Born a Crime: Stories From a South African Childhood in Wanderlust Challenges

Dec 14, 2017 Book Concierge rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: concierge, library, africa, audio, memoir, book-club, south-africa, autobiography

Book on CD performed by the author.

Subtitle: Stories From a South African Childhood

Born under Apartheid in South Africa, Trevor Noah was born a crime. He had a white Swiss German father, and a black Xhosa mother, at a time when such a relationship was punishable by up to five years in prison. His early childhood years were spent being hidden behind walls so that the government would not take him. This is his memoir of growing up a “colored” boy in a black neighborhood, in a changing South Africa ...more

10 likes · Like · see review

Jan 16, 2017 Cathie rated it it was amazing

Shelves: 2017-reads, 2016-releases, aamp, favorites, autobiography, 2017-favourites, africa-south, readers-tops

Insightful, tragic, funny and uplifting!

I listened to the audio version as I read along with my copy of the hardcover version; I have never "double" experienced a book in this way before, and while slower than what I would normally read at, it was a complete immersive experience in a story of high quality.

This is the story of Trevor Noah growing up in South Africa as a product of a black mother and a white father, in a time when it was illegal to have a child born of these two mixed races. This Insightful, tragic, funny and uplifting!

I listened to the audio version as I read along with my copy of the hardcover version; I have never "double" experienced a book in this way before, and while slower than what I would normally read at, it was a complete immersive experience in a story of high quality.

This is the story of Trevor Noah growing up in South Africa as a product of a black mother and a white father, in a time when it was illegal to have a child born of these two mixed races. This is not the story of how he rose to stardom, got the job as host of the Daily Show, or even of how he started out working as a comedian. Other than a line or two in passing, there is no mention of his career. This is the story of a boy growing up in Apartheid South Africa and the life and social readjustments when Apartheid ended.

Trevor Noah knows how to tell a story, but more importantly he sifted through his history and found his voice to tell the best possible story of his life. He does not glamorize or hide his scars or his sins or the way the world is. He offers meaningful insight into Apartheid in South Africa, class divisions, race divisions and social divisions. He tells it like he experienced it.

He takes on the issues of domestic violence, of trying to find his way in a world that he was always an outsider in, and of his Mother's fierce love and determination that injustice and wrong can be overcome if you don't pay homage to the rules that divide us. He addresses crime and criminality and what it's like to grow up within a South African Hood environment. He talks about the things that keep you trapped and how movement out, into something better, is frayed with pressures to keep people locked in. This book has an eerily chilling truth vibe to it that isn't just aimed at pointing out the flaws of one country but ring true throughout the rest of the world, whenever we try to separate others from ourselves or put people into boxes / places that we ourselves haven't lived in.

Trevor Noah speaks 5 different languages and listening to the Audio of this book helped with the passages written in different languages. He also does voice characterizations very well.

This is a powerful story told by a funny guy who lays his truth on the line. One of the best autobiographies I have ever read. ...more

9 likes · Like · see review

Mar 16, 2019 Claire rated it liked it · review of another edition

I really enjoyed reading this book. It is a very fascinating insight on how the ‘Apartheids’ regime worked. That the book is written from the POV of a child makes it even more interesting.
I think it deserves 3,5 stars. At the times it loses the tension, the pace it needs. It feels like it goes wandering to start again. For me a bit more editing would have helped. But still a good read in its kind.

6 likes · Like · see review

May 01, 2017 Linda Boyd rated it it was amazing

Shelves: audio-books, litsy-s-tbr

I simply loved this book. i have never listened to any of Trevor's standup routine but I really enjoyed this book and I'm so glad that I listened to the audio and that Trevor was the narrator. After I finished the audiobook, I wanted to start it over and listen to it again. ...more

3 likes · Like · see review

Aug 01, 2017 Connie N. rated it it was amazing

Shelves: humor-light, memoir, audio-rec, audio-done

This was so good. I'd really rate it 4.5 stars, but since I enjoyed the audiobook so much, I'll round it up for GR. I've listened to books from other comedians and have found them all mildly amusing but basically uninspired. But this book was excellent. First of all, Noah has led a very interesting life. He grew up in South Africa as a mixed-race child during apartheid. A difficult start since he had a hard time being accepted by any group and an even harder time discovering who he really identi ...more

1 like · Like · see review

Sep 14, 2017 Rachel N. rated it really liked it

Shelves: audiobook, autobiography, memoir, coming-of-age, read-in-2017

Trevor Noah tells of his life growing up in South Africa. His father is white and his mother black so his birth during apartheid was literally a crime. I knew next to nothing about Trevor Noah going into this but had heard rave reviews for the audio. I found the stories of his youth fascinating but not exactly humorous. I also wish the book was written in more of a chronological order. I wanted the book to continue to hear how Trevor Noah ended up anchoring the Daily Show.

