چه کسی می‌تواند دل را از شکستن بازدارد؟!

I love this book. It is one of my all-time favorites. The author had the beautiful ability to write about the tragedies in South Africa and at the same time interweave a deeply moving story of two fathers having the worst experience of their lives. The gripping sadness of the experience is overshadowed by the love and faith of a father who is just trying to do the right thing. Alan Paton's prose and insight make for an awesome reading experience. I highly recommend this book not only for reading pleasure but also for a look into human nature and life in South Africa - "a black man's country under white man's law. . ."

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!

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.

"Cry, the Beloved Country" is the story of a Zulu pastor Stephen Kumalo who reluctantly must leave his rural life to go and find his son Absalom and sister Gertrude who have been swallowed up by Johannesburg in South Africa of the 1940s.

There is a lot to love about this book, beautifully written, compulsive reading, and satisfyingly messy with all the different voices and views captured well and the most part sympathetically. The notable exception is the voice of black South Africans who agitated as Paton would see it with hate in the hearts and modern readers would perceive as a thoroughly reasonable way given the provocation.

The book not only provides a plunge into South Africa but has a more universal appeal beyond that of outlets oppressed people have in the face of tyranny and the individual choices for redemption in an unredeeming system.

Finally the words are moving and beautiful as shown in the most famous quote I suppose given its inclusion in the good reads blurb and so many reviews

"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 his land are singing, nor give too much of his heart to a mountain or valley. For fear will rob him of all if he gives too much."

But I also loved the opening page of the book a little overwrought yes but in a lovely Oprah way it is by most favourite opening page of 2015 and best description of soil erosion ever.

"THERE IS A lovely road that runs from Ixopo into the hills. These hills are grass-covered and rolling, and they are lovely beyond any singing of it. The road climbs seven miles into them, to Carisbrooke; and from there, if there is no mist, you look down on one of the fairest valleys in Africa. About you there is grass and bracken and you may hear the forlorn crying of the titihoya, one of the birds of the veld. Below you is the valley of the Umzimkulu, on its journey from the Drakensberg to the sea; and beyond and behind the river great hill after great hill; and beyond and behind them, the mountains of Ingeli and East Griqualand.

The grass is rich and matted, you cannot see the soil. It holds the rain and the mist, and they seep into the ground, feeding the streams in every kloof. It is well-tended, and not too many cattle feed upon it; not too many fires burn it, laying bare the soil. Stand unshod upon it, for the ground is holy, being even as it came from the Creator. Keep it, guard it, care for it, for it keeps men, guards men, cares for men. Destroy it and man is destroyed.

Where you stand the grass is rich and matted, you cannot see the soil. But the rich green hills break down. They fall to the valley below, and falling, change their nature. For they grow red and bare; they cannot hold the rain and mist, and the, and the streams are dry in the kloofs. Too many cattle feed upon the grass, and too many fires have burned it. Stand shod upon it, for it is coarse and sharp, and the stones cut under the feet. It is not kept, or guarded, or cared for, it no longer keeps men, guards men, cares for men. The titihoya does not cry here any more."

Marvelous book

Audiobook narrated by Frederick Davidson.

And old man, a Zulu pastor in a small impoverished South African town, has lost three dear relatives to the big city. His brother, John, has gone to Johannesburg and opened a business. He no longer writes. His much younger sister, Gertrude, took her son to Johannesburg to look for her husband who had gone previously to find work; the husband never wrote, and Gertrude has not written. And finally his son, Absalom, went to Johannesburg to look for his aunt, and he too has been swallowed up by the big city and no longer writes. So when he receives a letter from a priest in J-burg giving news of Gertrude, Stephen Kumalo travels to the city to find his family members and bring them home.

First published in 1948, Cry the Beloved Country has remained an international bestseller. It tells of a personal tragedy, but also of a national tragedy – apartheid. The writing is lyrical and evocative of time and place. Stephen is a gentle hero, who derives his strength from faith, hope and charity. His capacity for love and forgiveness is admirable. I was surprised, and touched, by the compassion and forgiveness shown by Jarvis (the white farmer in the village).

Their personal tragedy is the focus on the novel, but it is framed by the larger issues facing South Africa – the loss of tribal culture, poverty, flight to the already overcrowded city slums – and issues facing all humankind – justice, good governance, retribution, compassion, and forgiveness.

Frederick Davidson does a good job narrating, but I did find his narration very slow. His very slow delivery made it hard for me to get engaged in the story, but grew on me, as the character of Stephen Kumalo is revealed – he is a man who takes his time pondering and deliberating over issues, a man who never acts in haste.

This was a deeply moving book that will stay with me for a long time. It falls into the elite category on my bookshelf of "I will read this again and again". I loved Paton's writing style...short, concise sentences and the dialogue written without quotation marks (as well as the social themes in the book) made this very reminiscent of another of my all-time favorites, The Grapes of Wrath. The book looks at themes of equality and social justice in pre-apartheid South Africa from both sides of the race equation...and I found myself understanding and empathizing with characters on both ends of the spectrum. The Zulu pastor, Stephen Kumalo, is a heartbreaking character, and his relationship with Jarvis, the father of the man his son killed, was one of the most touching aspects of the novel. I highly recommend this book for any readers interested in literary fiction. My only regret is that I waited so long to read it.

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.

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

It's hard to really write a description of this book. Yes, there is plot and structure and story, but the book isn't really about that. It is a book about love and grief and hope and despair. It's about fathers love for their children, despite their choices, about love for one's country and homeland, even when its structure is not ideal or right. It's about how wrong and right choices both effect not only ourselves but those around us with far-reaching ripples. It's about poetry and beauty even in the ugliest of ashes. It's about change and those who have the heart to work for change, but also about tradition and those who cling to the good things that should remain.

Paton wrote in a kind of back and forth prose and poetry which flowed so beautifully together that while I noticed the switch from one to the other, they formed such a cohesive whole that it just felt natural. It's a juxtaposition of the harshness of desolate land and when people are ugly to one another, with the beatify of a restored land and the soulful beauty of what happens when people choose to reach out. It may be set in South Africa, but the themes of inequality, differences and similarities between people of different cultures, urban vs. rural and the clash of the old and the young are timeless. Well worth the read.
4.5/5

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 .

This is probably my top read so far this year. The writing is so simple and beautiful and almost poetic. The story made me sad and angry and hopeful and glad. What a rich and beautiful book.