Born A Crime
Stories From A South African Childhood
eBook - 2016
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Mar 2020: Central evening
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Add Age Suitabilitygreen_turtle_2159 thinks this title is suitable for 13 years and over
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ReadingAdviser_Jacque
Feb 11, 2019
“Nelson Mandela once said, 'If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head. If you talk to him in his language, that goes to his heart.' He was so right. When you make the effort to speak someone else's language, even if it's just basic phrases here and there, you are saying to them, 'I understand that you have a culture and identity that exists beyond me. I see you as a human being”
― Trevor Noah, Born a Crime: Stories From a South African Childhood
People thought my mom was crazy. Ice rinks and drive-ins and suburbs, these things were izinto zabelungu—the things of white people. So many black people had internalized the logic of apartheid and made it their own. Why teach a black child white things? Neighbors and relatives used to pester my mom. “Why do all this? Why show him the world when he’s never going to leave the ghetto?” “Because,” she would say, “even if he never leaves the ghetto, he will know that the ghetto is not the world. If that is all I accomplish, I’ve done enough.”
But the more we went to church and the longer I sat in those pews the more I learned about how Christianity works: If you’re Native American and you pray to the wolves, you’re a savage. If you’re African and you pray to your ancestors, you’re a primitive. But when white people pray to a guy who turns water into wine, well, that’s just common sense.
This quote could be titled 'Christianity, assimilate or else!'
"In the [neighbour]hood, even if you're not a hardcore criminal, crime is in your life in some way or another. There are degrees of it. ... The hood made me realized that crime succeeds because crime does the one thing the government doesn't do: crime cares. Crime is grassroots. Crime looks for the young kids who need support and a lifting hand. Crime offers internship programs and summer jobs and opportunities for advancement. Crime gets involved in the community. Crime doesn't discriminate." (p. 209)
The genius of apartheid was convincing people who were the overwhelming majority to turn on each other. Apart hate is what it was. You separate people into groups and make them hate one another so you can run them all.
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SPL_Sonya
Sep 23, 2019
Trevor Noah is best known as the late night talk show host who took over the Daily Show after the retirement of Jon Stewart in 2015. Trevor Noah is South African and this book relates the many fascinating and improbable stories that made up his childhood.
Noah reminds us of the horrors of apartheid (forced segregation of the races) in his native country. The fact that his mother is black and his father is white was actually a crime when he was born in the 1980s. People of different races could not marry and definitely could not have a child together. But that's exactly what happened in Trevor's case.
By the bizarre and hateful traditions of South Africa at that time he was labelled as 'coloured' to differentiate him from black people and white people. Everyone was classified based on their race. He was kept out of the public eye as much as possible growing up. When seen in public, Trevor's mother had to pretend she did not know him. As a child Trevor found this profoundly disturbing. His white father from Switzerland also could not acknowledge any connection with the boy.
Despite the horrors of life in South Africa, this memoir is upbeat and very funny. Trevor Noah was the kind of child that drives parents crazy. He was impulsive, clever and always getting himself into trouble. He was maddening and yet he was also adorable and irresistible.
There is no bitterness in his retelling of his childhood despite the poverty and violence that was always around him. He relates how difficult it was to fit in because of his unusual racial status. Noah's honesty is refreshing. At no time in his book does he exaggerate his importance or avoid embarrassing stories about himself. Quite the opposite, in fact. His stories about his first girlfriend, his illegal money making schemes and his trouble fitting in with other kids are honest, endearing and often hilarious.
It is incredible to think that a young man who grew up under such horrible circumstances could turn out to be the successful host of a TV show half a world away.
When Trevor Noah was born in South Africa in 1984, his existence was literally illegal, proof that his black, Xhosa mother and his white, Swiss-German father had violated the Immorality Act of 1927, one of the many laws defining the system known as apartheid. The crime carried a punishment of four to five years in prison, and mixed race children were often seized and placed in state-run orphanages. But Noah’s mother was determined and clever, and she managed to hold onto her son, refusing to flee her home country in order to raise him. But it made his childhood complicated, even after apartheid officially ended in 1994. Racial hierarchies and inequities persisted, and despite receiving a good education, his upbringing was anything but easy. In a series of essays, Born a Crime chronicles Noah’s experience growing up under apartheid and its aftermath.
