Book Blog #273: Born a Crime by Trevor Noah

 

Title: Born a Crime

Author: Trevor Noah

# of Pages: 201 (ebook)

Genre: Nonfiction, Autobiography, Humor

Rating: ★★★★☆

Synopsis: Noah was born a crime, the son of a white Swiss father and a black Xhosa mother, at a time when such a union was punishable by five years in prison. Living proof of his parents’ indiscretion, Trevor was kept mostly indoors for the first years of his life, bound by the extreme and often absurd measures his mother took to hide him from a government that could, at any moment, take him away. Finally liberated by the end of South Africa’s white rule, Trevor and his mother set forth on a grand adventure, living openly and freely and embracing the opportunities won by a centuries-long struggle.

Review: I've watched Trevor Noah on The Daily Show and seen clips of him on Youtube. One of the things that always stood out to me was that he was an amazing storyteller. Even on the most difficult topics, he can spin them into something lighthearted/comedic. But most importantly, it makes people listen. 

I've only read one other comedian's autobiography before this (Ellen's Seriously...I'm Kidding), but Noah's just hits different.  His narrative is infused with humor, but humor is not a central part in this story. Growing up half black, half white in South Africa gives Noah a whole set of struggles that many people wouldn't expect from someone hosting The Daily Show: an unconventional and (at times) dysfunctional family, abuse, racism, to mention a few. But this best part is that it never seems like Noah is telling use these stories to gain sympathy; he is just telling his story as he remembers it and even includes analogies to help Western audiences understand each situation he describes. No matter what life threw at him, he seemed to be able to roll with the punches.

My favorite parts of his book were when he talked about his mom. I loved hearing how strong and independent she is and how they interacted during the ups and downs of his childhood. There is this charming push and pull between mother and son; Trevor being naughty and his mother correct his behavior through tough love, letters, and religious backed arguments. 

This book is not written chronologically. Rather Noah takes a topic from his past and tells the tale all the way through, sometimes reiterating parts of stories already told or hinting at stories yet to come. As a monologue, this is a great format, but in book format I would have preferred if he did not skip around his timeline so much. Although his casual writing style, I felt like I could not immerse myself into his story with him jumping around so much. 

Overall, a very good read. I would definitely recommend this book; it has exceeded expectations and is a quick read!