I found Cry, the Beloved Country to be an exquisitely heart-breaking and yet utterly beautiful book. The way it was told was deeply moving. I am currently rereading certain parts of it and I know I will not forget it anytime soon. It has truly inspired me to delve deeper into the history of South Africa and also to understand the current situation in SA, which seems to be rather problematic. Although I have only had the opportunity to read a few scattered articles on current topics, this book has piqued my curiosity.

Cry, the Beloved Country is set in the mid-1940s, during the early stages of apartheid. The story in this book vividly highlights the complex conditions of life in South Africa and the relationships between the races in SA at that time. The ending of the story holds a glimmer of hope, but I think it failed to fully develop. Even though we know that historically apartheid was outlawed (after the setting of this book), I believe that the hope for true sympathy and understanding between the races has not been fully realized. SA still remains a land where racial hatred persists between different peoples.

If you have a passion for learning about other countries and their historical settings, if you enjoy reading books about decent people who prioritize principles over personal interests, if you like books with well-developed and finely drawn characters, or if you are in search of a book that can make you feel a glimmer of hope for humanity, then I highly recommend reading Cry, the Beloved Country. It is all of that and so much more.

Read Harder has truly provided some outstanding works for me this year.

This is a book that I have long intended to read. Now that I have finally read it, I am astonished at how much time it took me to reach this point.

Paton's most renowned novel is not just about a place but also about how deeply a place can be intertwined with our sense of identity.

It also explores how a place we cherish can disappoint us and how we, in turn, can let it down.

More than any other book I have read, this novel has made me feel as if I have gained an understanding of South Africa, a place where the diverse races and classes give rise to complex and often cruel social conflicts.

Paton is highly skilled in creating the setting and developing the characters.

Although the ending of this novel is as harsh as its beginning, it is indeed an important and beautiful story that leaves a lasting impression.

This is a truly terrible book.

From the very beginning, it fails to engage the reader. The plot is thin and uninteresting, lacking any real depth or substance.

The characters are one-dimensional and lack any real development. They seem more like caricatures than real people.

The writing itself is also subpar. The language is平淡无奇 and lacks any sort of flair or creativity.

Overall, this book is a waste of time and money. I would not recommend it to anyone.

I can only hope that the author will learn from this experience and produce something better in the future.

There are times when it seems as if there is no other deity in the world...

The book was beyond my imagination and I really enjoyed it with all its simplicity.

It was truly a remarkable experience to read this book. The words seemed to flow like a gentle stream, carrying me away to a different world. The author's ability to convey complex emotions and ideas in such a simple yet profound way was truly astonishing. Each page was filled with wisdom and inspiration, making it impossible to put the book down. I found myself completely immersed in the story, feeling every joy and sorrow of the characters. This book has definitely left a lasting impression on me and I would highly recommend it to anyone looking for a good read.

This book was published in 1948, nearly 70 years ago.

It has a writing style that is clean, sparse, and yet poetic. (I believe Paton also wrote poetry.) This requires careful attention to every sentence, meaning it's not a light read.

It's also another book that doesn't use quotation marks, like "The Night of the Hunter" by Davis Grubb.

The book examines the old system of apartheid in South Africa and its effects on the human level for both black and white.

If none of the above deters you, you might want to give it a try. But be warned - the sadness and irony can be overwhelming at times, heartbreaking yet uplifting at the same time.

It is the story of two fathers, each with a son. All of them, fathers and sons, become victims of the conditions brought on by apartheid. However, the reactions could be the same in any country with a stark divide between rich and poor, regardless of race. The two narratives, that of the white father and the African father, and how they weave together is especially well done.

It offers a profound and moving exploration of a complex and troubled era.

South Africa will always own a part of my heart.

Even though this piece was first published in 1948, it is only now that I have read it for the very first time. It manages to capture so perfectly the tragic beauty of this remarkable country. At least, that's how I remember it from our time there in the late nineties. The descriptions and the emotions it evokes are truly captivating. It makes me recall the vibrant landscapes, the diverse cultures, and the complex history that South Africa holds.

Quite possibly, this could be my favorite read of 2024. It has left such a profound impact on me, making me appreciate the unique charm and allure of South Africa even more. I can't wait to explore more about this country through literature and perhaps even revisit it someday to experience its beauty once again.

