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Summary: The Power of One
Review: "I was a child of Africa, a white child to be sure, but nevertheless Africa's child. The black breasts that had suckled me and the dark hands that had bathed and rocked me had left me with a burden of obligation to resist the white power..." (360) As Hitler's reign of hatred encompassed the world, a small English boy strived to survive the bigotry and brutality of South Africa. Peekay, as this boy came to be known, was tormented in his childhood, forced to carry the culpability of the English's imprisonment of the Afrikaners. An outcast at age five, Peekay grew up quickly, vowing to persevere and transcend with the power deep inside himself- the power of one. Fueled and nurtured by a series of vastly contrasted mentors, Peekay dreamed to become the welterweight champion of the world, a dream that would drive him during the transition of boy to man. Along the way he would discover a land of deeply imbedded prejudices- of hate. Yet he would also discover the ability within himself to rise above this hate, to inspire those devoid of hope. Written with overwhelming beauty and passion by Bryce Courtenay, The Power of One is a fiercely drawn portrait of a boy struggling with the oppression and prejudice surrounding him. It details a triumph over societal hate with a search to the depths of the soul. It is a mesh of characters that embody intelligence, oppression, mysticism, love and hate, all shaping Peekay's destiny. The tale is a remarkable compilation of wit and suspense, tragedy and triumph. Infused with impressive imagery and a deeply inspiring message, Peekay's extraordinary journey will elicit both laughter and tears from its readers. While a novel in excess of five-hundred pages may seem a daunting task for the reader looking for an easy read, the story line is completely enthralling and well worth the time investment. Peekay becomes a very real person, and it is hard to part with him when the pages draw to an end. And, although a tale that commences with the tormenting of an innocent child seems anything but an uplifting or enjoyable experience, The Power of One is a truly inspiring tale, leaving the reader a bit better for having experienced its message. An engrossing narrative, The Power of One explores the hatred that kindles within the soul of mankind. At the same time, it provides a message of hope, that withinall of us there resides the incredible power to triumph over this hatred, put simply by Peekay: " The power of one is based on the courage to remain separate, to think through to the truth, and not to be beguiled... The power of one is above all things the power to believe in yourself, often beyond any latent ability you may have previously demonstrated." (423) These powerful insights, so universally true, urge the reader to search within themselves for this power, to value their own individual spirit above all else. Peekay's journey from weakling to welterweight champion, from childhood to manhood, from innocence to enlightenment becomes one of epic proportions, inspiring all who come along for the ride.
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Summary: what can I say?
Review: reading this book began a new chapter in my life. More that anything else, I learned (at age 20) what Peekay was learning at the age of 6: the passion for learning. Since I've read this book I have ran a marathon, attended Oxford University (Teddy Hall to be exact) and have accomplished many other things that I can bet I would not have been as confident and eager to do without having read it. I only wish it was required for ALL children to read in school. All it would do is inspire them (at a much more appropriate age) to like school like it did for me.
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Summary: Packs a lot of punch
Review: I liked Power of One even though I found it highly improbable and at times violent. Why is it that the hero for the black South Africans is a white person? I think that's a myth that liberal white readers (of which I am one) like to believe. The reality is that the hero for the black people is another black person. His name is Nelson Mandela. Or Martin Luther King. Or Gandi. But I accepted this story as a myth and as a myth I really liked it a lot. It has a strong moral of people getting what they deserve which is very satisfying to read, even if not realistic. Also, there is a seminal train-trip which brings our young hero from a life of continual torment to life of enrichment and opportunity, thanks to his new resolve and the sacrifice of a chicken. But as I said, this is a myth. The Power of One is really the Power of Many; Pekay, our hero is what he is because of all the support he gets from so many people along the way. Support he doesn't get from the institutions, particularly the school, church, police and government, all of which get lambasted in this book. There's a lot a food for thought in The Power of One. I recommend it highly.
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Summary: Mentoring -- A way to have impact on a child's life
Review: One of the best books I have ever read. As I was reading I was so impressed on how Bryce introduced wonderful mentors to PeeKay. His biological family was not available to him, but adults (& a chicken) helped in supporting him and shaping his life. How different PeeKay would have grown up without these people in his life! It reminded me about how much impact we have on others, no matter if we meet them for only 24 hours, or see them often. This book was absolutely wonderful, I couldn't put it down. I recommend the book to everyone I know.
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Summary: A wonderful, nice read!
Review: The Power of One is an excellent book! I had to read it for a class that I am in, and I really enjoyed it. It shows a little about the culture of South Africa as well as what one person can do. Courtney's style of writing is excellent, and I could really get into the book because of it. I strongly recommend that you read this book. It is a great read!
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Summary: The Power of One by Bryce Courtenay
Review: This is one of the best books I've ever read. Though a bit graphic at times, the story is filled with struggle, suspense and success of the spirit. The characters are developed beautifully with interesting, humerous and inspiring skill. You won't want the story to ever end.
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Summary: Magical
Review: This is quite simply a magical story. I bought the book after accidentally stumbling upon the film late one night on the BBC. (The film is watchable but quite obviously adapted for a very different audience.) Once I had started reading I couldn't put the book down, so compelling is the plot. It wraps love, happiness, fear, suspense and death up into one bundle and can be deeply profound in places. I found myself crying time and again, sometimes with sadness, sometimes with joy, suffering and winning along with Peekay. The descriptive writing allows the reader to be completely drawn in and to feel part of the setting whether that be a small mountain village, an English boarding school, a boxing ring or a Rhodesian mine. I do agree with previous reviewers that Peekay is positively perfect in every way but if they wish to see him exhibit a few human flaws then they should read the sequel, 'Tandia', which I strongly recommend and don't feel is weak as is the won't of many follow up books. As for the criticism that the book presents all Boers as racists, I felt that it was more a case of many Boers being shown to turn a blind eye (as in the case of Gert and Captain Smit.) This theme becomes increasingly prominent in the sequel and I feel is reasonably accurate. Surely this is how a dictatorship flourishes. I think that this would be a great book for older schoolchildren and I note that many American students came across the book this way. However, I feel that because the book deals with some adult issues it will be avoided by schools in Britain and it is a shame that many kids will miss out as a result.
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Summary: the power of one
Review: Simply the best book I have ever read
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Summary: This Story will stay with you forever
Review: I read the power of one when I was 16, and now at 23, I have read it again. What an extraordinary story. By far the best novel my eyes have read. Bruce Courtney magically leads the reader into a young boys world that is filled with so much vivid detail that all emotions are flying at high speed. You wont be able to put this book down. Its story will leave you inspired and emotionally exausted. Peekay, the protagonist of the story, leaves you with an array of assurance that anything is possible.
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Summary: What can I say
Review: The Power of One is a remarkable work of fiction. The book is vastly superior to the movie, which is both shallow and melodramatic. The movie and the book aren't even about the same thing, although they shaer many of the same characters. This isn't the first time that I have been disgusted with a poor movie based on an excellent book. Other examples are A prayer for Owen Meany (Simon Birch) and Snow Falling on Cedars. All were excellent books that were made into marginal movies.
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