Review Summaries

• The publisher describes it as a story of boxing, suspense, and drama set against the backdrop of South African history, a multimillion-copy international bestseller with high acclaim.

Reviews

• An excellent read to inspire my young student

  I remembered how much I enjoyed reading this book myself as a young boy. So I shared it with my students. The wonderful story and page turning narrative has an important life lesson to help a teenage reader have the confidence to face his own challenges

• Very Good!

  いい小説です。イギリス人、非イギリスのヨーロッパ人という対立的な差別構造のなかで、さらにネイティヴの人々を奴隷のように扱う社会構造が見事に描かれています。複雑なアパルトヘイト構造がよくわかる「南ア」というふしぎな国を理解する入り口と言える作品です。日本では知られていない歴史のなかで、たくましく生き抜くネイティヴアフリカンと一緒に生きるイギリス人の生き方に共感を覚えます。’

• Livre choc

  Un des plus beaux romans que j'ai lus ces dernières années ! Roman d'éducation, dans un domaine qui pourtant n'est pas du tout un sport que je partage (la boxe), qui vous tient en haleine tout au long de ses pages. Je limitais mon temps de lecture à la fin pour faire durer le plaisir plus longtemps.

• Auch Weiße hatten in Südafrika Probleme!

  Das Buch ist sehr gut geschrieben, der Film ist mit einer hervorragenden Besetzung einer der besten Filme, die ich gesehen habe. Mindestens viermal gesehen, jedesmal gleich gut!

• My favourite book of all time

  I have read this book multiple times over the years. It’s such a beautiful, raw and heart wrenching book. You develop love for the characters and feel engrossed through out. Bryce Courtenay paints a picture from the start as you are taken along this incredible journey of struggle, hope and determination. I recommend this book highly as well as many of his others.

• The Power of the Written Word

  An amazing novel written brilliantly by Bryce Courtenay, it is the story of Peekay a young boy growing up in South Africa WWII. To say that I could not put this book down is an understatement. Courtenay has produced rich characters that come to life on the page. You cheer, cry and cringe in horror as you follow the life of Peekay and the people he interacts with. In addition, the lush, inspiring, beautiful and harsh descriptions of South Africa make the reader feel as if they are there and is not only the background of the story but Africa is the story of Peekay. The novel begins with Peekay being shipped off to a boarding school at age five. He is haraassed, tortured, and abused by the "judge" and his posse but is a survivor who is determined to live. On a semster break he encounters a man who is a boxer and shows him kindness, dignity and begins to explain the power of one. This has such a profound influence on Peekay that his life obsession after this meeting is to be the welterweight champion of the world. The power of one is really the power of believeing in yourself. To follow your dreams and to be authentic. Through a series of moving freindships with the adults in Peekay's life he begins to understand this. Doc, a brilliant musician and botanist plays a central role in his life and urges him to be himself and to show others his extraordinary intellect. He teaches him and shares in his love of Africa. As Peekay emerges from merely surviving to fully inhabiting his person he begins to understand more fully the power of one. He meets Geel Piet a man in prison who is more tortured than Peekay was in boarding school simply because of the color of his skin. He teaches Peekay how to box and Peekay in return accepts him for who he is and loves him. As Peekay finds his place through his acceptance of others he gains a mythical status with the African people in the community. He becomes the "tadpole angel" who can unite the black and white races together. His friendship with Morrie, who is Jewish, and also feels like an outsider has a profound effect on Peekay. At prep school for the first time he has a friend of his own age. Morrie finds that Peekay's immediate acceptance of him although he is Jewish amazing and the two find that they have much in common including their equal brilliance. Not only does Peekay's life change because of these friendships, but what he finds is that he has a profound impact on these people's life as well. There are many other people in Peekays life who influence it and move it and the reader is held spellbound as they watch the fine web that Cortenay has woven and marvels in the intricacies of life that can be conveyed through writing. This is a life changing book and the reader will be the better for having read it.

• Mint condition and incredible book

  It's perfect. Mint condition and the best book I've ever read. Will read it over and over again. For those that don't know, Tandia is the 2nd part of this book. Half way through Peekay makes his entrance. Definitely get Tandia as well!

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