issue at best, came to understand and share the convictions of his son.
"Cry, the Beloved Country" is immeasurably more than a polemic against racism in South Africa. In my belated reading of the book, I tried to think of how the work transcended its time and place to become a convincing work of art. Here are some of my ideas. The writing style of the book in its lyricism, solemnity, repetition, and detail frequently is more akin to poetry than to fictional narrative. The tone of the book is sad and thoughtful much more than it is critical. Paton seems less inclined to blame any party for the origins of racism in South Africa than he is to understand. He explores how racism developed and he examines the fears of all the participants in the system. The aim is not to condemn but to understand, forgive, and change.
There are beautiful portrayals of South Africa in all its aspects, from the small native communes and compounds to the mines to the metropolis of Johannesburg. The book celebrates reading and the life of the mind primarily through Arthur Jarvis, whose library and thought Paton explores in depth. Abraham Lincoln receives great and devoted attention in this book, showing the universal appeal of this great American president.
More than the portrayal of an unjust social system or the depiction of a complex country, "Cry the Beloved Country" is a religious work. Few, if any characters in this story are entirely evil. Although shown as a person with flaws and a tendency to hurt others, Stephen Kumalo emerges as a committed Christian minister to his people. When he travels to Johannesburg, he meets several other ministers and church officials who, contrary to much literature, are portrayed selflessly and positively.
Several other characters, including a lawyer who defends Stephen's son pro bono ("pro deo"), and a native landlady are shown as unselfish, well-meaning and noble. The book tells its story of hope, forgiveness, and correction of injustice without derogating.
On my reading, I found "Cry, the Beloved Country" in large part a religious novel of an unusual and profound spirit in the way it approached its themes. I was drawn by the goodness and sincerity of the characters. The book helps show what religion, Christianity in particular, can be at its best in a troubled time. Forgiveness and not condemnation is the overriding theme of the book. I was grateful to take the opportunity to read Paton's novel at last.
Robin Friedman
November 16, 2017
I wanted to like this book more than I did. If I'm awarding star ratings for the books message, then it's 5 stars. However, if I'm honest about how much I enjoyed the reading experience, or how eager I was to pick it up, then I have to admit that I didn't love it. In terms of the story, I cannot fault the book. There is nothing I would change about the plot, all the themes of heartbreak were perfectly placed. There was also inspiration to be found in the end message, which again, was faultless.
So what was wrong? Well, at times the grammar was confusing. It wasn't always clear who was talking or which characters were being spoken about, so I needed to re-read passages trying to make sense of what was happening, which removed me from the story. I also felt a disconnect with all of the characters, I really didn't care about any of them, which wasn't what I expected from such an emotional book. Perhaps this was due to the sentence structure, or perhaps I'm just cold and heartless, or maybe I've read too many other heartbreaking stories to be affected by this one. I'm not sure I can put my finger on what didn't work and in retrospect this is a much better book than I felt it was while reading. A complicated 3-4 stars for me.
So what was wrong? Well, at times the grammar was confusing. It wasn't always clear who was talking or which characters were being spoken about, so I needed to re-read passages trying to make sense of what was happening, which removed me from the story. I also felt a disconnect with all of the characters, I really didn't care about any of them, which wasn't what I expected from such an emotional book. Perhaps this was due to the sentence structure, or perhaps I'm just cold and heartless, or maybe I've read too many other heartbreaking stories to be affected by this one. I'm not sure I can put my finger on what didn't work and in retrospect this is a much better book than I felt it was while reading. A complicated 3-4 stars for me.
August 2, 2018
إبك, إيها البلد الحبيب, بقلم آلان باتون
المكان: جنوب أفريقيا, المشاكل: الأرض البوار, إختلال المجتمع القبلي-المدني, وكذلك الفصل العنصري, طبعا, أليست جنوب أفريقيا؟ أما الشخصية الرئيسية فهو رجل كنيسة, يتأمل, ويتألم, ويكابد لإنقاذ مايمكن إنقاذه.
