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4.28 AVERAGE
4.28 AVERAGE
I wish I could say that I knew more about Maya Angelou before starting this book, but other than knowing she was a poet, I knew very little about her life. For this reason, I really enjoyed reading her autobiography.
You can read the poetry in her words. She uses a lot of metaphors in her book which to me made her story more meaningful. When she describes her rape, she writes “The act of rape on an eight-year-old body is a matter of the needle giving because the camel can’t. The child gives, because the body can, and the mind of the violator cannot.” This was so powerful! I can immediately picture what’s happening and feel the pain she is describing. I read these words several times in shock, sadness, and disgust. And of course, I was reminded of the Bible passage, Matthew 19:24 which states “And again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.”
I say all this to say that I am more in love with Maya Angelou than I was before. This woman has LIVED! And she has so much wisdom because of those experiences. I can’t necessarily relate to what’s she been through yet as a black woman, I do feel connected to her story. She is EVERYTHING and she writes so beautifully!
You can read the poetry in her words. She uses a lot of metaphors in her book which to me made her story more meaningful. When she describes her rape, she writes “The act of rape on an eight-year-old body is a matter of the needle giving because the camel can’t. The child gives, because the body can, and the mind of the violator cannot.” This was so powerful! I can immediately picture what’s happening and feel the pain she is describing. I read these words several times in shock, sadness, and disgust. And of course, I was reminded of the Bible passage, Matthew 19:24 which states “And again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.”
I say all this to say that I am more in love with Maya Angelou than I was before. This woman has LIVED! And she has so much wisdom because of those experiences. I can’t necessarily relate to what’s she been through yet as a black woman, I do feel connected to her story. She is EVERYTHING and she writes so beautifully!
Beautiful and heartbreaking. Angelou’s writing is elegant and sophisticated, while still retaining her innocent observations and child-like perspective. Through a young Black child’s eyes, you viscerally witness the horrors of segregation, Jim Crow, and racism — but also the joys, the unbridled love for family, and the confusing excitement of growing older and changing physically and sexually.
emotional
reflective
fast-paced
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
4.5 ☆
The events of maya Angelous life at points feel as if they were the events of a fictional book. And yet there is a raw realness in the way which she accounts her life events that leaves little certainty in whether or not the events of the novel are true.
For the first autobiography i read by choice, I think this one was a one of the best (ig that means down hill from here :( )
The events of maya Angelous life at points feel as if they were the events of a fictional book. And yet there is a raw realness in the way which she accounts her life events that leaves little certainty in whether or not the events of the novel are true.
For the first autobiography i read by choice, I think this one was a one of the best (ig that means down hill from here :( )
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
medium-paced
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
slow-paced
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
emotional
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
I am not one to read memoirs. They are my least favorite genre, generally because most are unlike everyday life for many of us. I need an escape of fantasy and fiction. I read this because it fulfills a book challenge requirement.
However, putting your life story on paper - in first person -for the rest of the world to read is profound. Angelo did just that, and in doing so allows us to see a glimpse not only into a past era, but allows to see for all our differences there are similarities for many of our life experiences. We are not entirely alone which is both maddening and comforting.
5 stars because it's her story, and if we don't tell our stories, we risk losing pieces of history. Just shy of 4 stars because this is a challenging genre for me when I consider the entire reading experience.
However, putting your life story on paper - in first person -for the rest of the world to read is profound. Angelo did just that, and in doing so allows us to see a glimpse not only into a past era, but allows to see for all our differences there are similarities for many of our life experiences. We are not entirely alone which is both maddening and comforting.
5 stars because it's her story, and if we don't tell our stories, we risk losing pieces of history. Just shy of 4 stars because this is a challenging genre for me when I consider the entire reading experience.