This is an old book that still holds great significance for the people in my country (USA) who are grappling with, being deceived by, and lacking education regarding racial discord.

The book, written in 1948, features a rural minister in South Africa who is black. He has learned to endure the insults and rudeness of others and is a dedicated pastor to his congregation in the outlands, far from the big city.

His sister travels to Johannesburg in search of her husband and stops sending mail to her brother. A minister writes to Kumalo, the central character, informing him that his sister is seriously ill and that he should come immediately.

Kumalo, despite having no spare money, takes the funds he and his wife have saved to send their only child, a boy, to advanced schooling. Their son, Absalom, has also gone to Johannesburg and fails to write his parents.

So, this dear and unsophisticated man ventures to the big city to find his sister and his son. Some people are helpful, while others are scornful simply because he is a black man. There is no other reason.

This is a poignant story of racial hatred, discrimination, and the dignity of some individuals. The book is particularly relevant at this time in my country due to the prevalence of hatred, injustice, cruelty, and, at times, gentle justice.

If all the people in my country were to read this book and engage in discussions with others, we might foster more understanding, more justice, more kindness, and fewer killings.

I was almost hesitant to read the book during this period in my country. No place truly feels safe from the Proud Boys, the Klan, and the numerous guns that politicians refuse to restrict.

I urge everyone to read it and perhaps view the world with new eyes. We need to become more caring and more kind, and perhaps a book about kindness in a racially divided country will assist in opening our eyes.

I last read this book in High School. At that time, I had either forgotten or failed to fully appreciate the brilliance of this remarkable story.

I was truly drawn to the unique way the story is narrated through the experiences of the two fathers. The writing style is captivating, pulling the reader in and making them feel as if they are right there, experiencing everything along with the characters.

Additionally, I liked how the book delved into the various views of the whites and blacks. It brought to life the arguments presented in "The Colonizer and the Colonized" by Albert Memmi. It was almost as if Paton had a prescient ability to predict the future of apartheid and what would unfold when apartheid finally came to an end.

This book is not just a story; it is a powerful exploration of race, society, and history that continues to resonate and offer valuable insights even today.

In a small village in South Africa, a little child dashes in to deliver a letter to the village priest. After perusing it, Reverend Stephen Kumalo realizes he must embark on an immediate journey to Johannesburg to seek his son and sister. With trepidation, he packs his bags, clueless about what awaits and precisely where to look for them.

This is the commencement of "Cry, the Beloved Country." What mysteries lurk in Johannesburg? Why did they never pen a letter home? Why is Reverend Msimangu adamant that he come at once? Nothing could have readied him for what he is about to uncover. His son Absalom has a child and is incarcerated for murdering a white man. And his sister? She has now become a prostitute.

In its approximately 200 pages, this book comprehensively traverses cultural, political, religious, and philosophical domains: Apartheid, union strikes, racism, Christianity, the judicial system, social justice, and segregation.

Paton, a former prison superintendent turned writer, did not disappoint. His interest in his characters and their circumstances leans heavily towards their symbolic and elegiac facets.

With poetry and pathos, he writes: "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."

There is an abundance of weary, melancholy wisdom in this book that transcends the literary, yet one particular thought remained with me.

Towards the conclusion of the book, Reverend Stephen Kumalo echoed the young black priest, Msimangu's, fear of hardening racial attitudes, "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."

If you desire to read something that will transform your perspective of the world and its shifting realities, then you should read this book.

Paton was, of course, correct when he stated, "It is a story of the beauty and terror of human life, and it cannot be written again because it cannot be felt again."

Much has been written about this novel, and about the writing of it, that it is the stuff of legend. An unknown writer is discovered by American friends with literary connections. The manuscript is almost lost en-route to the publisher in New York. The last few chapters are delivered in a breathless gasp in person. And voila: a book is born that touches the heartbeat of a nation, and of the world.

If everyone, black and white, in South Africa had developed a similar relationship with each other as the Rev. Kumalo and landowner Jarvis had between them, there would have been no need for the dreaded Apartheid regime that followed this book’s publication. Kumalo’s son Absalom leaves his impoverished village to seek his fortune in big, bad Johannesburg but ends up killing Jarvis’s son (also living in the city of gold and working for the emancipation of blacks) during a home burglary. Despite this tragic loss that adds to the existing societal divide between black and white, the two fathers are able to rise above their differences and work for the good of the little village, forgiving and enlightening each other.