تتحدث الرواية عن القسيس الذي يزور جوهانسبرج, بحثا عن أخته وابنه اللذيّن التقمتهم المدينة المفترسة, فيدخل في دوامة خطرة. نبرة الراوي محايدة, ترمي إلى التحليل بدلاً عن التجريح. كما يتضمن النص فرضيات عن مسببات تفاقم جرائم السكان الأصليين, و يسلط الضوء على معاناة شعب فقد الوشائج القبلية ولم يقدَّم له بديل, وفقد حقوله الخصبة في سبيل تمدن غير مدروس.
يهيمن شيطان الخوف على الأنفس في جوهانسبرج. الخوف من الظلم, من الجريمة, من إنهيار البلد الحبيب. وفي مقابل ذلك هناك دفء الوطنية الحقة, متجسدة في الناشطين السود الذين ينظمون الإضرابات والإعتصامات, وكذلك في البيض الذين يسعون إلى رأب الصدع وجمع الفرقاء. وفوق كل ذلك نرى وصفاً لفتنة الطبيعة الخلابة ممتزجة مع بساطة ساكني الريف فتمنح الذهن صفاء بعد الخوض في مدينة الجريمة والتشرد.
يُجمع العديد من النقاد على أن هذه الرواية بقلم باتون هي أهم رواية في الأدب الجنوب أفريقي. ربما! فهي رواية ناضجة, هادفة, مترعة بالنقد البنّاء. أضف إلى ذلك أنها متماسكة السرد, مرسومة الشخصيات. بالنسبة لي, هي رواية أقدّرها لكن لم أقع في هواها, فشتّان بين من يحتضنك بشغف ومن يصافحك باحترام.
المكان: جنوب أفريقيا, المشاكل: الأرض البوار, إختلال المجتمع القبلي-المدني, وكذلك الفصل العنصري, طبعا, أليست جنوب أفريقيا؟ أما الشخصية الرئيسية فهو رجل كنيسة, يتأمل, ويتألم, ويكابد لإنقاذ مايمكن إنقاذه.
تتحدث الرواية عن القسيس الذي يزور جوهانسبرج, بحثا عن أخته وابنه اللذيّن التقمتهم المدينة المفترسة, فيدخل في دوامة خطرة. نبرة الراوي محايدة, ترمي إلى التحليل بدلاً عن التجريح. كما يتضمن النص فرضيات عن مسببات تفاقم جرائم السكان الأصليين, و يسلط الضوء على معاناة شعب فقد الوشائج القبلية ولم يقدَّم له بديل, وفقد حقوله الخصبة في سبيل تمدن غير مدروس.
يهيمن شيطان الخوف على الأنفس في جوهانسبرج. الخوف من الظلم, من الجريمة, من إنهيار البلد الحبيب. وفي مقابل ذلك هناك دفء الوطنية الحقة, متجسدة في الناشطين السود الذين ينظمون الإضرابات والإعتصامات, وكذلك في البيض الذين يسعون إلى رأب الصدع وجمع الفرقاء. وفوق كل ذلك نرى وصفاً لفتنة الطبيعة الخلابة ممتزجة مع بساطة ساكني الريف فتمنح الذهن صفاء بعد الخوض في مدينة الجريمة والتشرد.
يُجمع العديد من النقاد على أن هذه الرواية بقلم باتون هي أهم رواية في الأدب الجنوب أفريقي. ربما! فهي رواية ناضجة, هادفة, مترعة بالنقد البنّاء. أضف إلى ذلك أنها متماسكة السرد, مرسومة الشخصيات. بالنسبة لي, هي رواية أقدّرها لكن لم أقع في هواها, فشتّان بين من يحتضنك بشغف ومن يصافحك باحترام.
February 16, 2017
Finished reading another amazing classic !
Cry, the Beloved Country is the deeply moving story of the Zulu pastor Stephen Kumalo and his son, Absalom, set against the background of a land and a people riven by racial injustice.
