<< 1 >>
Rating: 
Summary: Kaffir Boy- A Bright Work or a Boring Bummer?
Review: Great words. Wonderful plot. Awesome characterization. All of these things can be found in Mark Mathabanes exciting autobiography, Kaffir Boy. This autobiography combines the vileness of South African apartheid and one young lad's struggle for freedom with astonishing results. Kaffir Boy takes an aggressive look into the wickedness of apartheid and the ravishing affects it can take on the future in an engaging manner that lures the reader into the plot.Within Kaffir Boy, the plot blossoms through magnificent character development, guided by Mark. The story is encapsulated within an autobiography format- as the characters grow, so does the plot- as shown when Mark first realizes apartheid, and the detrimental effect it has on black society. By showing this truth, the reader has the opportunity to look into the world of a black South African drowning in the havoc of apartheid. The honest viewpoint shared an unbiased hope of life that kept the reader hooked. Along with this, Mark and his family build on to the story with details from daily life and family tradition. It really opened up a new viewpoint of world cultures as I felt myself being drawn into the characters lives, struggles and achievements. The character development in Kaffir Boy was a flawless, exciting addition to this book. Along with character development, Mark's true life story unfurls through the plot a wicked twist on your feelings, emotions and beliefs that will make your morals shout out from the sidelines. The events in this book that I liked the least were the racism shown to the blacks in South Africa. The ways blacks were treated throughout this work really gave me a culture shock. Although the white's actions were horrible, Mark's actions and the persistent drive behind them shone like a candle in the night, as a hero in a sorrow filled world. The event that I liked the best was when Mark was freed of the bonds of apartheid through his talents and hard work, the theme was shown strongly through his actions and I admire his die-hard attitude. Also, the motif was very encouraging and kept me hooked. The plot of Kaffir Boy was exciting and will keep any reader thirsting for more. Bright work or boring bummer? I encourage you to read this fabulous book and decide for yourself. Kaffir Boy astonished me with new viewpoints and aspects within the menacing world of apartheid. Make sure you add this five- star choice to your bookshelf- Kaffir Boy.
Rating: 
Summary: Kaffir Boy Book Review
Review: he book "Kaffir Boy" not only captures the real life hardships that occurred in South Africa under the Apartide, but it is also a great story of success and avercoming all adversity. The Story is told from the perspective of Mark Mathabane when he is a young boy all the way up until he is a fully grown man. Mark Mathabane in his autobiography tells the story of what it is like to overcome true poverty in this story which at many times is sad and depressing, while at other times can make one laugh and smile. While reading this book one will go through a roller coaster of emotions, which will make you never weant to put down this book.
The main reason I liked this book was because of the perspective it was told in, which is of course the first person perspective. What this does for the book is it make it very belivable, because you know that everything that happened in the book is true and it wasn't just though up by some author who never experienced what South Africa was really like. And the other this this does for the book is it maked is so much more detailed. Mark Mathabane make is so that the readon knows almost every detail so you can better understand the situation that is occuring in the novel. I belive the only bad thing about this book would be that some of the scenes in the book seemed like they were un-needed. One example of this would be the part of the book where a raping occures, and there are many other scenes like this in the book. But what I think Mark Mathabane is trying to do is just to help the reader better understand the situation he was in. In closing I would highly recommend this book to anyone who is trying to learn about South Africa uner the Apartide because the book gives you a really great understanding of what it was really like.
Rating:
Summary: A Lesson For America On What NOT To Go Back to
Review: I have come a to rare realization. I think back to my years at Asbury Park High School and how there was little to no educated reading of books by or of black people, which I think is strange now as Asbury Park was a mostly black town. It wasn't until I eventually got to a black university that I learned more and more of my heritage, black history and what could become a black future. Oh, as good as they were, I read "The Crucible," "The Pearl," "Of Mice and Men," etc. in Asbury Park, but not until Norfolk State U. did I even know "Kaffir Boy" existed. And what a travesty! I know all about white history and such. Someone asked me the other day how I even heard of a group called "Frankie Goes To Hollywood." Because when I was growing up in the 80's, everything on MTV was white. I had never met a Chinese person except the goof in high school who got voted "Class Clown." My favorite television show was "Tales of the Gold Monkey," a show with no black characters. A great deal of black life, especially literature, is lost on today's youth because it was lost on yesterday's youth. Why were we spared the turmoil of Mark Mathabane's childhood? His oppression by evil soldiers who shared the darkness of his skin tone, as they forced him to practically dance in feces? His needs, yearns for a better life studying tennis at the tutledge of a kindly white sponsor? His fright at unexpected and often raids on his poor village by storm troopers ripe with power and arrogance yet bereft of dignity and compassion? Why didn't anyone tell me of this book when I was 15? Because if we're aware of the evils of the world when we are young, there will be unlimited resources for us to change it in the future.
