Book Group #3: C, TBC

Passages From The Text	Pg #	Comments & Questions
·         “-You do not understand he said. The child will be my grandchild. ·         -Even that you do not know, said Msimangu angrily. His bitterness mastered him again. And if he were, he said, how many more such have you? Shall we search them out, day after day, hour after hour? Will it ever end? ·         Kumalo stood in the dust like one who has been struck. Then without speaking any more he took his seat in the car.”	100	·         (R) It’s been 100 pages and Kumalo is no closer to finding his son than he was at the beginning. Instead he’s learned how his son has run from place to place, leaving behind a bad reputation. He went from being a possible thief, to being a man that was at the very top of his game at the reformatory, to being the kind of man who would get a girl pregnant, than run away. I am not even sure if Kumalos son is worth all the running around. Honestly, the boy’s father is a reverend. You would think he wouldn’t be so … messed up.

Book Club #2: Cry, the Beloved Country

Passages From The Text	Pg #	Comments & Questions
·         “-That is a bad thing, she said, but she spoke as one speaks who must speak so. ·         -It is a bad thing, he said, and I cannot leave you until you have told what you would not tell.”	78	·         (R) Alan Paton, the author of this book, sometimes writes like he is the South African Dr. Seuss or something. He has a habit of repeating things, so just in case you didn’t catch it the first time, you’ll be sure to catch it the third time. This book took a while to get into- I wasn’t really feeling it the first 20 pages or so. It’s getting better though. The characters move very quickly. Their travels from one place to another take about a paragraph.

Book Club Reading Blog #1: Cry, The Beloved Country

Passages From The Text	Pg #	Comments & Questions
·         “Already the knees are weak of the man who a moment since had shown his little vanity, told his little lie, before these respectful people. ·         The humble man reached into his pocket for his sacred book, and began to read. It was this world alone that was certain.”	44	·         (R) I’m not exactly sure what to say about this book. I don’t think I like the story so far, but it’s getting better. The way the author, Alan Paton, writes is weird at times. He doesn’t really describe what the characters are doing all that often, so I’m not sure if they are walking, or just sitting in living room or what. I liked the quote though.  In the last sentence it says that Kumalo could only be certain of that world that he’s reading about in his “sacred book” which I took to mean the bible since he is a priest. I just wonder- what world? The world of the biblical days? Or maybe God’s “world”, like heaven? I like how I was forced to think for myself instead of just being told.