Alan Paton (1903–1988)

#ReadAroundTheWorld. #South Africa

This story was written in 1946 by White South African author Alan Paton, and published in 1948 on the eve of the creation Apartheid in South Africa. It is a classic work of protest literature, focussing on the evils of racism, exploitation and colonialism. Paton later started the Liberal Party in South Africa which opposed apartheid. This book was first published in the US as it was unlikely to be published in South Africa at the time.

The story takes us to the village of Ndotsheni in Natal, where Stephen Kumalo, a Zulu minister, is called to go to Johannesburg to see his sister who is ill. Sadly he finds she has become involved in selling liquor and prostitution. He then seeks to find his son Absalom who he eventually discovers in jail having shot and killed a white man. Despite the heartbreak Kumalo must find a way to go on, to fight for the plight of his people and his village.

The book moves between the gentle conversations of Kumalo and some paragraphs questioning where South Africa is headed and the tyranny of the oppression of black people in mines, in the villages and the squatter camps of the metropolis.

This was a moving story, well-written and impacting. The tone is mildly patronising at points, which doesn’t surprise me given it was written nearly eighty years ago, but Paton takes on the important role of becoming a whistleblower on an international level, revealing what was going on in South Africa. You can sense his passion for the country and the vehemence of his beliefs about the evils of racial segregation and exploitation. This is an important work cutting to the heart of a great tragedy.… (meer)

I had read that, as popular as Cry, the Beloved Country is, this work (published in 1953) is generally considered his best. Having only read these two novels and a collection of Paton’s short stories, I don’t know if I have enough familiarity with his work to pass judgment but I will say that this is a very impressive work. Paton succeeds brilliantly in getting into people’s minds and it is hard to imagine that his ability to do so or his understanding of how people think could be improved upon. It is not a surprise that Paton was brought up in the Christadelphian Church, a sect that believes in the absolute primacy of the Bible, among other things. His very deep knowledge of the Bible comes through on every page. More than intellectual familiarity with what the lines in the Bible say, Paton demonstrates a profound understanding of the complexity of human beings, of good and evil, and of the nature of shame, honesty, and acceptance. Indeed, much of the book is a meditation on belief and how it does (versus how it “should”) govern our behavior. The novel is the story of an upright young (white) police officer who transgresses the color line in apartheid South Africa in the 1950s. The act is not only a serious legal problem but far more so a family problem as he is from an old Boer (Dutch) family with strict cultural and religious standards. What happens is almost impossible to see happening any other way and Paton’s telling of the story, both in how and what people do as well as how and what they think, is masterful. He is especially impressive at depicting the conscience at work. Though I understand the compelling nature of Cry, the Beloved Country, I cannot understand why this novel isn’t far better known.… (meer)

Another historical fiction that was probably just contemporary fiction at the time (published 1947, and I think the year is mentioned as 1946 at some point in the novel?), and my second book extra credit for Feb/March for Biere Library book club! I actually never read this in high school, so this was my first time through and I can see why: goes over a historical period, compelling conflicting points of view, and some lyrical writing. Also, another accidental foray into another piece of media thinking about fatherhood as Stephen Kumalo and Jarvis consider the incident between their sons.

I did audiobook due to infant wrangling in this season, and while I really did like Michael York's narration, the Zulu and Afrikaans words really should be read (physical editions also have glossaries, I'm told) as I spent the first third thinking Kumalo's home village was "Indochine" and wondered at the global nature of place names.… (meer)