Rating: 
Summary: Though the story is moving, it is too commercialized...
Review: I have read Mark's book three times and still come to one conclusion: it could have been better. It is a fine read indeed, but there are several things in the content of the book which I as a black South African, having lived in a South African ghetto during and after Apartheid, found Mr. Mathabane's book a bit too commercialized. I too come from the ghetto in SA. Despite the ills of Apartheid and oppression we suffered under the white minority. There were moments for happiness in our lives in the ghettos. Mr. Mathabane paints a picture in which he tells of his life as that of the worst among them all. It is troubling to see the way he distorts and diss our culture, food, and beliefs. His description of amasonja and murogo on page 63 is very disturbing to me. This is the food that kept us strong, we enjoyed this as young people or black families in our communities. True not everybody liked amasonja or murogo, but it wasn't filthy food. Also his description of eating blood (ubende), this is a delicacy among us Zulus, especially among children and families that value culture.
It is also sad to see how he fails to give proper translations of things such as muhodu on pg 30, he says is cattle's lungs--NO its not; page 84 mfana is not a brat; page 6 pap is not porridge. These are just few of the things that have I found inaccurate.
It just seems like the book had its intention of being a best seller, especially catering to the American society. Only for Mr. Mathabane to forget that one day us black South Africans will get hold of this book.
I must say that at least ninety percent of the book is accurate, but the very elements of our cultures are not well represented in Kaffir Boy.
Rating:
Summary: Kaffir Boy Review
Review: Kaffir Boy is set in South Africa during apartheid in the 1960's; it is an autobiography of the life of Mark Mathabane who tells the ups and downs of his life. The story begins with a bang as the SAP (South African Police) journey uninvited into Mark's house looking for his parents to check his passport. This happens many times throughout the book and Mark begins to adapt it as a well of everyday life. Mark also encounters poverty when his father is arrested for not having his passport in order. His family results to near starvation for months until his grandmother is able to help them get back on their feet until Mark's father returns from prison. Mark's next step lands him in school, although his father is completely bent against him going his mother is able to provide for his education. Mark ends up being at the top of his class and gets a scholarship to a college. He begins to pick up tennis and plays with more white players around the world; he begins to idolize Arthur Ashe and watches one of his matches. Mark ends up being a class act tennis player and making friends with several white people. At the end of the book Mark changes as a person, he didn't like whites at the beginning but learned that all whites were not bad and he also felt like he had completed all his goals coming out of a ghetto. The reason I give the book 4 of 5 stars is really the length and content of the book. I feel as though more information then necessary was given sometimes. I see where Mark was coming from though, trying to give the raw details of the ghetto so readers from a suburban neighborhood would understand what it was like in the 1960's but I also feel like some of the mentioned material was much too explicit. Mark was able to catch my attention though and no other book before has been able to do that, it is a great autobiography to say the least. I recommend it to readers 16 years old and above and anybody with a lot of free time on their hands.
Rating: 
Summary: kaffir boy- sick and disgusting for students
Review: Kaffir Boy was about a boy living under the apartheid laws of South Africa. These laws prevented blacks from doing anything in their community. They had no freedoms, and no hope for jobs to make money to live their lives. Mark Mathebane was the young boy in this book. He talked about his life and how horrible it was. This book was extremely graphic and sick minded for high school students. He gave every detail about how he lived and how he survived. One section of the book that comes to mind is where Mark is getting raped by a man. He gave every single detail that made me want to throw up. In another part of the book, a man made him step in a bucket full of human feases, which is flat out disgusting. This book is horrible in the fact that he or she reading it will have a stomach ache from the gross facts. Not suited for High School students!!
