
Publisher: Doubleday
Pub. Date: 2016
Genres: Memoir, Comedy
Pages: 304
Rating: 5 of 5 Stars
I watch The Daily Show with Trevor Noah frequently, so I’ve been interested in reading about his life for a while and I appreciate Trevor’s brand of comedy. I was mostly convinced to read Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood after I watched one of Trevor’s old stand-up comedy acts. It’s an amazing and hilarious read.
His memoir is hilarious while covering serious topics, such as apartheid, colonialism, religion, and gender roles. In Born a Crime, Trevor was born a crime in South Africa because he is the son of a white Swiss father and a black Xhosa mother. He was born in a time when his existence was proof of their coupling, which was punishable with prison time. The memoir follows the trials and adventures of him as the mischievous child and resourceful teenager. It also shares the story of his strong, independent mother. She is a force in this book.
I liked the bolded sections of text that gave a history lesson or general context for what was happening in South Africa. They offered a good introduction for the upcoming chapter and sometimes a transition between chapters. Their content and placements reminded me of his style of news comedy that he does on the The Daily Show because the subject is serious but the material of his life is turned into comedy.
I love that his writing reads like how I’ve heard him speak on camera. It also evokes images of the events and people clearly, and that made it even more entertaining to read.
The epilogue is sobering, considering the rest of the book. However, it’s a brilliant conclusion to his memoir.
I recommend this book to those who like Trevor Noah or reading comedic memoirs. Also, I read a good chunk of this book while traveling, so I recommend it as good reading material for a trip.
This sounds like a fantastic memoir!
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I loved Trevor’s book so much! It was so intelligent and equally entertaining, just like his stand up performances. But most of all I loved how it really was a bit like a love letter to his mother. That woman is so strong and amazing!
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Can’t wait to read this one. It’s definitely on my list! Thanks for sharing!
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I watch Trevor Noah on YouTube pretty much every day. He’s one of my favorite people. I’m excited to read this book! Great review.
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I got this book on Audible because I love Trevor Noah. I’m even more excited to listen to it now!
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So he is reading his own book for the audiobook? I know someone who will be happy to hear that. If I ever get around to rereading this book, I would love to hear his voice reading it.
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Reblogged this on The Biblioanthropologist.
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Great review!
I adore Trevor Noah!
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I love his show. I will have to give this one a try soon.
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