Just wow. The prose—the characters—the themes—the setting—all, shining.

It reminded me of The Chosen with the contrasting of two fathers and their sons (a favorite trope, if it can be called that, of mine). The writing style reminded me a little of Ursula K. Le Guin's. And in some ways it reminded me of Gilead too.

It's especially meaningful because I've been to South Africa, if only for the tiniest bit of time. And of course the themes are universal and feel deeply relevant to our race-torn society.

Just—the way not everything works out and the really hard, ugly stuff that happens and yet there is a eucatastrophic (word?) abundance of grace and healing and hope (Like no mercy—I expected there to be mercy, and there was, but not in the way I expected. I think a lesser author would have given Absalom mercy—or would have left Kumalo to resign himself to the unfairness and despair at the end. Paton does neither.).

—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. … They are not all so. There are some white men who give their lives to build up what is broken.
—But they are not enough, he said. They are afraid, that is truth. It is fear that rules this land.

*

—Brother, I am recovered.
Msimangu’s face lights up, but he talks humbly, there is no pride or false restraint.
—I have tried every way to touch you, he says, but I could not come near. So give thanks and be satisfied.

n  The tragedy is not that things are broken. The tragedy is that they are not mended again. n

First published in 1948, shortly before racial segregation became official state policy in South Africa, Alan Paton's debut novel is a quiet, but powerful book, whose impact lingers on long after its last page is turned.

Much has been said about Cry, the Beloved Country, and although decades have passed since its initial publication the novel continues to be as moving and touching as it was when it first appeared. At its heart it is a tragedy - the tragedy of its protagonist, the Zulu priest Stephen Kumalo, who leaves his village and ventures to the metropolis of Johannesburg in search of his missing son, Absalom. Behind the personal story of pastor Kumalo lies the tragedy of post-colonial South Africa itself; with its beautiful, bountiful land locked away and kept in the hands of the white minority, forcing the majority black population to exploit what little resources they were allotted and in turn creating conditions for crime and exploitation to flourish. Any society established on unequal principles cannot be just and fair, and throughout the book we see example after example of that; however, we also see glimmers of hope and beauty beneath opression and decay.

Paton was a deeply religious man, and his Christian beliefs greatly influenced his writing; not only in his position against Apartheid, but also in his prose itself. Cry, the Beloved Country can be described as almost biblical in tone; Paton's prose has this ethereal, gospel-like quality to it, but its reader never feels like being preached to from a pulpit. The book strives to see the good in people, even those unfairly privileged, and does not shy away from noticing wrongs done by the oppressed. Paton seeks Christianity as a positive force and possibly the only way for things to change for the better, but at the same time cannot turn a blind eye to its teachings being ignored by those who pride themselves to be the bearers of civilization founded on its values. The truth is that our Christian civilization is riddled through and through with dilemma. We believe in the brotherhood of man,, remarks one of the characters in the novel, 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.

Much has been written about the book since its initial publication, and it is astonishing - and saddening - to see how relevant it is in our time. Cry, the Beloved Country is a deeply felt, profound novel written by a deeply sensitive and empathetic man, and one that I am glad I have read.

This is a country of great beauty – rolling hills and towering mountains and veins of gold that run deep beneath the earth. This is a country of many people – white and black and every shade in between. This is a country of many resources – talents and wisdom and the good things that come up from the rich earth.
But this is also a country of great turmoil – whites clashing against blacks, rich against poor, all yearning for more than they have been allotted. This is a country of great sorrow – destitution and violence and evil abound, causing tears to fall night and day. This is a country of great need – forced ignorance and poverty cause many to cry out, longing for something better. This is a country of great contrasts – the boundary between the white and the black is seemingly impregnable.
This is a country groaning under the weight of a burden too heavy for its people to lift. Unless they lift together, they shall be crushed. This country, this beloved country, is South Africa…
Cry, The Beloved Country is one of those stories that is simply tragic and beautiful and heart-rending. It is the story of a black man and his son, struggling to survive in a country prejudiced against them. It is the story of a white man and his son, struggling to see a better way than the one of enforced division among people. It is a story of hopelessness and hopefulness – the two extremes entwined together in a bittersweet embrace.
This book made me think and feel deeply. It opened my eyes to the complex and varied situations that South Africa faced during the apartheid. It is written in a simple poetic way that is incredibly vivid and emotional. Moving and poignant, I would highly recommend this book to anyone looking to learn more about the apartheid or the history of South Africa. I’m giving this book 4* out of 5 and recommending it for ages 14+

3.5
read for school.

«بی شک اوقاتی فرا می رسد که انگار دیگر خدایی در جهان وجود ندارد.»

