Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood

ISBN-13: 9780525509028 / Angielski / Miękka / 2017 / 304 str.

Trevor Noah

Opis

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER - The compelling, inspiring, and comically sublime story of one man's coming-of-age, set during the twilight of apartheid and the tumultuous days of freedom that followedNAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BYMichiko Kakutani, New York Times - Newsday - Esquire - NPR - BooklistTrevor Noah's unlikely path from apartheid South Africa to the desk of The Daily Show began with a criminal act: his birth. Trevor was born to a white Swiss father and a black Xhosa mother at a time when such a union was punishable by five years in prison. Living proof of his parents' indiscretion, Trevor was kept mostly indoors for the earliest years of his life, bound by the extreme and often absurd measures his mother took to hide him from a government that could, at any moment, steal him away. Finally liberated by the end of South Africa's tyrannical white rule, Trevor and his mother set forth on a grand adventure, living openly and freely and embracing the opportunities won by a centuries-long struggle.Born a Crime is the story of a mischievous young boy who grows into a restless young man as he struggles to find himself in a world where he was never supposed to exist. It is also the story of that young man's relationship with his fearless, rebellious, and fervently religious mother-his teammate, a woman determined to save her son from the cycle of poverty, violence, and abuse that would ultimately threaten her own life.The stories collected here are by turns hilarious, dramatic, and deeply affecting. Whether subsisting on caterpillars for dinner during hard times, being thrown from a moving car during an attempted kidnapping, or just trying to survive the life-and-death pitfalls of dating in high school, Trevor illuminates his curious world with an incisive wit and unflinching honesty. His stories weave together to form a moving and searingly funny portrait of a boy making his way through a damaged world in a dangerous time, armed only with a keen sense of humor and a mother's unconventional, unconditional love.Praise for Born a Crime"[A] compelling new memoir . . . By turns alarming, sad and funny, [Trevor Noah's] book provides a harrowing look, through the prism of Mr. Noah's family, at life in South Africa under apartheid. . . . Born a Crime is not just an unnerving account of growing up in South Africa under apartheid, but a love letter to the author's remarkable mother."-Michiko Kakutani, The New York Times"[An] unforgettable memoir."-Parade"What makes Born a Crime such a soul-nourishing pleasure, even with all its darker edges and perilous turns, is reading Noah recount in brisk, warmly conversational prose how he learned to negotiate his way through the bullying and ostracism. . . . What also helped was having a mother like Patricia Nombuyiselo Noah. . . . Consider Born a Crime another such gift to her-and an enormous gift to the rest of us."-USA Today"[Noah] thrives with the help of his astonishingly fearless mother. . . . Their fierce bond makes this story soar."-People"[Noah's] electrifying memoir sparkles with funny stories . . . and his candid and compassionate essays deepen our perception of the complexities of race, gender, and class."-Booklist (starred review)"A gritty memoir . . . studded with insight and provocative social criticism . . . with flashes of brilliant storytelling and acute observations."-Kirkus Reviews

Recenzje

A soul-nourishing pleasure . . . an enormous gift. USA Today
 
By turns alarming, sad and funny . . . not just an unnerving account of growing up in South Africa under apartheid, but a love letter to the author s remarkable mother. Michiko Kakutani, The New York Times

You d be hard-pressed to find a comic s origin story better than the one Trevor Noah serves up in Born a Crime. . . . Witty truth-telling . . . brilliant comedy. O: The Oprah Magazine

Remarkable . . . smart . . . extraordinary . . . essential reading on every level. The Seattle Times

[Noah] thrives with the help of his astonishingly fearless mother. . . . Their fierce bond makes this story soar. People
 
When I think of Trevor Noah, the first image I see is from his brilliant memoir, Born a Crime, of Trevor s mother throwing him out of a moving vehicle while he s asleep in order to save his life. Through other eyes this could be remembered as traumatic and harrowing. Through Trevor s it is bonding and hilarious, a testament to the love of someone who truly had to think on their feet. That is how Trevor sees the world. A fantastic storyteller, he has always been a defier of rules, which he broke simply by being born in his native country. Lupita Nyong o, Time

Noah s not the main character in his own story his mother is the constant . . . and by the end, Noah lovingly makes clear that the book belongs to her. . . . Noah proves to be a gifted storyteller, able to deftly lace his poignant tales with amusing irony. Entertainment Weekly

[An] unforgettable memoir. Parade

This isn t your average comic-writes-a-memoir: It s a unique look at a man who is a product of his culture and a nuanced look at a part of the world whose people have known dark times easily pushed aside. Refinery29

[Noah s] electrifying memoir sparkles with funny stories . . . and his candid and compassionate essays deepen our perception of the complexities of race, gender, and class. Booklist (starred review)

Powerful prose . . . told through stories and vignettes that are sharply observed, deftly conveyed and consistently candid. Growing organically from them is an affecting investigation of identity, ethnicity, language, masculinity, nationality and, most of all, humanity. Mail & Guardian (South Africa)

[Noah s] story of surviving and thriving is mind-blowing. Cosmopolitan

Noah has a real tale to tell, and he tells it well. . . . Among the many virtues of Born a Crime is a frank and telling portrait of life in South Africa during the 1980s and 90s. Newsday

An affecting memoir, Born a Crime [is] a love letter to his mother. The Washington Post

Witty and revealing . . . Noah s story is the story of modern South Africa. Publishers Weekly (starred review)

O autorze

Trevor Noah is a comedian from South Africa.