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readingintherayne's review
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
4.75
ifersinklings's review
5.0
This was the best, most entertaining, enjoyable memoir that I've ever listened to. Now, don't let that fool you in thinking that it wasn't a horrible, tragic story. But just like Trevor's mom, it resonated with strength and hope.
inspiredprey's review
5.0
Listening to this brilliant book, narrated by Trevor Noah himself, was nothing short of awe-inspiring and revelatory. Trevor has had such a complex, poverty-ridden childhood but listening to it all makes you realize he was a perfectly happy and naughty kid! I came away from this book with reverence for his mother - Patricia Nombuyiselo Noah, a woman made of love and steel, and so much faith in the power of God and spirituality, something that I've always seen most in women. I think this book is more about Trevor's mother than it is about him because the story of his childhood is the story of how his mother persevered, thrived, struggled but always always always stayed resolute in her faith. I'm ashamed I didn't know much about apartheid in South Africa, and this book helped me understand it. I realized the many ways that South Africans and Indians suffered at the hands of colonialism, and our struggles are somehow still very different given that Black folks continue to face racism at a level that few others do. If you read one thing this year - Trevor's book should definitely be it. Better yet, listen to the audiobook because it somehow feels much better than reading it.
owen's review
5.0
I don't read a lot of non-fiction, but with everything that's been going on (spring 2020, with COVID 19 and George Floyd's murder happening), I really wanted to focus a bit more on black writers. Given Noah's fantastic videos and comments on recent events, I thought I'd give his memoir a try.
I've taken some courses and had a basic historical context on South Africa during and post apartheid, but reading this book made me realize I had zero actual appreciation for what it meant. I honestly think Born a Crime should be made mandatory reading in schools.
Noah write with the level of humour you'd expect, plus a healthy dose of self-awareness. Through his personal lens you get to experience a nation changing after some of the worst institutionalized racial-based injustices that were implemented on a national scale at any point in history. But don't get me wrong, nothing about this book feels preachy or political - it just details lives.
And that's why it's brilliant storytelling.
Born a Crime isn't a feel-good story with likable characters - in fact, young Noah is an annoying brat, as he'll tell you himself. It's about real slices of a life from a country that I've never been to, but understand a tiny bit better now. And through that understanding comes a new lens through which I can view current race dynamics around the world, and it's instructive. And it's about so much more than race - reading this book will force you to confront thoughts about religion, relationships, abuse.
To do all that while being funny, entertaining, and basically doing nothing but sharing parts of his life... that's an impressive accomplishment. I'm now a fan of Trevor Noah.
Final word - the ending is insane. I suggest you give it a read.
I've taken some courses and had a basic historical context on South Africa during and post apartheid, but reading this book made me realize I had zero actual appreciation for what it meant. I honestly think Born a Crime should be made mandatory reading in schools.
Noah write with the level of humour you'd expect, plus a healthy dose of self-awareness. Through his personal lens you get to experience a nation changing after some of the worst institutionalized racial-based injustices that were implemented on a national scale at any point in history. But don't get me wrong, nothing about this book feels preachy or political - it just details lives.
And that's why it's brilliant storytelling.
Born a Crime isn't a feel-good story with likable characters - in fact, young Noah is an annoying brat, as he'll tell you himself. It's about real slices of a life from a country that I've never been to, but understand a tiny bit better now. And through that understanding comes a new lens through which I can view current race dynamics around the world, and it's instructive. And it's about so much more than race - reading this book will force you to confront thoughts about religion, relationships, abuse.
To do all that while being funny, entertaining, and basically doing nothing but sharing parts of his life... that's an impressive accomplishment. I'm now a fan of Trevor Noah.
Final word - the ending is insane. I suggest you give it a read.
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