I just finished reading this book for a summer assignment, and I have to say that I would rather have read the telephone book. At least the telephone book doesn't have characters so annoying that I throw it against a wall.

My main issue with this book was the main character. He goes through the whole book with a 'poor me, I'm such a suffering soul' mentality which really makes no sense. He speaks almost as many languages as I have fingers on one hand (including a bit of Latin, which I've heard is very hard to learn), he instantly befriends almost everyone, and he's practically a genius. Oh, and he's been an amazing boxer since he was a child.

The author tries to interject some interest in the plot, but fails completely because it's so obvious that whatever challenges the main character (who doesn't seem to have a real name, only a nickname. I assume the author had a purpose in doing this, but what it is I can't guess) faces, he will overcome them quickly and easily; and then complain about it for the rest of the chapter.

The power of one good book!

This book was a slow starter for me, so I got the Audible companion audiobook.... and THAT made all the difference. Soon I was immersed into Peekay's life and found it to be a beautifully (although at times, VERY descriptive) crafted story of a South African boy's coming of age. But it was also so much more, a story of South Africa and the rising tide of Apartheid following WWII. The imagery, lyrical prose, humor, and pathos won me over as did Courtenay's introduction of marvelously rich characters! As Doc would say, this book is "being an eleven out of ten! Absoloodle!"

This turned out to be much better than I thought it was going to be. It contains descriptions of boxing and mining but the book is about much more. It is the story of young Peekay overcoming adversity from the young age of five.

This is an amazing book. It is very well written, with wonderful characterization, and does a very good job of capturing the setting (WWII era South Africa, and the racial tensions therein).

If I was asked to choose the books largest fault (and it *is* a large fault), oddly enough I would say that the largest fault is it's conscious handling of South Africa and Apartheid. Whenever the author tries to intentionally address these issues he veers too far into sentimentality and symbolism, and the threads of the book which address these issues go curiously incomplete at the end of the book (though perhaps this is not surprising, since the novel was published in the late eighties when Apartheid was still strong). The book is more about the main character, and his journey from the name "Pisskop" (the derogatory name given to him at an Afrikaans boarding school) to "Peekay" (the name he chooses for himself), and how he seeks his own life and individuality while moving through a deeply racist society which he does not always understand (especially in his youth).

And it is here that the book does well at handling the issues of South Africa and Apartheid, because while the writing often becomes stilted when the author tries to directly address these issues, as a setting he does a remarkable job of capturing the little nuances and realities of racism in Africa.

Well worth reading, and probably one of my favourite books (I was greatly pleased to see this on a list of "10 Great Books You've Probably Never Heard Of"). An excellent novel, with real insight into the racial tensions of the time, and amazingly enough he manages to make it an uplifting novel as well...

4.5 Stars

What’s not to love about a book about rising up and succeeding and becoming a symbol to all the people ( White, Black, Boers) of South Africa!
An uplifting book about a young boy who is tormented at school and whose dream is to become a welter- weight champion. Peekay, the boy, is wise beyond his years. He listens and learns and becomes an instrument of change.
A beautiful, heartfelt book that was occasionally bogged down by too much detail, but nonetheless succeeded in all the important ways- a great story that is inspirational and satisfying!
Highly recommended!

Shit.

Brilliant book. One of his best and though it does begin to meander a little towards the end it is just the exhaustion setting in from a long and inspiring journey.

I am embarrassed and upset to say that I feel disappointed in Courtnay. This is the first book I have read of his and having grown up on the movie, I thought reading it would be a cinch. I was wrong. It went on and on in great depth about characters and stories that went no where. I only saw fragments of what was in the movie and even then they were twisted slightly. Why is it an international best seller? Do people like to read stories that meander on and on and in circles? How on earth did they make the movie?

When I had finished, I was throughly disappointed ,as the very last scene is of peekay, the main character , beating up the baddie.
But the baddie is mentally ill, from working in the mines, it is a sickening fight, where I felt sorry for the baddie.
The main character, peekay, what a sanctimonious, self important sh*#!
He took everything that people who loved him, gave him and threw it away, and said that it burdened him, that the more they gave him, the more pressured he felt to not be himself.

"Pride is holding your head up high when everyone around you has theirs bowed down. Courage is what makes you do it."

Enjoyed this book so much. Character development is outstanding.

It definitely deserves a 5 star rating! Absoloodle!!

PS: the audio book narrated by Humphrey Bower is JUST FANTASTIC.

Took me some time to read, but not because it wasn't good, but just because there is so much to this story. A supremely well written book! If you like historical fiction - the type focused on people living in certain historical eras, not necessarily specific historical events - you will enjoy this story. I now feel like I have a good feel for WWII era South Africa. Also, if you like interesting characters and good character development, this is a good story for you, too.

One of my favourite books of all time! And Peekay is one of the best characters. It's a pretty long book but everything that unfolds is really enjoyable and holds a lot of meaning. Also had has some really funny parts as well. Looking forward to the day I read it yet again!

This is the story of Peekay, a frail, young, English boy growing up poor in South Africa and of his refusal to be demoralized by the racial torment surrounding him. On the road to becoming a young man he cultivates some uniquely, diverse friends and discovers many truths, not the least of which, are that loyalty, strength, love and compassion, coupled with a insatiable, thirst for knowledge and armed with the focus and courage to stay true to one's own self, can all be fused together, thus harnessing a power so potent that any worthy goal can and will be achieved. For me the message that rings out loudest and clearest in this story is how ridiculous racial hatred truly is.