1 like · Like · see review

Sep 16, 2024 Shan ~A~ rated it it was amazing

Shelves: 2024-september, animals, owned-audible, crime, audio, family, books-i-own, biography, humorous, favorites

Trevor Noah, Patricia (his mother)

I really enjoyed this novel. It dealt with serious subject matter, but it also had moments of humor throughout.

I already liked Trevor, before reading this book, but this endeared him to me even more.

I never really knew anything about him personally, except for seeing episodes of The Daily Show, so I knew his was funny, but the things he went through to get to where he is today. And I have the utmost respect for his mother. That woman must have been born a forc ...more

1 like · Like · see review

Oct 24, 2017 Chinook rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: africa

Holy crap, Trevor Noah had one hell of a life before he became the host of the Daily Show. This is worth reading, just or gain some insight on a very difficult set of circumstances and how people deal with them and try to rise above. I’ve heard the audiobook is amazing but sadly it’s not available on Overdrive.

Also, I wish The Daily Show would return to Hulu. We used to watch them all but I don’t like the Comedy Central app and so now we don’t bother. Which is too bad because I really enjoy it.

1 like · Like · see review

Mar 30, 2018 August rated it it was amazing

Shelves: nonfiction, memoir

I was aware of Trevor Noah before I picked up this book, but I didn't really know a lot about him or what he's done. Normally, I don't read books about well-known people/celebrities unless I know something about them already, but the summary intrigued me.

I know very little about South Africa, but maybe a little bit more than the average American my age. I took a class in college about the history of South Africa, but sadly, we didn't have time for anything much more recent than the Boer War. Als I was aware of Trevor Noah before I picked up this book, but I didn't really know a lot about him or what he's done. Normally, I don't read books about well-known people/celebrities unless I know something about them already, but the summary intrigued me.

I know very little about South Africa, but maybe a little bit more than the average American my age. I took a class in college about the history of South Africa, but sadly, we didn't have time for anything much more recent than the Boer War. Also, having been born several years after the end of apartheid in South Africa, it wasn't something that was talked about a lot during my childhood, nor was I taught much about it in school.

At times funny, at times moving or sad, but always insightful, Trevor Noah's memoir is a stunning portrait of the strong-willed woman who raised him, set against the backdrop of apartheid and post-apartheid Johannesburg. This is a story of centuries of systematic oppression and genocide, in which your race can determine the entire course of your life. There are elements of Noah's Johannesburg that people from all around the world can recognize in their own countries - the racial divide, the violence, the injustice, but also the grit and determination of the people who live in these places, and who fight to make life better not for themselves, but for their children and for everyone who will come after.

For me, this book was an eye-opening reminder of the injustice and inequality that is still prevalent in the world today, not just in South Africa, but everywhere, each situation similar to but ultimately radically different from the others.

Despite all its messages about post-apartheid South Africa, despite all I learned about South African culture and history, this book is also value and important because, at its heart, it is the story of a boy and his defiant, independent mother, a woman who is proof that restrictive systems like apartheid can never work. She is proof that rules that try to separate people and try to dictate how they can live and who they can love will ultimately fail, but human will and human desire is stronger than any rule, stronger than power that seeks to control.

There is so much to get from this book, so many lessons to learn. It's going to take me a while to unpack everything I've read, and I fully intend on jotting down a few quotes before I return my copy to the library. Everyone can get something from this book, and I'm sure everyone will take away from it something different, which only speaks to the power books like this can have. Born a Crime is easily one of the most important books I have read this year. ...more

Like · see review

May 16, 2022 Trish rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: popsugar-2022-trish, biography-autobiog, zsrc-2022-1-spring

Brilliant. I read it in one sitting - not something I normally do with biographies. Well written, with a slice of humour, but at the same time, it paints a very dark picture of Johannesburg, even after the fall of apartheid. I could have done without the bit about the cats.

1 like · Like · see review

Jan 09, 2018 Kathryn rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: non-fiction, library, biography-memoir, kindle-books-includes-arcs, read-in-2018

Really enjoyed this book. Learned a lot from this book. Although I heard of apartheid, I never knew much of anything about it.

1 like · Like · see review

Dec 07, 2024 Sainabou rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Why did I wait so long to read this book?

I really enjoyed it
Trevor lived such a hard life and then dedicated his life to making people laugh, you gotta admire it honestly

His mother is such a badass because that ending was insane

Really happy I read this 🥰

Like · see review