This was a deeply moving/ eye-opener book that will stay with me for a long time.
Paton touches on almost every level of trouble in post-colonial South Africa: racism, classism, elitism, residual imperical feelings, how wealth corrupts natives, arbitrary segregation, the loss of family values , social pride and other serious matters .
the book is lyrically written ( If you're a beginner , you won't find it easy to read ) , the characters almost seem realistic and you get all sorts of feelings while reading it !
It will forever be stuck in your head even though the story is fairly simply told , the message behind it is much bigger than what you actually get to read . It makes you think outside of thebox , open your eyes on a lot of things .
I had to stop reading several times to think , i just sit there , stare to the wall and think , about people , life , god and principles .
There is so much here to learn about hope, love ,forgiveness, and perseverance .
Loved this book , highly recommend it !
Cry, the Beloved Country is the deeply moving story of the Zulu pastor Stephen Kumalo and his son, Absalom, set against the background of a land and a people riven by racial injustice.
This was a deeply moving/ eye-opener book that will stay with me for a long time.
Paton touches on almost every level of trouble in post-colonial South Africa: racism, classism, elitism, residual imperical feelings, how wealth corrupts natives, arbitrary segregation, the loss of family values , social pride and other serious matters .
the book is lyrically written ( If you're a beginner , you won't find it easy to read ) , the characters almost seem realistic and you get all sorts of feelings while reading it !
It will forever be stuck in your head even though the story is fairly simply told , the message behind it is much bigger than what you actually get to read . It makes you think outside of thebox , open your eyes on a lot of things .
I had to stop reading several times to think , i just sit there , stare to the wall and think , about people , life , god and principles .
There is so much here to learn about hope, love ,forgiveness, and perseverance .
Loved this book , highly recommend it !
July 30, 2023
🌳 One of the most beautifully written books I’ve read. It’s sheer poetry. The story, which takes place in SA under apartheid, is tragic and difficult to absorb emotionally. A classic for all time.
August 8, 2019
Other than for violating one of my pet peeves in writing, which is the use of coincidence, this book is nearly perfect for what it conveys. In fact, James Michener wrote nearly 900 pages on South Africa in his The Covenant and at the end of that journey, you are filled with history but have very little feeling as to what it is like to be a native South African. Cry, Beloved Country is the polar opposite of The Covenant. The book is filled with heart, and at times, I felt the soul of Paton’s main character.
I would like to say that Cry, Beloved Country is set at a critical point in South African history. However, it’s more of a snapshot in the continuing European and Afrikaners oppression of the native population. While the mid-1940s did offered the British colony choices as it moved forward towards its own independence, the choices that were made by those in power were no different that the choices made at every other point in their prior history.
Cry, Beloved Country, however, does provide insights into the human nature of native South Africans. It shows them to be overwhelmed by the aggressiveness of the transformative process of invasion and as a result, resigned to their oppression. Yes, they have repeatedly fought back but their lifestyle and culture left them completely unprepared to resist the cruelty and complexity of the invaders. Their periodic struggles resulted in repeated catastrophes.
The plot of Cry, Beloved Country is simply that, one more native catastrophe born from a tragic inability to deal with the invaders. And to know what this tragedy is like, what it actually feels like, one must feel the souls of those who suffered.
I would like to say that Cry, Beloved Country is set at a critical point in South African history. However, it’s more of a snapshot in the continuing European and Afrikaners oppression of the native population. While the mid-1940s did offered the British colony choices as it moved forward towards its own independence, the choices that were made by those in power were no different that the choices made at every other point in their prior history.
Cry, Beloved Country, however, does provide insights into the human nature of native South Africans. It shows them to be overwhelmed by the aggressiveness of the transformative process of invasion and as a result, resigned to their oppression. Yes, they have repeatedly fought back but their lifestyle and culture left them completely unprepared to resist the cruelty and complexity of the invaders. Their periodic struggles resulted in repeated catastrophes.
