The Power of One

By: Bryce Courtenay

Narrated by: Humphrey Bower

Length: 21 hrs and 33 mins

Publisher's summary

"First with your head and then with your heart." So says Hoppie Groenewald, boxing champion, to a seven-year-old boy who dreams of being the welterweight champion of the world. For the young Peekay, it is a piece of advice he will carry with him throughout his life.

Born in a South Africa divided by racism and hatred, this one small boy will come to lead all the tribes of Africa. Through enduring friendships with Hymie and Gideon, Peekay gains the strength he needs to win out. And in a final conflict with his childhood enemy, the Judge, Peekay will fight to the death for justice.

©2013 Christine Courtenay (P)2014 Bolinda Publishing Pty Ltd

ABSOLOODLE

FIRST WITH THE HEAD, THEN WITH THE HEART
This is a great book that should appeal to several different people. The first reason it will appeal to most is that fact that it is so well written. I am Jim, The Impatient, but I listened to all 21+ hours. It is a coming of age story, history of South Africa, history with references to Hitler and it has lots of boxing. Not knowing that much about South Africa, I felt I learned much. I got some of the perspective of how the Germans felt about the English before the War and I learned about APARTHEID.

EVERYONE IS AN ISLAND AND AT THE SAME TIME, ROBINSON CRUSOE.
Peekay, starts life out fairly rough. He is sent to border school at the age of five. He is the youngest there. A bully makes a habit of picking on him right from the start. Some of the torture this small boy goes through can be hard to take. To help him through it, he has a pet rooster. The first person to really treat Peekay with any kindness is a boxer. Peekay watches this man fight early on and this changes his life. For the rest of his life, his goal is to become welter weight champion of the world. Peekay's tough childhood and the kindness of the boxer, strengthen him and establishes his character. The strength of his character and they strong friendships he makes is the rest of the book. It is all very intelligently written and entertaining.

THE PRESUMPTION OF THE WHITE MAN KNOWS NO BOUNDS IN AFRICA.
This is a real good story on how the blacks where treated at this time. This alone makes the book valuable. Peekay makes friends with several blacks and becomes a hero to the people. I will agree with another reviewer and it did bother me and that is, what a shame that we have a white man hero. I would like to read a book where a black man becomes a hero. The statement of The Presumption of the white man also reminded me of a time in my childhood. When I was in fourth grade I knew nothing about South Africa, then a girl moved to our town from South Africa. One day she showed beautiful pictures of the country and talked about South Africa. She mentioned something about the crime and the worry of blacks raping whites. Only knowing what I had seen on tv about Africa and thinking of all of Africa as one country, I asked about all the naked black women. She commented to me "Everybody knows white flesh is more desirable then black flesh." She said it like I was an idiot. WE ARE OF THE EARTH, THAT IS WHY WE ARE THE COLOR OF THE EARTH.

SHAKE A PAW
The narrator is good and makes the listening better then the reading.

Phenomenal Read!

I am only two-thirds through listening to this book, but I can tell you that this is one of, if not the best, book I have ever listened to. The author and narrator are both superb. I can't wait to listen to it every day on my drive to and from work. And I've even taken to listening to it during my lunch hour!

I came across this book while looking through the books featured in "Great First Listens" on the Audible website. Although this is not my first listen, it is certainly a great listen.

Absolutal - an 11 out of 10!

Excellent Narration

Humphrey Bower does a superb job at capturing the voices of the South African characters, and the story is not only convincing but compelling.

The movie took major liberties with the plot, which is unfortunate. I must say that the audio book is brilliant, and I enjoyed it immensely. Absoludel!

Totally Engrossing

I have loved listening to this story, so colorful and heartwarming. The accents are so well done by the reader that you feel you are there, listening.

A life list book spoken by the best reader

The Power of One is now on my Life List of Must Read books. I listened to this book as an audiobook read by Humphrey Bower, perhaps the best narrator in the business. He also narrated Shantaram, which is also on my Life List. I didn’t expect to like The Power of One as much as I did as the topic of a young boy growing up in South Africa didn’t immediately attract my interest. After 30 minutes I was hooked and I finished the 21 hour audiobook in five days. The story is compelling, the writing is top notch and the narrating is the best. Bryce Courtenay has a gift as an author and I look forward to trying out his other works. If you have seen the movie, the book is ten times better. As I said, I give The Power of One a Must Read.

The most beautiful story!

What did you love best about The Power of One?

I loved the story. So rich in every detail.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Peekay obviously, followed by Doc, Absoloodle!

Have you listened to any of Humphrey Bower’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

Not yet, will try some others.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Made me cry a few times, and a couple fo chuckles.

Any additional comments?

Do yourself a favour and read this. Beautifully read!

In the league of Paton and Kipling

Brilliant writing and narration. Provides a compelling story and life lessons. In the same tradition and canon as Kipling's Kim. The rendering of accents and characters makes this a completely absorbing book - will carry you away. This is as much an experience as a book.

Pity those who read the book in text.

Don't miss this great book!

Would you listen to The Power of One again? Why?

Yes, the narration alone is worth a second listen. This is a complex story and I am sure that a second listen would catch nuances you might miss the first time through.

Who was your favorite character and why?

PK of course but there are many memorable characters including Doc, Hymie, even Grandpa Chook! I enjoyed the development of PK's character through the people who influenced his life.

What does Humphrey Bower bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Oh, my gosh! That man is a Boer, a Jew, an Englishman, a German, a Zulu and much more in accents that are spot on!

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

It's too long for that but I looked for every opportunity to get back to it.

Any additional comments?

Bryce Courtenay is a consumate story teller.

EXCEPTIONAL Book with a SUPERB Narrator!

This book is unlike any other I've read in my 63 years. The first four chapters had a lot of cruelty in them, but I hung on because the storytelling is so excellent and I could tell there was a point being made, and the NARRATOR is unbelievable. I cannot imagine anyone else doing all these accents and emotions, of men, women and children, so fantastically well!

This entire book is an epic of justice and injustice , humor and grief. It's filled with life! The Greatest Book I've ever encountered.

Masterful craftsmanship by storyteller & narrator

Wow. I abandoned this book at first, thinking it too grim and seeking comedy instead. I abandoned a poorly written comedy and found this on my iPod and continued on. Wow.

The writing is everything I love about a book - intricate observations woven into the story line that add dimension and fill the imagination, descriptions of sights, sounds, smells, touch and taste that put you deep into the story.

This book makes you feel emotions, and even though there was injustice, there was also clever planning and justice regained. And there were parts that made me burst out laughing as the author has a keen eye for human foibles.

The narrator is gifted with a broad range of male and female voices, accents, and great timing and skilled delivery.

This is a book that expands a person - giving one an opportunity to see things, to think and turn things over in the mind.