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A review by owen
Trevor Noah Collection 2 Books Set (Its Trevor Noah, Born A Crime) by Trevor Noah
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.