This is a novel of voices. There is the voice of the Zulu in the narrative of Kumalo as he searches for his son in the shanty towns of Johannesburg and witnesses the marginalization of those who flee the village in search of illusory riches. There are the voices of those very marginalized people as they build shacks on the edge of town. The voices of the police, the judge, and the prosecutor who condemn Absalom without mercy can also be heard. Then there is the voice of Jarvis as he searches for the message of redemption in the disaster that has befallen his family, and the voice of the intrusive narrator who paints the land for us and sets up each scene in biblical tones.

“They are afraid because they are so few,” is Kumalo’s assessment of the white man in South Africa, and yet his son, Absalom, also kills out of fear. In fact, fear is the villain of the piece, dividing white and black. On the other hand, Kumalo’s brother, John, a businessman in Johannesburg, is the embodiment of those who have sold their souls to survive and thrive in a big city where the tribe and its stabilizing norms have been destroyed and replaced by the survival of the fittest ethic.

Powerful scenes dot the novel. Jarvis and Kumalo sit in the village church, constantly changing seats to avoid the rainwater leaking through the crumbling roof. White and black plant sticks to build a dam for the betterment of the village. The Bishop suggests that Kumalo leave his decaying church just as his purpose there is starting to bear fruit. Kumalo’s disgraced sister Gertrude discusses escape to the nunnery with Absalom’s pregnant wife, another fallen woman. And Kumalo makes a trip to the top of the mountain while his son is facing the hangman’s noose elsewhere in the country.

The liberation of South Africa’s blacks is still many years away, Kumalo realizes. He is “the white man’s dog” content with the scraps offered to him, while the next generation, like the agricultural demonstrator, is looking for something more substantial. This something came almost fifty years after this novel was published and two years after the author’s death.

That Apartheid came into being soon after the book was released is an irony. Perhaps in some small way, the novel contributed to a resurgence of the fear described within its pages, a fear that fed the reviled regime and lost its power when noble leaders like Nelson Mandela were able to follow the example of Jarvis and Kumalo and teach South Africans that forgiveness was the more enduring path to peace.

The story unfolds as a reverend embarks on a journey from his secluded village to the vibrant city of Johannesburg. His mission is to locate his son and sister, who have both fallen into difficult circumstances.

Upon arrival, he discovers that his sister has unfortunately become a prostitute, and to his dismay, his son is facing a murder trial. The news of the potential death sentence for his son shatters the reverend.

He then makes his way back home to his village, accompanied by the illegitimate son of his sister (since she has vanished) and the pregnant girlfriend of his soon-to-be executed son. Alongside his wife, they strive to do what is right by these new dependents, in the simple and traditional ways of their village.

Moreover, his journey offers a profound look into the economic disparities that are tearing the country apart. The black-and-white issues are on the verge of exploding, with inequalities rampant everywhere. This has been the status quo for many years, but now, a significant number of people are defying tradition and demanding change.

As he returns home, his heart is broken by the loss of his beloved son, yet he also gains new perspectives that allow him to view his cherished country in a different light.

However, I must admit that this book did not quite appeal to my taste. I found it overly "folksy" and often wished for it to come to an end.

Regrettably, I cannot recommend this book.

Heartbreaking and moving story of two fathers in almost-apartheid South Africa - 1948.

One, a Zulu Anglican pastor, finds his world shattered when his son, by accident, kills the son of a white landowner. The landowner lives near the pastor and his church, and their lives, which were once so separate, now become entwined in a web of tragedy and consequence.

In this novel, the author, who is both a novelist and a poet, weaves a tale that is beautifully written. The characterizations are deep, allowing the reader to truly understand the pain, the grief, and the complex emotions that both fathers experience.

Despite its heavy subject matter, this is a short and accessible read. It draws the reader in from the very beginning and doesn't let go until the very end. It is a genuine classic, a story that will stay with you long after you have turned the final page.

It is a powerful reminder of the injustices and inequalities that existed in South Africa during this time, and of the human capacity for both love and hate.