In the novel Cry, The Beloved Country, I am struck by the descriptive details Paton uses when he writes about Africa. I can hear the cry of the titihoya and feel the thick grass between my toes near the tops of the mountains. Paton says, “Where you stand the grass is rich and matted, you cannot see the soil.” In contrast to the top part of the mountain the lower portion of the mountain is described as “desolate”, dry and deserted. I think that the description of the land will parallel the lifestyles of the free and enslaved Africans. The mountain is abundant and peaceful up high, while overused and abused at the bottom.
I also love the poetry of this book. Paton does that throughout the book-- beautiful descriptions of the place he loved very much.
ReplyDeleteI think I'm the opposite. I don't really go for anything descriptive or poetic. I'm more of a let's cut to the chase, what's going on type of person. At the beginning of the book when Paton was all descriptive I was skeptical, but luckily a story emerged!
ReplyDeleteoh no, Justine! I hope you don't hate this book, then! :)
ReplyDeleteI realize this is a little later than the others, but I believe it's still applicable.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed Paton's description of Stephen Kumalo's first moments in the city. It contrasted greatly with his description of the more rural Africa,and I was able to better understand Kumalo's transition from the calm countryside to the daunting city of Johannesburg. The way he finds such an organized way of describing such a confusing environment really surprised me.
I'm kind of like Justine. I like description so that I can create a picture in my mind, but when they get too crazy with it, I just lose focus. This is one of those books that makes me lose focus. Once he has characters start doing things and talking, it's not quite as bad, but I'm still not a fan of those parts.
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