Country of My Skull

Ever since Nelson Mandela dramatically walked out of prison in 1990 after twenty seven years behind bars, South Africa has been undergoing a radical transformation In one of the most miraculous events of the century, the oppressive system of apartheid was dismantled Repressive laws mandating separation of the races were thrown out The country, which had been carved into a crazy quilt that reserved the most prosperous areas for whites and the most desolate and backward for blacks, was reunited The dreaded and dangerous security force, which for years had systematically tortured, spied upon, and harassed people of color and their white supporters, was dismantled But how could this country one of spectacular beauty and promise come to terms with its ugly past How could its people, whom the oppressive white government had pitted against one another, live side by side as friends and neighbors To begin the healing process, Nelson Mandela created the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, headed by the renowned cleric Archbishop Desmond Tutu Established in 1995, the commission faced the awesome task of hearing the testimony of the victims of apartheid as well as the oppressors Amnesty was granted to those who offered a full confession of any crimes associated with apartheid Since the commission began its work, it has been the central player in a drama that has riveted the country In this book, Antjie Krog, a South African journalist and poet who has covered the work of the commission, recounts the drama, the horrors, the wrenching personal stories of the victims and their families Through the testimonies of victims of abuse and violence, from the appearance of Winnie Mandela to former South African president P W Botha s extraordinary courthouse press conference, this award winning poet leads us on an amazing journey.Country of My Skull captures the complexity of the Truth Commission s work The narrative is often traumatic, vivid, and provocative Krog s powerful prose lures the reader actively and inventively through a mosaic of insights, impressions, and secret themes This compelling tale is Antjie Krog s profound literary account of the mending of a country that was in colossal need of change. Read Country of My Skull – kino-fada.fr I m fascinated by this book.Antjie Krog has written the book on the TRC, what it tried to do, what if failed to do, why it happened, and its impact on those involved regardless of gender, race, and national identity.Krog s book is an uneven, rambling and not objective narrative by any means She s roundabout, frustrating, tell all, reserved, and contradictory in the extreme Yet she knows she s a white Afrikaner woman writing a book on a multicultural, deeply emotional process, and she succeed I m fascinated by this book.Antjie Krog has written the book on the...mother identifying her dead son I asked them, Show me the mark on his chin, then I will know it s my son They showed me the mark on his chin, and I said It s not my son I ve never taken an ethics course, but in my ignorant imagination of that field, I see an entire ethics course simply going through every last point this book raises But it would probably have to span several...This is an utterly mesmerizing book not only because of the events it describes, the history captured, the relationships transcribed, but also because of the prose Krog does a magnificent job of meditating on the form and function of words words exchanged in conversation, in testimony, in poetry, in official reports and all while stretching the utility of each word she chooses for herself, to tell this particular story, of a Truth and Reconciliation Commission trying to heal a nation thro This is an utterly mesmerizing book not only because of the events it describes, the history captured, the relationships transcribed, but also because of the...Wasn t really crazy about this book I think my rating says it all.It s hard to capture my thoughts about this book succinctly when my feelings are still so conflicted and I have so many questions As a South African, this is an important read, it forced me to look at parts of our history that were not taught in history classes It is brutal, harrowing but also confusing Not in how it is written although sometimes the philosophical side bars were distracting but rather because it challenges all of our notions of good vs evil, victim vs perpetrator, absol It s hard to capture my thoughts about this book succinctly when my feelings are still so conflicted and I have so many questions As a South African, this is an important read, it forced me to look at parts of our history that were not taught in history classes It is...After reading this book I was shocked, horrified Although I thought I knew about the ugly crimes committed in the 80 s and 90 s by both blacks and whites in South Africa, I was not prepared for the details of the horrendous acts of torture and murder which came to light in the testimonies of the victims I can well understand why Antjie Krog, wo...O South AfricaI m so sorry This book deals with the apartheid of South Africa and the Truth and Reconciliation Committee that was tasked with finding out the truth of what happened Heads up that this is a highly graphic novel about torture that at times I had to put down and walk away from for a bit It can be summed up with, The victims ask the hardest of all the questions How is it possible that the person I loved so much lit no spark of humanity in you Senzeni na because of youthi O South AfricaI m so sorry This book deals with the apartheid of South Africa and the Truth and Reconciliation Committee that was tasked with finding out the truth of what happened Heads up that this is a highly graphic novel about torture that at times I had to put down and walk away from for a bit It can be summed up with, The victims ask the hardest of all the questions How is it possible that the person I loved so much lit no spark of humanity in you Senzeni na be...Morally brave, politically brave, aesthetically challenging, disturbingly detailed, passionately felt, exacting in its witness to outrage It was very tough getting through some of the parts that dealt first hand with the horrors of apartheid I read it in class and I noticed that quite a few of the women in the class hardy, intelligent souls, all were really disturbed by the virulent sexism and brute, authorized sadism that was mostly go...This book is a compilation of testimony from south Africa s Truth and Reconciliation Commission The author is a famous Afrikaaner poet, and her voice is present throughout the book Though the book tells the stories of those most harmed by Apartheid, you also get to hear Krog grapple with her own guilt and her struggle to move forward as an ally.It is one of the most difficult books emotionally I ve ever read I could only read 10 pages or so at a time before it became too much to take And yet This book is a compilation of testimony from south Africa s Truth and Reconciliation Commission The author is a famous Afrikaaner poet, and her voice is present throughout the book Though the book tells the stories of those ...I really did not know many details about South Africa s post Apartheid processes This book was very difficult to read at times, given the verbatim testimony from both victims and perpetrators I definitely learned a lot about the complexities of South African politics and the unpacking of black wh...

• English
• 23 March 2018
Antjie Krog
• Paperback
• 432 pages
• 0812931297
• Antjie Krog
• Country of My Skull