The plot of Cry, Beloved Country is simply that, one more native catastrophe born from a tragic inability to deal with the invaders. And to know what this tragedy is like, what it actually feels like, one must feel the souls of those who suffered.
February 17, 2020
"But there is only one thing that has power completely, and this is love. Because when a man loves, he seeks no power, and therefore he has power."
Stephen Kumalo is a Zulu and a Anglican priest living in a small farming community set aside for the natives. One day he and his wife receive a letter from Johannesburg, urging him to come visit the city because his sister Gertrude needs help. Many people from his tribe have gone to the city and never returned, including his own son, so Stephen sets off to try and find them.
The city is a bewildering place for simple tribal priest and Stephen is soon taken advantage of but he is befriended by the Reverend Msimangu, the man who sent the letter to him, who helps Stephen find his way around and locate missing family members. He first finds his sister Gertrude who has fallen to alcohol and prostitution. She has a child who is unkempt and neglected. He takes them both to his boarding house, intent on bringing them both back home to the village. He also finds his brother who has been rallying the natives to fight back against exploitation of the miners and unfair wages. His words are dangerous and he is seen as a threat by the whites.
But Stephen is most anxious to find his son and with help from Msimangu follow the trail from one lead to another. Along the way Stephen learns that his son got a young girl pregnant and spent time incarcerated in a rehabilitation program, only to be released and disappear again.
When a white man is murdered by a native Stephen fears the worst, that his son may be the perpetrator, because not only is Arthur Jarvis a white man, but is also an outspoken political activist against apartheid and the son of James Jarvis, his neighbour and landowner near his home village. Days later, his son Absalom, when he is approached by the police confesses to being the murderer.
The murder forces both fathers are forced to reflect on their own lives. Stephen initially loses his faith, but regains it through the kindness of others whilst James, despite having lost his son to black crime, begins to study what his son had written about it and begins to see things in a different light, even developing a relationship, albeit a distant one, with his son’s killer's father and his black neighbours.
“Sorrow is better than fear,"............ "Fear is a journey, a terrible journey, but sorrow is at least an arriving.�
I am a big fan of reading books about history, in particular social history and even more so if it is about post-colonialism. So a book on South Africa and/or apartheid is right up my street even if it can be at times uncomfortable reading for a white male. Although this book was written before the end of apartheid and as such is thankfully a little dated now, I still found it an incredibly emotional read offering as it does, a small glimpse into a terrible injustice that I can only imagine.
Alan Paton is a white South African and when the book was published it was an enormous success around the world but banned in the author's home country afraid that it might challenge the status quo! This is a book packed full of Christian themes such as faith, forgiveness and atonement but also looks at how western civilization's encroachment on the native Zulu tribes and families has been severely detrimental to them. With only roughly 10% of the land being given over to the native population there is not enough land to feed their own families and in particular with not enough land to safely rear and feed their cattle, a status symbol to the tribesmen, the land that they have got has become over-grazed and is dying meaning that many of the young men and women are forced to leave their ancestral lands in search of work and money in the cities and mines leaving only the old, the very young and the infirm behind them. Once away from their tribal elders these young men and women find it hard to resist temptation and follow a righteous path. They are taken advantage of, paid slave wages and so the crime rate soars. Although Johannesburg was rife with racism and apartheid, it was heart-warming to see acts kindness between people, both black and white. In a book filled with so much pain examples of occasional kindness was welcome.
"I have one great fear in my heart, that one day when they have turned to loving, they will find that they are turned to hating."
I found this a very powerful at at times moving read but there were also a few elements about the writing that made me a little uncomfortable even a little offensive in out hopefully more enlightened times. Especially because the author is white. Too often the natives are depicted as very simple people, with simple minds, and even described as “children� completely incompatible with western civilization, big cities, and temptation. But perhaps worst of all there seems to be a suggestion, probably unintended, that God was in fact white. These are only minor quibbles and any future reader must recognise the society into which this book was published but in today's world they are enough to stop me from rewarding this otherwise gripping book top marks. Sorry!
