Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood

by Trevor Noah

Published Jan. 14, 2019 by Spiegel & Grau.

(160 reviews)

Trevor Noah’s unlikely path from apartheid South Africa to the desk of The Daily Show began with a criminal act: his birth. Trevor was born to 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 earliest 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, steal him away. Finally liberated by the end of South Africa’s tyrannical 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.

Born a Crime is the story of a mischievous young boy who grows into a restless young man as he struggles to find himself …

Born a Crime is the story of a mischievous young boy who grows into a restless young man as he struggles to find himself in a world where he was never supposed to exist. It is also the story of that young man’s relationship with his fearless, rebellious, and fervently religious mother—his teammate, a woman determined to save her son from the cycle of poverty, violence, and abuse that would ultimately threaten her own life.

The stories collected here are by turns hilarious, dramatic, and deeply affecting. Whether subsisting on caterpillars for dinner during hard times, being thrown from a moving car during an attempted kidnapping, or just trying to survive the life-and-death pitfalls of dating in high school, Trevor illuminates his curious world with an incisive wit and unflinching honesty. His stories weave together to form a moving and searingly funny portrait of a boy making his way through a damaged world in a dangerous time, armed only with a keen sense of humor and a mother’s unconventional, unconditional love.

([source][1])

[1]: www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/537515/born-a-crime-by-trevor-noah/9780399588181

23 editions

Jens reviewed Born a Crime by Trevor Noah

Review of 'Born a Crime' on 'Goodreads'

3 stars

Unfortunately I found this book much less interesting and surprisingly unfunny compared to the praise it's been receiving.
While it was interesting to discover Trevor Noah's history in various parts of South Africa and learn about the reality of life under Apartheid, I couldn't help but find the chapters a bit disjointed, not always well connected to each other. They aren't in chronological order either - which doesn't have to be a problem, but I often felt information from later chapters would have been helpful to understand previous ones better.
The depictions of domestic violence, and how people deal with it, moved me - those chapters were among the strongest for me, alongside those describing the linguistic diversity in South Africa and how it affects people's lives.

Trevor Noah's humor did not really come across in this book. There were a few moments that made me chuckle, but compared to …

todb reviewed Born A Crime by Trevor Noah

'Born a Crime' review

4 stars

Pretty good! My biggest complaint is in the editing -- the time periods kind of jump all over the place, and not in an interesting, Christopher Nolan sort of way. Also, the transition from being a street hood in Johannesburg to host of the Daily Show was kind of not present at all; I guess we have to wait for the sequel to see how Trevor gets out of the country!

That said, the ultimate message of "holy shit Trevor Noah lived through some real abject poverty and abuse as a kid" was great, and something that all privileged kids should read. Also, I learned a lot more about street-level life in South Africa during the transition to post-apartheid, which was interesting and terrible.

S. reviewed Born a Crime by Trevor Noah

Stories of Trevor Noah (and South Africa)

5 stars

The book starts light-hearted the same way young Trevor takes his life. He takes it as a fact, to be a born crime, somehow different from the rest of the family. As the author Trevor Noah puts his childhood into perspective - with entertaining anecdotes and insights. Many stories in the book create a mix of emotions to process. I needed often day-long breaks where I was just reflecting over a story.

Nearly every story brings a broader understanding of Apartheid and the struggles in South Africa. It makes you understand how unfair everything was set-up by design. How it evolved from colonialism to a modern police state - and eventually felt apart.

The book is well written and combines personal life with the day-to-day history of South Africa in a unique way. Whether you find Trevor interesting or the history of South Africa, this is a book for you.

SaraLeon reviewed Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood by Trevor Noah

Review of 'Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood' on 'Goodreads'

5 stars

The book starts with a very light tone despite the circumstances. It paints a happy picture. The last chapter hits like a punch in the gut and tbh I cried while reading it. Trevors memories are vivid, beautiful and help to understand another country maybe a little bit better. I've already enjoyed him as a talkshow hoast and his thoughts, but this book makes me appreciate him even more.
Definitely recommended, even if you don't know or care for Trevor Noah. Just a great memoir.

groundhogdaywebBooks reviewed Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood by Trevor Noah

Review of 'Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood' on 'Goodreads'

5 stars

What an enjoyable book! Raw, amusing, and deep.

Dunstable reviewed Born a Crime by Trevor Noah

A great memoir

4 stars

This was a wonderful collection of stories from Trevor's life that presents a complex picture of both him and the world that he grew up in.

Apartheid was such a huge moral crime but it's one that we don't speak of often. This book was an education as much as it was entertainment.

Rainer reviewed Born a Crime by Trevor Noah

I learned so much about Trevor Noah (and South Africa)

5 stars

It took me about a year to finish this one. I started off reading out loud with my partner but we moved on to something a bit cheerier due to the fact that a lot of the chapters are pretty depressing (it's still a great book, it just wasn't working for us in that context).

Having said that, I really enjoyed Trevor's book here and I have a whole new level respect for him. He's a terrific writer and a hilarious storyteller.

If you like Trevor Noah or are interested in South Africa, consider reading this book.

Martijn Reintjes reviewed Born a Crime by Trevor Noah

Review of 'Born a Crime' on 'Goodreads'

4 stars

Trevor has lead an interesting life, growing up in Apartheid South Africa and ending up in the US.
He did well, defied a lot of odds, and he even had Hitler as a friend.

Bonus points for reading himself.

periwinkleReads reviewed Born a Crime by Trevor Noah

Review of 'Born a Crime' on 'Goodreads'

4 stars

Delightful and interesting family and childhood stories.

steezeburger reviewed Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood by Trevor Noah

Review of 'Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood' on 'Goodreads'

4 stars

Damn, what a story.

Octo reviewed Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood by Trevor Noah

Review of 'Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood' on 'Goodreads'

5 stars

I read or listen to autobiographies in the hope of learning to see the world from a new angle. This book definitely does this and so much more. Noah is a born entertainer and storyteller and from minute one his narration hooked me. I had no idea how many hardships he had to face as a child before hearing his story but he manages to tell it without smothering in self pity - there are parts that left me stunned, touched and others laughing tears. I will see one of his live shows in spring and am already looking forward to it.

anka.trini reviewed Born a Crime by Trevor Noah

Review of 'Born a Crime' on 'Goodreads'

4 stars

Ich kann euch wirklich nur empfehlen, zum Hörbuch zu greifen, da Trevor Noah es selbst liest und dabei einen außergewöhnlich guten Job macht.

Zwar war mir der Autor vorher kein Begriff (wahrscheinlich lebe ich hinter dem Mond), aber das Buch hat fast ausschließlich positive Kritiken erhalten und ich wollte mich mehr mit dem Apartheid Regime beschäftigen. Man erfährt viel über die südafrikanischen Kulturen allgemein, das Leben vor und nach Ende der "Rassen"trennung am Beispiel von Trevor Noahs Leben und dem seiner Familie.

Einziger Kritikpunkt: Mir hat der rote Faden in der Anordnung der einzelnen Essays gefehlt, da ich weder eine chronologische noch eine thematische Gliederung erkennen konnte.

P.S. Bücher wie dieses lassen mich immer wünschen, dass ich doch Englischlehrerin geworden wäre, um meinen Schülern diese Autobiografie näher bringen zu können.

NightDrake reviewed Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood by Trevor Noah

Review of 'Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood' on 'Goodreads'

4 stars

This book was so good. I'm usually not one for biographies, but I learned a little about South Africa while reading this book. Noa sure is a good storyteller, and his mother was quite the character as well. I liked their banter with each other.