The Power of One

Review of Audio book, The Power of One written by Bryce Courtenay, Narrated by Humphrey Bower.

This has been both a Hard and Easy review to write. The Power of one is a wonderful autobiographical novel which has been made into a fantastic audio book. Astonishingly this was Bryce Courtenay debut novel. Humphrey Bower is both experienced and gifted narrator and the perfect pick as he is able to pull off a convincing South African accent.
Hard to write up as it has so many powerful, tender and tantalising elements and so it would take too long to list them because they all hold real and cultural relevance. As with all good books which have a strong human element, each reader draws from their own life experiences to relate with the story. The richness of the main character PK whose we meet at a tender age and go on to experience though his thoughts, all his life with its joy, muddles and harshness. The story is set against the dramatic back drop of Africa at a historically rich time.
The wealth of this very personal and at time humorous while being startling graphic book, will have something in it that will not fail to touch even the hardest of hearts. As for myself the telling of the bond of friendship between the five year old PK and his chicken, Grandpa Chuck, hit the most me with stiff resonance. This was because I was midway through the audio book at the time I had heard about my dear old springer spaniel Mandy, fatal illness. Bryce writes superbly throughout the book but this connection with his unusual animal friend, the love and respected trust with his chicken hit me the hardest because of my best friend Mandy. PK’s other friendships of the human kind were each different and thought provoking and described in skilful detail, that I felt as if I had had known, loved, grieved or feared them. As each of them where introduced into the thick of the story and at times had left, sometimes abruptly! I was span though a range of emotions, catching my breath with sadness, peace or fear. It would be hard to pick out the best of them as they are all best! Even the baddies as they made the goodies appear more courageous and strong hearted, and so the story would not have been the same without them.
Easy to praise this audio book as not only the writing of this story is superb but the narration by Humphy Bower, who’s expressive warm voice transcends the normal narrator with his rich repertoire he narrates the characters with a ‘pull all the stops out’ experience. The sheer spender at which he brings to life the delicacy and rawness of each of the marvellously complete characters and soulfully describes breathtakingly beautiful scenery with jaw dropping emphasis.
So much of the landscape of Africa is written about and from so many viewpoints. I knew it was a hot climate but I learned of the coolness and darkness of the night. I was surprised by differing landscapes, the cactus garden, rose garden and magical crystal cave, which were described and narrated so colourfully and bountifully that I could see them in full spender when I closed my eyes.
In this book the landscape of the peoples of Africa where explored and described, with a strong emphasis showing how important music and the connection to their land was.

PK the hero of the book is a true hero a fighter who yearned for knowledge but was not mean spirited and keenly shared with all.
This book was a humbling experience. As a writer myself I became completely in ore of Bryce’s skill whose writing talent is pure genus. What a travel! What an adventure! And all without leaving my small flat and from the safety of my sofa with my best friend Mandy sat by me! What a gift this book is!
I whole heartily recommend it. 5 stars

The Power of One Audible – Unabridged can be bought here
Bryce Courtenay (Author), Humphrey Bower (Narrator), Bolinda Publishing Pty Ltd https://www.amazon.com/The-Power-of-O...
Or if you sign up though your local library (UK only) can be borrowed free here
http://www.borrowbox.com/support/

The Power of One follows a young boy as he navigates his way through life in the divided and hostile lands of South Africa. It is the story of an English child who refuses to be demoralised by the discrimination that constantly surrounds him. It is the story of Peekay, the boy who brought hope to the hopeless and sight to the ignorant, the boy who fought against oppression.

On his journey to becoming a man, Peekay encounters a number of diverse friends, all offering a new lesson on how to get through life. These friends educate Peekay in compassion, love, loyalty and strength and provide him with courage to stay true to himself and an insatiable thirst for knowledge. This book deals with race, class, objectivism, faith vs. reason, obsession, religion and science. Simply remarkable and enlightening, this was an eye-opening read that I would recommend to all. This is a book everyone should read at some point in their lives.

I started reading this book because I am absolutely in love with the movie so I approached the novel with a number of expectations, which were unfortunately not met. I was a little disappointed to find that the book and the movie are vastly different. While, yes, the book is amazing, I couldn’t help but feel a little sad that some of my favourite parts from the movie were not in the book. I found I was waiting for a plot that I loved but never came.

I also found that I didn’t get much closure at the end. Unlike in the movie, I was left with a great number of questions and I felt that the ending left me a bit flat. Despite this, I struggled to put this book down and I can safely say that it should be on everyone’s must read list.

The Power of One is beautifully written and Courtenay exquisitely captures the essence of childhood in Peekay as he gazes wide-eyed at his confusing and confronting world, attempts to wrap his head around the politics of adulthood and endeavors to avoid getting caught up in the destruction of discrimination within society.