Stephen Kumalo is a Zulu and a Anglican priest living in a small farming community set aside for the natives. One day he and his wife receive a letter from Johannesburg, urging him to come visit the city because his sister Gertrude needs help. Many people from his tribe have gone to the city and never returned, including his own son, so Stephen sets off to try and find them.
The city is a bewildering place for simple tribal priest and Stephen is soon taken advantage of but he is befriended by the Reverend Msimangu, the man who sent the letter to him, who helps Stephen find his way around and locate missing family members. He first finds his sister Gertrude who has fallen to alcohol and prostitution. She has a child who is unkempt and neglected. He takes them both to his boarding house, intent on bringing them both back home to the village. He also finds his brother who has been rallying the natives to fight back against exploitation of the miners and unfair wages. His words are dangerous and he is seen as a threat by the whites.
But Stephen is most anxious to find his son and with help from Msimangu follow the trail from one lead to another. Along the way Stephen learns that his son got a young girl pregnant and spent time incarcerated in a rehabilitation program, only to be released and disappear again.
When a white man is murdered by a native Stephen fears the worst, that his son may be the perpetrator, because not only is Arthur Jarvis a white man, but is also an outspoken political activist against apartheid and the son of James Jarvis, his neighbour and landowner near his home village. Days later, his son Absalom, when he is approached by the police confesses to being the murderer.
The murder forces both fathers are forced to reflect on their own lives. Stephen initially loses his faith, but regains it through the kindness of others whilst James, despite having lost his son to black crime, begins to study what his son had written about it and begins to see things in a different light, even developing a relationship, albeit a distant one, with his son’s killer's father and his black neighbours.
“Sorrow is better than fear,"............ "Fear is a journey, a terrible journey, but sorrow is at least an arriving.�
I am a big fan of reading books about history, in particular social history and even more so if it is about post-colonialism. So a book on South Africa and/or apartheid is right up my street even if it can be at times uncomfortable reading for a white male. Although this book was written before the end of apartheid and as such is thankfully a little dated now, I still found it an incredibly emotional read offering as it does, a small glimpse into a terrible injustice that I can only imagine.
Alan Paton is a white South African and when the book was published it was an enormous success around the world but banned in the author's home country afraid that it might challenge the status quo! This is a book packed full of Christian themes such as faith, forgiveness and atonement but also looks at how western civilization's encroachment on the native Zulu tribes and families has been severely detrimental to them. With only roughly 10% of the land being given over to the native population there is not enough land to feed their own families and in particular with not enough land to safely rear and feed their cattle, a status symbol to the tribesmen, the land that they have got has become over-grazed and is dying meaning that many of the young men and women are forced to leave their ancestral lands in search of work and money in the cities and mines leaving only the old, the very young and the infirm behind them. Once away from their tribal elders these young men and women find it hard to resist temptation and follow a righteous path. They are taken advantage of, paid slave wages and so the crime rate soars. Although Johannesburg was rife with racism and apartheid, it was heart-warming to see acts kindness between people, both black and white. In a book filled with so much pain examples of occasional kindness was welcome.
"I have one great fear in my heart, that one day when they have turned to loving, they will find that they are turned to hating."
I found this a very powerful at at times moving read but there were also a few elements about the writing that made me a little uncomfortable even a little offensive in out hopefully more enlightened times. Especially because the author is white. Too often the natives are depicted as very simple people, with simple minds, and even described as “children� completely incompatible with western civilization, big cities, and temptation. But perhaps worst of all there seems to be a suggestion, probably unintended, that God was in fact white. These are only minor quibbles and any future reader must recognise the society into which this book was published but in today's world they are enough to stop me from rewarding this otherwise gripping book top marks. Sorry!
