Reviews

The Lamplighter by Jackie Kay

milokeane's review

dark hopeful informative reflective fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

rosie_06's review

dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

joss's review against another edition

4.0

This is an incredible telling of the horrors and evils of slavery. Crafted from true accounts, intricately researched and hauntingly raw and honest. It is absolutely horrific to read, and incredibly sad, though that word doesn’t really cut it at all.
It’s so difficult to review, or give a star rating to a piece of work such as this one. It doesn’t feel right. It should simply be marked as important and essential reading.
I loved the way in which the story was shared between the main women - the idea that the individual story was also universal to each slave really came through. Often it felt more like a poetry reading with many voices, and at other times, it felt more like prose.
My only real criticism is the amount of repetition in this, which could sometimes feel somewhat gimmicky, but it also contributed to the feeling of the one story being several stories, so sometimes it made sense for lines to be repeated.
I thought this was an incredible play - the form of performance entirely brings the reader or audience into this story, or reality, in ways I haven’t experienced before. This needed to be written, and I’m so thankful that it was.

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I received an ARC on NetGalley - all opinions are my own.

claire60's review against another edition

4.0

First performed as a play and published in 2008, this is the updated version with a new introduction written by Jackie Kay, her words create a moving picture of the reality of slavery and her dismay and finding out that Glasgow was also a slave trading port. The play itself is powerful, her lyrical writing giving life to 4 different women who articulate the unspeakable realities of being slaves, from the perilous sea crossings to being at the whim of their captors and 'owners'. It is a sobering and moving read with the characteristic poeticism that we have come to expect from Jackie Kay. I imagine that it was incredibly powerful on stage which you can imagine from the way it is written.

With thanks to Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an unbiased review.

ole_quixote's review against another edition

3.0

This play packs a punch. Jackie Kay has created a powerful story that takes you inside the world of the Slave Trade in all of its uncomfortable detail. We see slaves getting captured, their horrific sea voyage, to the markets and finally to the sugar plantations in the West Indies., Kay has opted to tell her story orally rather than visually, which works very well when reading it. She allows the voices of the characters to tell you their stories in their own way which is very impactful as it forces the reader/viewer to create the harrowing images of the slave trade in your own mind. Jackie Kay is using her skills as a poet in full force here as she propels you through the story, effectively pulling you through some heart-wrenching and memorable moments. Her use of dialogue is precise and authentic and I believe everyone should read or see this play, particularly when considering the attention Racism and its history is getting today.

introvertsbookclub's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes

4.25

A history of the British slave trade and the wealth it generated which prioritises the voices and experiences of black women. A mix between a play and poetry, with characters who are united but retain their individuality. This should be required reading in all British high schools.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Slavery and Racism

Moderate: Rape and Sexual assault

thereadingparamedic's review against another edition

4.0

I am still totally dumbfounded by anything I read about slavery & the way humans treated other humans. Devastating but a hugely important book.

iina's review against another edition

4.0

I don't usually like reading plays, but I knew Jackie Kay wouldn't let me down.

Thank you to Book Break and Picador for sending me a copy of this book. All opinions my own.

While The Lamplighter is intended to be performed, it was a powerful experience on page, too. What on stage would be a group of women speaking became a chorus of voices on page, echoing around each other and telling their stories in poetic form. Brief at just 87 pages, this was a far more touching reading experience than some much longer books I've read.

Kay's preface to this new edition is also insightful, reflecting on the role of the UK and Scotland especially in slave trade (it was a key slave trading location, and much of the wealth in the country now can be traced back to this time).

valje's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.25

This is a play that I would really like to see/hear performed. Haven't managed to find anywhere yet where I can do that.

findallyreading's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced

4.5