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Add a CommentBorn a Crime by Trevor Noah; this novel is composed of short stories about Trevor Noah’s life. He has lived a very eventful life, and some of these stories may shock you. He talked about his life experiences in Africa, growing up of mixed race and not knowing where he exactly fit in society. Having born in his country during Apartheid, he and his family ran the risk in the society they live just for being alive and of mixed race. I personally really like this novel. I thought it was very interesting since everything was based on true events. Even though there are some characters in this book that I didn't care for being abusive and toxic, I overall recommend this book as a great read. I believe the age range should be between 12-17 years. 5/5 star rating
Many have heard of the Daily Show with Trevor Noah, an African comedian. However, few know about what goes behind his work, his story, his background. Noah's coming of age memoir talks about what it was like to grow up in South Africa as a mixed child. Behind his remarkable success lies abuse, bullying, violence, and poverty. As the son of a white father and a black mother, he could never fit in. He describes his heartbreaking story with sprinkles of humor and laughter, and I would highly recommend this book for a variety of audiences. Through relatable, tragic, and hilarious moments, Noah tells an amazing tale. -Olivia, Grade 10
Born A Crime by Trevor Noah is the autobiography of Trevor Noah. He describes his early life from his contraception to his adulthood. Three significant parental figures in Trevor’s life are his African American mother who tries to ensure that her son is not trapped by apartheid and grows up to be a respectable man, his abusive step-father, and his white father whom Trevor is separated from because of the system of apartheid. I loved this book because Trevor Noah makes hilarious jokes, provides thought-provoking commentary, and shows the intriguing way that Trevor’s skin color affects his life as a colored person. I would recommend this book for teenagers and adults, but not for children because there are a few parts that are inappropriate for children.
This is really enjoyable, there's a lot of laughs sprinkled in some deep, personal and painful memories, but if you are a fan of Trevor's comedy or his work on television you will probably enjoy this book, as well. Even though this was written several years ago, his memories of apartheid come off as extremely relevant today, and if nothing else, seeing that world through the eyes of the oppressed, and not oppressor, is worth your time.
Trevor Noah: Born a Crime
By Trevor Noah
This book is definitely a great way to see struggle from apartheid in Africa, and it was so funny. There were points in the story where I was confused whether to laugh or cry because of the unfairness. You could definitely see how much the author loved his mom and it was just a fantastic collection of vignettes. Born a Crime is definitely a book I would recommend to many people.
Excellent - what an amazing mother - will recommend to others! TY Nita!
Funny stories, smart business tactics, this book is great. I would recommend it to anyone looking for some intriguing stories; it captivated me. The business tactics are really smart, as well. I learned a lot from just reading about Trevor Noah - a kid who was street smart. I really enjoyed the listen (I listened to the audiobook instead of reading the book).
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Well written, fascinating book . I feel enriched for having read it.
Reviewed in the United States on July 29, 2020
I was not familiar with Trevor Noah prior to cracking his memoir, BORN A CRIME. I can tell you, that it in no way diminished my enjoyment of his book, or my appreciation of him, for allowing a glimpse into a world that was completely foreign to me.
It is a great story and touches on so many relevant aspects of humans and our social
constraints and boundaries. Noah was born in South Africa near the end of Apartheid. He grew up in a part of that world, in circumstances that I could never have known or understood, without him having so generously shared it, by telling his story.
If you want to make your life richer and fuller by understanding racism, crime, poverty, education, politics, and feminism and abuse in ways you've never looked at them before, BORN A CRIME is your ticket to see the world through someone elses eyes.
This is a great book and a opportunity for readers to experience life in a time and place that is completely different from how most of us grew up.
Well written, fascinating book. I feel enriched for having read it!
Well written, fascinating book. I feel enriched for having read it.
Reviewed in the United States on July 29, 2020
I was not familiar with Trevor Noah prior to cracking his memoir, BORN A CRIME. I can tell you, that it in no way diminished my enjoyment of his book, or my appreciation of him, for allowing a glimpse into a world that was completely foreign to me.
It is a great story and touches on so many relevant aspects of humans and our social
constraints and boundaries. Noah was born in South Africa near the end of Apartheid. He grew up in a part of that world, in circumstances that I could never have known or understood, without him having so generously shared it, by telling his story.
If you want to make your life richer and fuller by understanding racism, crime, poverty, education, politics, and feminism and abuse in ways you've never looked at them before, BORN A CRIME is your ticket to see the world through someone elses eyes.
This is a great book and a opportunity for readers to experience life in a time and place that is completely different from how most of us grew up.
Well written, fascinating book. I feel enriched for having read it.
Even if you don't know this charismatic TV host and stand up comedian, his story of racism is eye-opening yet engaging. With wit and heart, Trevor weaves an unforgettable childhood of growing up light-skinned in a country that punishes mixed relations. His courageous mom tried to hide him and he wasn't accepted in school for being neither pure black nor pure white. With his signature humor, Trevor retells his youthful indiscretions and how he tried to find friends and direction in life. I recommend this to all readers just because it's so well-written. A kid version is available "It's Trevor Noah Born A Crime".--@IvyDigest
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