November 20, 2015
I admired this book a lot, but I never quite loved it. It's often affecting and there are sections that are quite beautiful. And it's a kind book, which I really liked. There's a deep-seated optimism and kindness that really permeates throughout. I liked the last 20-30 pages quite a lot.
But it's very distant from its characters: the style throughout is biblical, which gives the prose a solid sternness that's interesting and sometimes impressive but also pretty distancing. The characters - with fleeting exceptions - are impenetrable, almost ciphers. With the exception of Stephen Kumalo, our protagonist, they often feel more like Statements or Messages than people. This is especially true of the women in the book, who are moral messages or remain largely out of focus.
It is certainly worth a read, and there are a lot of things to love about this book. I can fully understand when people would give it 4 to 5 stars. The style was not my cup of tea, though.
But it's very distant from its characters: the style throughout is biblical, which gives the prose a solid sternness that's interesting and sometimes impressive but also pretty distancing. The characters - with fleeting exceptions - are impenetrable, almost ciphers. With the exception of Stephen Kumalo, our protagonist, they often feel more like Statements or Messages than people. This is especially true of the women in the book, who are moral messages or remain largely out of focus.
It is certainly worth a read, and there are a lot of things to love about this book. I can fully understand when people would give it 4 to 5 stars. The style was not my cup of tea, though.
Read
July 30, 2016زمانی� که ترس بر ملتی حکومت میکند� کیست که بتواند از سرزمین محبوب خود لذتی ببرد؟
آلن بيتون
آلن بيتون
June 12, 2016
We are moving to South Africa so I thought I had better read this bestseller from 1948. I listened to the audiobook performed by the actor, Michael York. His incredible voice changes helped me visualize the characters; however, I should have read the book as my weakest learning style is auditory and it took me awhile to get the African village names and characters sorted. The Reverend Stephen Kumalo, who lives in Ndotsheni, a village in eastern South Africa, receives a letter saying his sister, Gertrude, is ill and he should come to Johannesburg. Kumalo hopes to find his son, Absalom, who has also gone to Johannesburg and he has not heard from in a few years. In Johannesburg, Kumalo is assisted by Msimangu, the priest that sent him the letter, and the two set off to find Gertrude and Absalom. Along the way they see economic and social conditions that gave rise to apartheid. Alan Paton's writing is lyrical and full of emotion; a social protest novel that reveals the political and social issues of the time. I think it would be good paired with "Things Fall Apart," that shows the breakdown of the tribe from a black man's perspective; whereas, "Cry the Beloved Country," is from a white man's perspective that reveals postcolonial attitudes of liberalism and Christian paternalism.
Kumalo and Msimangu are good men that travel from place to place observing how the black man has lost "his tribe" and support system since white men has colonized Africa. Kumalo comes from the country and views the city as a corrupting influence on young people. Traditions with a chief as head of the tribe and support system of others members who teach moral behavior has been replaced by the white man's influence and this is represented in the lawless city of Johannesburg. The result is corruption as people live in fear.
Kumalo begins his journey rooted in the old ways and once he travels to Johannesburg he discovers that the world has changed and he must change with it. The erosion of African society is symbolized in representations of a barren land and the erosion of the red soil that bleeds into the rivers like an open wound. Stephen Kumalo's home is decaying with his sister turning to prostitution and his son committing murder. Kumalo clings to the old ways at first realizing that he must change by the end to adapt to a changing world, but he suffers terribly along the way and like Stephen, the first Christian martyr. Kumalo must lose his son, sister, and family before gaining a new one. He realizes that he must reach out to help those in need or suffering and give to them selflessly; hence, creating a new tribe.
Kumalo meets his brother, John, who has rejected the tribe but who has an incredible voice or speaking ability that others listen to, but he is corrupt and only thinks of himself. He is hollow and unreliable as a friend or relative. A foil to him is Dubula, a man that is the voice of the boycott. His motives are unselfish and Kumalo and Msimangu realize that he would make a great leader because power would not corrupt him. He's morally stable, unlike John Kumalo. Many times throughout the novel the power of corruption is brought up and it is the self-sacrificing men that are held up as examples to emulate.
