The Power of One: Young Readers' Condensed Edit

by Bryce Courtenay

In 1939, hatred took root in South Africa, where the seeds of apartheid were newly sown. There a boy called Peekay was born. He spoke the wrong language–English. He was nursed by a woman of the wrong color–black. His childhood was marked by humiliation and abandonment. Yet he vowed to survive–he would become welterweight champion of the world, he would dream heroic dreams.
But his dreams were nothing compared to what awaited him. For he embarked on an epic journey, where he would learn the power of words, the power to transform lives, and the mystical power that would sustain him even when it appeared that villainy would rule the The Power of One.

Genres: Fiction, Historical Fiction

384 pages, Mass Market Paperback

Published July 10, 2007

About the author

Arthur Bryce Courtenay, AM was a South African-Australian advertising director and novelist. He is one of Australia's best-selling authors, notable for his book The Power of One.

Reviews

[Barb Bailey · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an excellent coming of age story set in South Africa. Peekay was sent off to boarding school at a very early age and was the smallest and youngest child enrolled. There he was the recipient of harassment by bullies. He met a boxer on a train trip who mentored him . Peekay learned some good lessons from him and decided that one day he would become the welter weight champion of the world. His life journey takes many twists and turns from there and is quite extraordinary.

[Stephen · Rating 4 out of 5]

[The book that I read was the Young Readers' Condensed Edition.]
A good hearted young man comes of age in a troubled land at a difficult time.

I saw the movie years ago and as usual the book is better. The young man that this tale centers on is valiant and caring and a generally good soul. He observes a certain amount of cruelty in the world around him but since he's known no other he accepts it and makes the best of his lot. And in so doing makes it better for pretty much all of those around him. I'm particularly struck by how much more "christian" his behavior is than that of his god-fearing mother.

This book with it's message about muddling on despite difficulties is a great read for young minds and an enjoyable one for those of us that are older. There are a number of poor reviews of this book but I'm convinced they're primarily by jaded souls who are trying too hard to be cynical. (either that or the unexpurgated version is much worse than the condensed version)

Read this and enjoy!

The book that I read was the Young Readers' Condensed Edition. The passages that the other reviewer criticized in his much favored review are missing from this version.

I didn't realize that there WERE two versions of this book but at 369 pages I think that the condensed version is definately the way to go. The passages that the other reviwer quotes at length are simply gone from the condensed version. They do sound maudlin and I'm not sure that I would have had the patience to read that version. The imagery that the author seems to have been going for (at least as cited by the other reviewer) does seem over the top.

[Jackie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn't realize this was the YA edition. Nevertheless, it was a good story and I loved the protagonist

[Hannah of the Sky · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is hard to rate. It's a powerful story and a story worth reading. But it's rough stuff. I had to skim a lot towards the beginning, because the physical and emotional abuse this kid suffered as a five year old was just so intense. (And this is the "young readers edit" of the book!) Also there's some violence and disturbing racism later. And of course there's lots of boxing, which I also don't like reading about (why did I read this book, you ask?). But there are rich cultural insights into the complex, broken apartheid era of South Africa. The story is well told and holds interest throughout. The prose is well written. And most of all, the characters are realistic, loveable (or hateable, for some) and unforgettable.

[Kristin DeGarmo · Rating 3 out of 5]

I decided to read the young reader version and I was not disappointed. Sometimes an abridged version of a book waters down the meaning but that isn’t the case with The Power of One. It was hard to get into at first but I really liked the book by the end. I grew attached to Peekay and his friends. I do feel like things more or less happened to him and he just went with it. I guess I was expecting him to take more action. I was really sad when Geel Piet died. I’m glad Borman got what was coming to him. Maybe in the future I’ll read the whole thing but I am satisfied with this version of it. Worth the read.

[Devon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great story about a boy coming into his own power with the help of a motley crew of prisoners, a pariah music professor who loves cacti and a host of other downtrodden characters. One never knows who is going to be pivotal in one's life. I read the young adult's version of the book which is half the length of its original. Would recommend this if you have a young person in your life who needs to see how to think for oneself.

[Reader Girl · Rating 3 out of 5]

Although it wasn't my preferred subject matter, this book provides good exposure to a part of the world and its history that you often don't hear about. The first section gets old pretty quickly (it's no fun to read about a kid getting constantly beat up), but it's necessary to understand Peekay's later frame of mind.

[Samantha · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a good historical fiction book. I really enjoyed it even though it took me forever to get through. For me, it was a little difficult to read because it had a mixing of Afrikaan language as well.

[Elizabeth tedrow · Rating 5 out of 5]

this is my favorite book of all time.

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's a moving story. One of my all-time favorite novels that I think of and use to remind myself of my own personal inner strength.

[Lori · Rating 4 out of 5]

A small boy in south africa overcomes many obstacles in life.
He meets many positive role models to encourage him to be the best he can be.

[julia · Rating 2 out of 5]

WHY IS PEEKAY SO FULL OF HIMSELF JUST NOOOOO

[Hope · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very powerful book. At every phase of Peekay's life, he meets a person who helps or mentors him. Whenever I feel like I am not making a difference, I will use this book as inspiration.

[Ioannis Gkikas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quite the inspiration.