رمان «بنال وطن» از آلن پیتون در مورد چنین اوقاتیه دقیقن؛ در مورد اوقاتی که انگار خدا بر فراز آسمان در حال تماشای بشر نیست؛ یا انگار دیگه براش مهم نیست. مسئلۀ اصلی رمان مواجهۀ اخلاق با موقعیت های حاد در زندگی انسانهاست؛ اخلاق که در اینجا در قالب یک کشیش نمایندگی میشه، رو به زوال رفته؛ از پرورش فرزندان صالح بازمونده و فروپاشی خانواده و ارکان خودش رو نظاره میکنه. و خب، این فروپاشی در پیرامون خودش ناگزیر رشد و زایش هم داره، که اگر زندگی این نیست پس چیست؟
رمان ساختار سر راست و متعارفی داره، و اصولاً قرار نیست فُرم پیش رو یا تازه ای ارائه بده، بلکه تلاش میکنه در قالب روایت به ترسیم وضعیت ملتی بپردازه که در فقر و نکتب به سر میبرن، تا احتمالاً شاید بتونه توجهی رو جلب کنه به سوی اون. از این نظر، کم و بیش شبیه به رمانهای رئالیسم سوسیالیستیه، با این هدف که قوم سفید و سیاه رو بر سر آشتی بیاره و آفریقای بهتری رو پیش چشمان ملتش ترسیم کنه.
از نقاط قوت رمان زیادی مسیحی بودنشه، که البته زائد بر روایت نیست، چرا که اصولاً شخصیت اصلی رمان یک کشیش پیر و سنتی هست که جهان رو از چشم مسیحیت خودش میبینه؛ و البته لحظات شک و تردیدی که دچارش میشه جزو لحظات ناب رمان هست؛
از دیگر نقاط ضعف، ترجمۀ نامتعارف و گاهی اذیت کننده بود که خودش رو تو چشم خواننده فرو میکرد. من خواننده نتونستم متوجه بشم که متن اصلی این رمان ادبی و شاعرانه س، یا اینکه خانم سیمین دانشور اون رو شاعرانه و نامتعارف ترجمه کرده.
و در نهایت، اگر بتونیم اطناب رمان رو ندید بگیریم، رمان خوب و خواندنی ای هست.

This is an old book that still has a lot of meaning for people in my country (USA) who are entangled with, fooled, uneducated about racial discord. The book was written in 1948 featuring a rural minister in South Africa who was black. He had learned to accept the insults, the rudeness of others and was a good pastor to his flock in the outlands - far from the big city. His sister went to Johannesburg to look for her husband and did not send mail to her brother. A minister wrote Kumalo, the central character, telling him that his sister was very ill and that he should come immediately. Kumalo, had no spare money but he took the money he and his wife had saved to send their only child, a boy, to advanced schooling. The son, Absalom, had also gone to Johannesburg and does not write his parents. So this dear unsophisticated man went to the big city to find his sister and his son. Some people are helpful, others are scornful because he is a black man. No other reason. This is a painful story of racial hatred, discrimination, and the dignity of some people. The book is especially relevant right now in my country because of the hatred, injustice, cruelty, and, sometimes, gentle justice. If all people in my country would read this book and discuss it with others, we might have more understanding, more justice, more kindness, and fewer killings.
I was almost afraid reading the book at this time in my country. No place is really safe from the Proud Boys, the Klan, the many guns that politicians will not restrict. I urge everyone to read it and maybe see with new eyes. We need to become more caring, more kind and perhaps a book about kindness in a racially divided country will help open eyes.

This book was published in 1948, nearly 70 years ago, with a writing style that is clean, sparse, yet poetic (I believe Paton also wrote poetry) and this requires paying attention to every sentence (i.e. not a light read). It is also another book that doesn't use quotation marks (like The Night of the Hunter).
It examines the old system of apartheid in South Africa and the effects it had on the human level for both black and white.

If none of the above deters you, you might want to give 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, but the reactions could be the same in any country with lines starkly drawn between rich and poor, regardless of race. The two narratives (white father and African father) and how they weave together is especially well done.

“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.

I was fortunate to pick this book up soon after reading Long Walk to Freedom by Nelson Mandela. In this way I was prepared to understand more deeply some of the issues the characters in Paton’s book struggle with under apartheid than I would have otherwise. This pairing buttresses my firm belief that fiction can flesh out the human condition equally with history or memoir. And it can fully engage us by helping us walk a mile in the shoes of people we come to care deeply for, more than being kept at a distance in non-fiction genres.

What Paton has done is remarkable. We start with the black side of apartheid. In the story’s timeline, the blacks have already been segregated into bantustans, basically reservations or “homelands” carved out of some of the poorest land in the nation, evicted from their homes and herded into overcrowded, resource poor areas. (1950s, I think) Many have fled to the cities because the land cannot support them. Though they might find some work in the cities, they mostly find crowded conditions that drive them into desperation, loose morals and crime. Those who remain in the bantustans struggle to retain their faith and identities and work the land against all odds.

But then Paton gives us the White side of apartheid, from why it’s desirable to the racist, angry and scared to why it’s wrong to the compassionate reformers. It is in an essay being penned by his son that Jarvis, our white main character, that we get a very clear picture of what the Whites have done to create the unjust conditions of the Blacks, and why they must change their policies.

So we’ve gotten examples of problems Blacks are facing, and then we get the backstory of why and how the conditions came about to put those struggles into context. Quite a feat without making us read a history book.

Everyone is beautifully and clearly drawn: Zulu pastor Kumalo, Msimangu, the priest who assists him in Johannesburg, the landlady, the corrupt but charismatic brother, even the lawyer who takes the case of the pastor’s son “for God.”

Jarvis’s compassion, wakened by his son’s work that he only discovered after his murder, feels deep and true, and is beautifully wrought. Paton’s writing is deliberate and simple, and works well for the story. There’s no pathos from the language and this keeps the reader clear-eyed. I loved many things about this book.

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 !

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.

Read Harder has really delivered some winners for me this year. This is one I've been meaning to read for so long, and now I've read it, I can't believe how long it took me to get here. Paton's most celebrated novel is a novel about a place, and how inextricably a place can be linked to our sense of self. It is also a novel about how a place we love can betray us, and how we can betray it. This novel, more than anything else I've read, has made me feel like I understand South Africa- a place where diverse race and class make for complex and often brutal social conflicts. Paton is expert in his crafting of setting and development of character. While the end of this novel is as brutal as its beginning, it really is an important and beautiful story.