Check out my full review here

This book is a wonderful story of the hope and success of an underdog, of relationships breaking barriers of race, age, religion, wealth, and of a boy learning who he is and who he should be. I would really like to rate this book a 4.5. I loved about 500 pages of this book, but was disappointed with the ending.

***SPOILER ALERT*** For most of the book I really thought, this could really happen. And then, to make a "nice ending", of course it all comes full circle in the end and the frayed ends are all knotted. That just doesn't happen. Allowing Peekay to conquer the Judge in one simple fight left me very unsatisfied. The whole book I pulled for him to slowly, bit by bit, mature and conquer his childhood demons. It seems a little trite that with one fight, it's all over. Not to mention that the knife carving in the Judge was way over the top. Made me feel like Courtenay got so deep in the fascinating intricacies of the stories that he couldn't find a way out, got tired of writing, and tossed in that scene so I could get back to the other 15 or so books on my bookshelf... I may be a rare reader in that I would have much preferred being left not knowing what lies ahead for PK with the People, boxing, school, God, his friends, etc., hoping and cheering for him as he moves on to other things in life to continue his quest to discover himself and the world. I strive to be a forgiving soul, though, so I will not let the last 5 pages ruin the glorious journey I enjoyed with PK.

This is one of the most important books I have ever read. The reader really gets pulled into the life of PK, experiencing his trials and successes. There are some great laugh out loud moments, such as during his train ride with Big Hettie, and when Granpa Chook decides to express his opinion of The Judge and his Nazi party (though the surrounded circumstance is sad and grim). There are also some very dark times in his life, but these serve to prove the triumph of the human spirit and so are a valuable part of the story. One of the lessons I took away from the book was the value in accepting people how they are, no matter if their beliefs or behavior aligns with what you perceive as right or wrong. You can stay true to yourself and be kind to others without changing them.

I know I read this as a child and adored it. I didn’t remember anything about it. Gave it another try and forced myself to make it to page 50. The racism was tough. The simplistic writing pushed me too far.


n  n

Peekay is a young English boy brutalized at a South African boarding school when World War II breaks out. The prejudices, indignities and suffering Peekay endures become a light that fuels an inner drive to become something stronger and smarter and more important. With help from some fantastic characters along the way, Peekay is able to harness "the power of one" and succeed beyond all the odds.

The book is a marvel on so many levels. First, Courtenay does a wonderful job of incorporating history, childhood angst and amazing characters into a well-thought out and terrific story line that leaves the reader cheering for young Peekay. Second, the author's theme of discrimination is well-played out from the Boers vs. the English, the Germans vs. the Jews, the South Africans vs. the Germans and of course, the white Africans vs. the Black Africans. The perspective is poignant and insightful.

This was a five star book that shed light on inter-human tensions and those beautiful souls who can rise above it to help and love their fellow man.

7/12/17

Have read most of Bryce's books. This is the only one I really wanted to re-read.
Have re-read some sections several times. Did not watch video. Would have been less likely to read story if had seen
in advance the promotion oriented (and over-emphasis on) on the boxing aspect . The sequel, Tandia, wasn't one I wanted to re-read, but reading it added considerable perspective on South Africa.

The Power of One & Tandia

**

During the decades buying books for the library, how many thousands of review could I have read? : "Booklist," "Publishers Weekly," "Library Journal" ... and during the days of buying from Ingram, I found their "Advance" publication quite useful.

The New York Times book review section didn't fit well the reading profile of "Cowboy County." Nor did I buy reviews from Kirkus. Now, for Goodreads, I like to netswipe their opinions ...

(Fuzzy memory - Kirkus charged a $400 fee to publishers to provide a review?)

KIRKUS REVIEW (Caveat, as Kirkus reviews frequently do, this one contains spoilers.)

Ideals must be back, for Courtenay's first novel is a fast-paced book with an old-fashioned, clean-cut hero, easily identifiable villains, no sex, and saintlike sidekicks. All done in sturdy, workmanlike prose. Set in South Africa in the 1940's, the novel resembles those enormously popular books on southern Africa written by John Buchan and H. Rider Haggard. Courtenay's Peekay, like those earlier heroes, inspires devotion from a disparate band of followers, which includes a witch doctor, a German professor, a barmaid, Gert the Afrikaans policeman, Morrie the Jewish refugee, and his Oxbridge headmaster. Courtenay lovingly evokes an African landscape of small town and bush as he describes the journey of Peekay--from a horrendously cruel boarding school to a triumphant vindication as a young man in the copper mines of what is now Zambia. At his first school, Peekay, as the only English child in an otherwise Afrikaans school, is held accountable for all the wrongs inflicted by the British. But a fortuitous meeting with an amateur boxer, "Kid Louis" Groenewald, supplies the young Peekay with the means and the drive to fight back. Peekay learns to box (boxing fans will particularly appreciate the vividly described fights) and thereafter is forever serving justice and earning Brownie points. His first teachers are the tough Afrikaner jailers of his hometown prison and a black prisoner. Later, at a prep school in Johannesburg, while the victorious Afrikaner Nationalists introduce apartheid, he is taught by the best trainer in Africa. As well as being a scholar and everybody's favorite young man, Peekay also earns a reputation among the blacks as a great chief--"The Tadpole Angel"--who is destined to save them, but not in this book. Peekay is just too noble, and his political views, perhaps reflecting those of his times, are paternal to say the least. But, nevertheless, this is a somewhat endearing, if uncritical, celebration of virtue and positive thinking. Despite the lack of shading and the chipper philosophy, then, a surprisingly refreshing debut.