Rating:
Summary: Kaffir Boy
Review: Kaffir Boy Mark Matherbane has had many up's and down's throughout his young childhood. He went through beatings and fights, up to schools and scholarships. There are many African black people being mistreated every day of there life in the South African city, Alexandria.
In South Africa, black people are being treated very poorly every day of there life's by white people in the story, "Kaffir Boy." There are many young boys in South Africa. But Mark Matherbane was a very unique kid who had a dream, and set his mind and heart to accomplish it. His world was very tuff and treated him very unfairly. He took care of his family the best of his ability at such a young age.
There was a family of five who lived in the deep heart of Alexandria. There family was starving and poor. They had no money. Mark was so young and almost hitting death of starvation, he pulled out of it. This shows that if you set a dream or a goal, and you try hard enough to reach it, it will always come true.
There are many things that have happened to Mark throughout his life. Mark fought with his father every day when he was growing up. I also get in a lot of arguments with my parents. He wanted to kill his father he was so mad. I would never go that far. Mark had two things that he was good at that brought him through life. It was his tennis career, that he was so good at, and his education. His talent mad him become friends with many different whites. In the end Mark did overcome all of his obstacles and reach his goal. He got his scholarship and went to America.
I would recommend it to young adults over 15 years of age. Only people who want to know the truth about how black people where treated in South Africa by whites and all others. Ignoring all of the gross stuff, the book was very good and I would give it four stars. I don't read many books, but this one was excellent.
Rating:
Summary: A marvelous book! This is a must read!
Review: Mark Mathabane's spellbinding autobiography, Kaffir Boy, is an emotional tale of a boy's struggle to fulfill his dreams and aspirations amongst the terrors of apartheid South Africa. The book deals with extreme racism, poverty, hope, and miracles. Born Johannes Mathabane, the boy is forced to deal with harsh police raids and lack of food daily. Through his mother's diligent work efforts, Johannes is able to attend school and finds himself first in his class. Through some connections, he realizes that not all whites are the conniving, cruel policemen that Johannes has encountered. Through one of these connections, he discovers the sport of tennis unearths his talent for the sport. Through some friendly encounters with whites at tournaments, he meets Stan Smith, a famous tennis player from the United States and learns of the free black society overseas. Through the help of his new friend, Johannes finally receives a tennis scholarship to attend an American university. Throughout this book, Johannes proves to be such a wonderful and convincing hero as he worked to better his people and his country, provided for his family, and continuously strove to be better at all aspects of his life.
Johannes continuously was weighing decisions on which would be the better for his people and the future of South Africa. Reading was a passion of his that helped him to be more adept to reading English until he reached the point where no matter how hard the English was, he could read it. His main focus at the end of the story was to fulfill these dreams of his. This value of the desire to excel was another heroic trait that Johannes possessed.
All of these add up to the laudable hero in Johannes "Mark" Mathabane, making his story a precious tale that is a must read. It brings awareness to horrible conditions so often overlooked, yet so recent. The scenes were graphic and tragically descriptive, making the reader sense the horror and tragedy that Johannes must have endured. Facing adversity at every turn, Johannes Mathabane, the seemingly small, stands to his full height and defies all expectations to reveal one magnificent story!
Rating:
Summary: You'll like it
Review: This book is really good. I only finished part one. It is an autobiography by Mark Mathabane. This part was talking about his stormy youth and described the discrimination for black people. Johannes Mathabane was born in Alexandra, one of South Africa's black towns. He was raised with fear and hunger. He had a passion to love his family. This was a time when his family was poor. They couldn't even celebrate at Christmas. His parents had a pass book which the black people had to carry. But, that pass book was not in order so the policemen took Johannes's parents away. I really liked reading this book, because it gave me a lot of information so I can image each scene very easily. I can't wait to read the rest of this book. I think it is a great book to know what was going on in South Africa and of the discrimination for the black people. If you are interested in the difficulties experienced by black people, you'll like this book.
<< 1 >>
|