The economic and deplorable social conditions are revealed throughout the journey, but it is mainly through James Jarvis that the white person is supposed to recognize actions he or she can take to help mend the gap with blacks. James Jarvis is a country man like Kumalo and when his son is murdered he reads his notes discovering his son thought deeply about the racial problems and was trying to change the world to be a better place. James is changed and decides to work for a solution toward helping the tribe. He introduces a man that shows the blacks agricultural methods that will help till the soil or heal a broken land by beginning something new for the blacks.
When I read, "Huckleberry Finn," as an adult I could see why others took offense at the stereotypical portrayal of blacks. In Paton's novel, the whites are superior and the blacks are left with the whites making morally correct decisions to benefit them. Stephen calls James Jarvis an angel because he's showing the natives agricultural techniques and he's building a new church which allowed him to remain a pastor there. This is supposed to help them with the tribal displacement but it is always the whites in this story that have the knowledge and vision for the tribes. Paton wanted South African natives to embrace Christianity because this would lead to moral living and he suggests farming as a way to get back in touch with the land.
I've been reading Jared Diamond's book, "Collapse," about elements that lead to a society's demise. Poverty, over farming, deforestation, climate, and environmental issues are usually significant factors along with different catalysts that cause the collapse. Paton focuses mostly on moral decay and the break down of the tribe. While Paton's attempt to change racial injustices is noble, his story shows at the same time the attitudes of the day full of colonial views of an enlightened Western civilization replacing a barbarian one. Many find his book outdated because of his portrayal of blacks. For further reading on this topic, I put the article at the bottom of the page. This is a story that will lead to plenty of discussions.
Source: Paternalism, Ideology, and Ideological Critique: Teaching "Cry, the Beloved Country" Author(s): Patrick Colm Hogan
Source: College Literature, Vol. 19/20, No. 3/1, Teaching Postcolonial and Commonwealth Literatures (Oct., 1992 - Feb., 1993), pp. 206-210
Published by: The Johns Hopkins University Press Stable URL: Accessed: 08-06-2016 15:44 UTC
Kumalo and Msimangu are good men that travel from place to place observing how the black man has lost "his tribe" and support system since white men has colonized Africa. Kumalo comes from the country and views the city as a corrupting influence on young people. Traditions with a chief as head of the tribe and support system of others members who teach moral behavior has been replaced by the white man's influence and this is represented in the lawless city of Johannesburg. The result is corruption as people live in fear.
Kumalo begins his journey rooted in the old ways and once he travels to Johannesburg he discovers that the world has changed and he must change with it. The erosion of African society is symbolized in representations of a barren land and the erosion of the red soil that bleeds into the rivers like an open wound. Stephen Kumalo's home is decaying with his sister turning to prostitution and his son committing murder. Kumalo clings to the old ways at first realizing that he must change by the end to adapt to a changing world, but he suffers terribly along the way and like Stephen, the first Christian martyr. Kumalo must lose his son, sister, and family before gaining a new one. He realizes that he must reach out to help those in need or suffering and give to them selflessly; hence, creating a new tribe.
Kumalo meets his brother, John, who has rejected the tribe but who has an incredible voice or speaking ability that others listen to, but he is corrupt and only thinks of himself. He is hollow and unreliable as a friend or relative. A foil to him is Dubula, a man that is the voice of the boycott. His motives are unselfish and Kumalo and Msimangu realize that he would make a great leader because power would not corrupt him. He's morally stable, unlike John Kumalo. Many times throughout the novel the power of corruption is brought up and it is the self-sacrificing men that are held up as examples to emulate.
The economic and deplorable social conditions are revealed throughout the journey, but it is mainly through James Jarvis that the white person is supposed to recognize actions he or she can take to help mend the gap with blacks. James Jarvis is a country man like Kumalo and when his son is murdered he reads his notes discovering his son thought deeply about the racial problems and was trying to change the world to be a better place. James is changed and decides to work for a solution toward helping the tribe. He introduces a man that shows the blacks agricultural methods that will help till the soil or heal a broken land by beginning something new for the blacks.
