Reviews with content warning for Racial slurs - Black No More

This book will make you uncomfortable

While I understand a book like this isn’t easily digestible to some, I think it’s well worth a read.
This book (written in the 30s), gives great commentary on the concept of race in the US through humor and satire, revealing the irony and hypocrisy of it all.
I was indeed skeptical after having read the introduction, but you really have to go into this with an open mind and no expectations in order to find the humor.
Schuyler touches on classism, colorism, capitalism, workers rights, sexism, and so many other topics that are still relevant today.

Content Warnings

katherine_kelley's review against another edition

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challenging dark funny fast-paced

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

3.0

This satire is still relevant ninety one years later, but I think it ultimately has a defeatist attitude that isn’t my taste. The ending, to me felt like, “people will be racist no matter what and people will always profit off of that” in a way that seemed to be against trying to better society. For all the relevant commentary, there’s also an undercurrent of ideas that are provably false that I can’t fully get on board with. There’s also just fat phobia, misogyny, homophobia, etc. that is used for humor which didn’t age well. It’s worth studying and reading critically, but I don’t think it’s something worth broad recommendation.

Content Warnings

dlrosebyh's review against another edition

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dark funny medium-paced

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

3.5

If black people become white, what would it do for America's racial issues? Would everyone be content? The satirical frolic Black No More by George S. Schuyler provides funny answers to these and other topics. The protagonist of Black No More is Max Disher, a stylish black insurance rogue who undergoes a technological metamorphosis to become Matthew Fisher, a white guy. Matt devises a scheme that enables him to marry the white woman who turned him down while he was black and rise to the position of leadership in the white nationalist organization known as the Knights of Nordica. A hilarious investigation of race and all of its self-serving meanings, Black No More. Become them if you can't defeat them. A lively Introduction is provided by Ishmael Reed, one of today's best black satirists and the author of Mumbo Jumbo and Japanese by Spring.

Many of the world-famous masters of black literature were born during the fertile artistic age now known as the Harlem Resurgence (1920– 1930), which serves as the template for the current renaissance of black writers.

I first believed that this would be a major letdown. I wasn't really engrossed until the final fifty pages, which went above and beyond my expectations. The critical book Black No More addresses politics, racism, discrimination, and hate crimes all at once and without bias. Simply said, everyone is battling for equality. This book really does open your eyes to everything.

Content Warnings

aconfundityofcrows's review against another edition

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challenging dark funny medium-paced

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

4.0

Content Warnings

humbug87's review against another edition

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challenging dark funny medium-paced

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

4.0

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