4.0

This was a tall tale, akin to a Paul Bunyan story set in mid-1900 South Africa. It follows the story of a boy named 'Peekay' from age five into early adulthood, whose story is the embodiment of the phrase 'it takes a village to raise a child.' While Peekay's family members take a back seat in shaping him through childhood and adolescence, he builds strong relationships with a variety of highly educated, highly skilled, and highly motivated characters that guide him along his journey to manhood. 'The Power of One,' isn't really about 'one,' but how a supportive collective can empower a single person to overcome.

I really enjoyed reading this, though Books 1 and 2 are remarkably better than Book 3. The charm of viewing the world through the eyes of a little boy disappeared in Book 3, along with the hint of magical realism that I found originally so endearing. The larger-than-life depiction of Peekay also became tiresome by Book 3. While I made allowances for some unrealistic events happening earlier on, by Book 3, it was trite. Still, as a whole, this book was well crafted and holds promise for being a lit-class favorite. And if you're looking for good quotes, this is a gold mine. ("First with the head, then with the heart!")
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Before I continue with the review, I'd like to mention the following stories, all of which share some themes with this book:
1. Jojo Rabbit (wartime brutality from a child's perspective, WW2 setting/Nazis)
2. A Separate Peace (coming of age story set in private school, WW2 setting, YA brotherhood)
3. Maniac Magee (themes of race from child's perspective, boy without conventional family, boy that becomes a legend)
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Stylistic comments
I really enjoyed Courtenay's descriptions of South African nature and the different traditions that he highlighted in the story. As can happen with authors that speak with authority, he sometimes included extensive detail that detracted from the experience of reading. Combined with the fact that he included very large paragraphs (giant chunks of text, sometimes containing dry technical information and terms, like in Book 3), this didn't always make for a pleasant reading experience.

Racial Backdrop
It seems impossible that a story could take place in apartheid South Africa and not comment on the political and social atmosphere of the time. Courtenay was clear in his writing that racism is an evil, or as he put it, 'a sickness.' However, I found that some parts of this book were odd to read given his viewpoint on racism, especially if his intention was not to diminish the black voice in an African setting. I've divided my impressions of how race and racial tension was presented between the themes of white privilege and the white savior complex (SPOILERS INCLUDED!):

a) White Privilege - Peekay's successes would not have been possible had he not been white. At every turn, the white establishment took him under its wing, from Hoppie to the Kommandant to the professor to headmaster of the Prince of Wales school. And in the stereotypical fashion of such stories written from a white perspective, black characters functioned as props to support the white hero. We saw that with Peekay's nanny, Dee and Dum, and Geel Piet. It was particularly unsettling that Peekay's sole black guardian/mentor, Geel Piet, was murdered in such a brutal manner. Why was he sodomized to death at the hands of a white man in prison, while Doc (a white foreigner) died peacefully in a magical crystal cave? One could make the argument that Courtenay included this for shock value to educate people about the unfairness of the time, but I'd argue that the world doesn't need more evidence of how black peoples have suffered. I would have much preferred Courtenay show that they could also overcome, and not necessarily with the help of a white man.

b) The White Savior that is the Tadpole Angel - The way the book presented 'The Tadpole Angel,' Peekay seemed to become a legend to black SA communities by accident. Why? Why was it necessary for his development and coming-of-age story to include his accidental deification to black people? The white savior theme was also in action when the church that Peekay's mother worked for participated in prison reform, under the condition that they could preach to the inmates. It was there when Peekay had to literally defeat a black man in a boxing match to prove that he was still the legendary Tadpole Angel who could save black people from despair. It was again present when Peekay and Morrie fought to educate black men at their prestigious English school and then failed. By the way, once they failed, there was no continuation of that fight.

I believe Courtenay wrote this book with the best of intentions and that even in his tall-tale fiction novel, he intended to relay an authentic SA experience. So, I can perhaps understand why the above problems were present, since they accurately reflect problems that are still very prevalent in a post-apartheid world. But I still think he could have and should have done a better job representing black characters in this book. Black characters falling into the same undignified, overused tropes and white characters swooping in to save black peoples from the cruelty of a white-established social infrastructure weakens any story's overt condemnation of racism. It's really a matter of showing rather than telling.