When I read, "Huckleberry Finn," as an adult I could see why others took offense at the stereotypical portrayal of blacks. In Paton's novel, the whites are superior and the blacks are left with the whites making morally correct decisions to benefit them. Stephen calls James Jarvis an angel because he's showing the natives agricultural techniques and he's building a new church which allowed him to remain a pastor there. This is supposed to help them with the tribal displacement but it is always the whites in this story that have the knowledge and vision for the tribes. Paton wanted South African natives to embrace Christianity because this would lead to moral living and he suggests farming as a way to get back in touch with the land.
I've been reading Jared Diamond's book, "Collapse," about elements that lead to a society's demise. Poverty, over farming, deforestation, climate, and environmental issues are usually significant factors along with different catalysts that cause the collapse. Paton focuses mostly on moral decay and the break down of the tribe. While Paton's attempt to change racial injustices is noble, his story shows at the same time the attitudes of the day full of colonial views of an enlightened Western civilization replacing a barbarian one. Many find his book outdated because of his portrayal of blacks. For further reading on this topic, I put the article at the bottom of the page. This is a story that will lead to plenty of discussions.
Source: Paternalism, Ideology, and Ideological Critique: Teaching "Cry, the Beloved Country" Author(s): Patrick Colm Hogan
Source: College Literature, Vol. 19/20, No. 3/1, Teaching Postcolonial and Commonwealth Literatures (Oct., 1992 - Feb., 1993), pp. 206-210
Published by: The Johns Hopkins University Press Stable URL: Accessed: 08-06-2016 15:44 UTC
February 10, 2018
Had I known what this was about, and had not judged this book by the title (which led me to assume that this would be another depressing commentary on Apartheid), I would have picked it up YEARS ago!
Contrary to what the title suggests, this book highlights the hope in South Africa, even before the dark days of Apartheid really began. It shows forgiveness, and people of different races working together. It does not shy away from the problems: the exploitation of black people who were forced to work for a pittance for the benefit of the white mine owners, the crime that was causing people to be scared in their own homes, the potential danger of not heeding the warnings about changing the forced inequality...
The wisdom in this book was unexpected. It highlighted how the destruction of the tribal life left people unprepared for the new city life that they were being forced to enter for work. The words written by the man who was murdered rang so true when he spoke about the necessity for change. Nor can one, living in the New South Africa, not appreciate the truth in the final statement: “I see only one hope for our country, and that is when white men and black men, desiring neither power nor money, but desiring only the good for their country, come together to work for it.
I have one great fear in my heart, that one day when they are turned to loving, they will find we are turned to hating.�
Beautifully written, this book is quotable on almost every page. I would highly recommend it to anyone who has any interest in racial issues, South Africa or Africa as a whole.
Contrary to what the title suggests, this book highlights the hope in South Africa, even before the dark days of Apartheid really began. It shows forgiveness, and people of different races working together. It does not shy away from the problems: the exploitation of black people who were forced to work for a pittance for the benefit of the white mine owners, the crime that was causing people to be scared in their own homes, the potential danger of not heeding the warnings about changing the forced inequality...
The wisdom in this book was unexpected. It highlighted how the destruction of the tribal life left people unprepared for the new city life that they were being forced to enter for work. The words written by the man who was murdered rang so true when he spoke about the necessity for change. Nor can one, living in the New South Africa, not appreciate the truth in the final statement: “I see only one hope for our country, and that is when white men and black men, desiring neither power nor money, but desiring only the good for their country, come together to work for it.
I have one great fear in my heart, that one day when they are turned to loving, they will find we are turned to hating.�
Beautifully written, this book is quotable on almost every page. I would highly recommend it to anyone who has any interest in racial issues, South Africa or Africa as a whole.
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