Comments on: A Stop in South Africa (Two Novels by Alan Paton) + Giveaway

By: Rebecca Reid

Rebecca Reid — Fri, 01 Jan 2010 17:54:02 +0000

I forgot to do this giveaway and just found the book sitting buried on a shelf! The Winner is…..Suzanne! I’ll send you an email.

By: Rebecca Reid

Rebecca Reid — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 12:37:59 +0000

Valerie, while the Bloom book is a recent publication, the essays in it are from the last 50 years. I think it’s very interesting that the high school class focused on what was most interesting to them!!

By: Valerie

Valerie — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 03:53:58 +0000

Rebecca,
I wonder if Bloom’s book came out after I was in HS? I think we had concentrated on the cultural/political aspects the most when we discussed it.

Sure, enter me in the give away — like I need more books right ?

By: Rebecca Reid

Rebecca Reid — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 12:57:59 +0000

Amanda, I haven’t read Grapes of Wrath yet, but now I’m looking forward to it very much! I hope you enjoy Phalarope. It’s different and not as happy but I think it’s still a good book.

Kathy, I do think Cry is a book worth rereading!

claire, I think it took me by surprise, even though I too have read the Bible throughout my life! You jsut don’t expect it when reading a novel. But once you get used to it, it is just an interesting way to tell a story. Enjoy it when you read it!

Teresa, I did a lot of background reading for the book group I run and it made it a lot of fun to read the book! I, too, found it very moving upon my revisit!

Suzanne, I can imagine that about Proust! Still way impressed by your project! I’ll enter you for the book

Jackie, I hope you enjoy it when you get to it! I think it is important!

Valerie, that’s funny that the Biblical aspects never came up since Bloom’s book of criticism seemed to focus on it! There is plenty of meat in the book for discussion though.

I don’t think you’d need to reread Cry first. The books are very different, just the writing style is somewhat similar. Did you want me to “enter” you in the giveaway?

By: Valerie

Valerie — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 16:39:02 +0000

“Cry, the Beloved Country” was required reading in HS English. I remember liking the book and feeling impacted by it, but nothing about what we discussed in class (HS was a long time ago….before Mandela and the end of apartheid….gosh, I feel old now). But I’m pretty sure that bibilical overtones never came up; that’s interesting hearing that from you. Over the years, this is one of the books I’ve wanted to re-read but never have gotten around to it.

I think I’d like to read “Too Late the Phalarope”, but not sure when I’d get to it, especially if you think I should re-read “Cry, the Beloved Country” first.

By: Jackie (Farm Lane Books)

Jackie (Farm Lane Books) — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 13:53:33 +0000

I haven’t read anything by Alan Paton, but want to read Cry, the Beloved Country at some point. It sounds as though it is an important book – thanks for reminding me about it.

By: Suzanne

Suzanne — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 03:48:06 +0000

As you know, I am reading Proust. His writing style is not so much a difficult writing style but it is a style that for me requires complete concentration and no distractions.
I’d be interested in reading Too Late the Phalarope – it sounds like an interesting story for the time it was written.

By: Teresa

Teresa — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 01:01:30 +0000

I read Cry the Beloved Country back when I was in college (over a break, I think, not for a class). I remember it took me a while to get into, partly perhaps because of the language but mostly because of my complete ignorance about South Africa. Ultimately, I did find it to be very moving. It’s one I’ve often thought would be worth revisiting.

By: claire

claire — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 00:19:27 +0000

I’ve Cry the Beloved Country on the tbr. I actually read the first page and thought it was beautiful. I might not have difficulty with the writing style as I’ve been used to reading the King James Bible since childhood. Anyway, glad to hear you love the book. Makes me look more forward to it.

You don’t need to enter me for Too Late the Phalarope as I’m not sure yet if I want to read that, and I don’t want to add anymore to the tbr if it isn’t something I will read next year!

By: Kathy

Kathy — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 22:23:49 +0000

I read Cry, The Beloved Country when I was in junior high at the suggestion of my social studies teacher. I remember enjoying it but wonder if I really understood it. It sounds like it’s worth a re-read.

By: Amanda

Amanda — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 19:43:33 +0000

I had a difficult time at first with the writing style, too, but once I found the rhythm, it was much easier for me to digest. I found it similar to The Grapes of Wrath in style (in places at least), but I suppose the Grapes of Wrath also has a very biblical slant to its writing.

I’m looking forward to Too Late the Phalarope even after your review. I don’t know that I would have liked it much reading it directly after Cry, but maybe with some distance between the two, I’ll like it? No need to enter me for the contest – I found a copy of this at a library sale recently (I think that’s where I got it).