Lives of South Africa

I finished Alan Paton's second autobiography recently. I think it's the first autobiography I've ever read and I really like it. Of course, I love Alan Paton's work, but I don't think that's why I enjoyed the book. The book didn't have the literary preciseness of his other works. It was just an old man recording his memories as they came to him.

Now I've started Nelson Mandela's biography. It's a brick of a book and I was afraid that without the direct voice of the protagonist, I would grow bored quickly. Quite the opposite has happened, however. The writing is good and the details are well-chosen so far.

I enjoy learning about history in this way- through the lives of primary actors. It brings a real understanding to what is otherwise just a list of events.

I thin that South Africa must be a beautiful country, because there is so much reference to the land in Alan Paton's fiction works. And there seems to be such a deep attachment to the country in the hearts of its people, despite its brokenness. It's an almost spiritual attachment, that I can only attribute to nature.