About this title: No stranger to the injustice of racial hatred, five-year-old Peekay learns the hard way the first secret of survival and self-preservation - the power of one. An encounter with amateur boxer Hoppie Groenewald inspires in Peekay a fiery ambition - to be welterweight champion of the world.
Note: This is a general synopsis. Each listing is described below.
Binding: MASS MARKET PAPERBACK
Publisher: Ballantine Books
ISBN-13:9780345359926ISBN:0345359925
Description: Good. 0345359925 Good condition paperback book, some creases to spine, some edge/corner rubs, may have corner crease, small edge tear or spine slant, a good book for reading. Shop & Save With US. read more
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
Publisher: Ballantine Books
Date Published: 1990
ISBN-13:9780345359926ISBN:0345359925
Description: Acceptable. Overall below average used book. May have highlighting, underlining, notes, price sticker on cover, or be an ex-library book. read more
Binding: Hardcover
Publisher: Random House
Date Published: 1989
ISBN-13:9780394575209ISBN:0394575202
Description: Good in Good jacket. BOMC/Book Club. Used hardcover with dust jacket. Both are in good condition with light wear to dust jacket. read more
Description: Fair. Dust Cover Missing. Millions of satisfied customers and climbing. Thriftbooks is the name you can trust, guaranteed. Spend Less. Read More. read more
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
Publisher: Ballantine Books
Date Published: 1990
ISBN-13:9780345359926ISBN:0345359925
Description: Acceptable. MAY HAVE COVER WEAR, SPINE CREASES, HIGHLIGHTING, UNDERLINING & PAGES YELLOWED FROM AGE. FASTER SERVICE FROM US! ! ! read more
Description: Good. Shows some signs of wear, and may have some markings on the inside. Shipped to over one million happy customers. Your purchase benefits world literacy! read more
"This book is definitely in the top five of all the books I have ever read. Totally absorbing, it swings from humour to pathos in a manner which kept me spellbound. I am so looking forward to reading the sequel, Tandia"
"Bryce Courtenay does a wonderful job following the childhood and young adulthood of a boy growing up in South Africa during the 1940s. The story starts when PK (as he later is named by a man he meets. His real name is never mentioned.) is bullied and tortured by the "judge" and "jury" as he calls them at a boarding school. He vows to be able to hold his own and finds boxing through a man he meets on his way home from school named Hoppie Groenwald. The story of his rise to become the boxing champion of South Africa is quite remarkable and the characters he meets who help him along the way make for a fast read even though it is a 500+ book. I also really like how Courtenay added information about South Africa and Apartheid in the back of the book to give context to the story."
"I thoroughly enjoyed many elements of this book, and I learned a tremendous amount about boxing and the history of South Africa, through a child's eye view. However, my opinion took a downward plunge toward the end of the book -- specifically the final 5 pages of the book. I don't want to include any spoilers, but what on earth was the author thinking?!? I interpreted the book's message so differently from what is depicted in the final scene. Perhaps I owe the author a second reading. STRANGE!!!
Update: Just downgraded my review from 3 to 2 stars. The more I think about the story and try to derive meaning from it, the madder I get!"
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