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lynecia's review against another edition
5.0
Jamel Brinkley’s A Lucky Man is a collection of short stories that comprise a tender and thoughtful interrogation of masculinity in all its complexity. We journey with characters in the bloom of manhood and those navigating the struggle of past trauma, hurts and life’s unsettling disappointments. Even in the shorter pieces here, there lies a myriad of insightful and interesting themes ever unfurling, some deployed with great care and gravitas of a writer who has honed his craft consistently and skillfully; and some with a wink and a smile. And that is where, to me Brinkley’s brilliance lies.
Set in my stomping grounds of New York City, mainly in The Bronx and Brooklyn, it was especially wonderful to see my City on the page. But more than that, it’s been a while since I’ve encountered (perhaps I never have) a writer who has done such justice to stories of the men and boys who inhabit my corner of the world, and for that I feel grateful to have read this. Though only one story here contains the point-of-view of a female character, I did not feel alienated at all. In fact, I feel like there is a kind of vulnerability to some of these stories that was very moving and drew me in.
The heart-rending “Everything the Mouth Eats” and the exhilarating imagery “J’ouvert 1996” were standouts for me. If you pick this up, proceed straight there! (But don’t play yourself and miss out on the rest).
Undoubtedly, this has earned itself a spot on my Top Books of 2018.
Read it.
Set in my stomping grounds of New York City, mainly in The Bronx and Brooklyn, it was especially wonderful to see my City on the page. But more than that, it’s been a while since I’ve encountered (perhaps I never have) a writer who has done such justice to stories of the men and boys who inhabit my corner of the world, and for that I feel grateful to have read this. Though only one story here contains the point-of-view of a female character, I did not feel alienated at all. In fact, I feel like there is a kind of vulnerability to some of these stories that was very moving and drew me in.
The heart-rending “Everything the Mouth Eats” and the exhilarating imagery “J’ouvert 1996” were standouts for me. If you pick this up, proceed straight there! (But don’t play yourself and miss out on the rest).
Undoubtedly, this has earned itself a spot on my Top Books of 2018.
Read it.
seymone's review against another edition
4.0
3.75 stars
Brinkley is incredibly deft at creating short stories that capture your imagination and transport you into the actual storyline. I found the prose of some of these stories, to be superbly lyrical - at times, I had to really stop and appreciate, the imagery and emotions evoked by the lyricism.
Brinkley is incredibly deft at creating short stories that capture your imagination and transport you into the actual storyline. I found the prose of some of these stories, to be superbly lyrical - at times, I had to really stop and appreciate, the imagery and emotions evoked by the lyricism.
marta_fiona's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
fionystory's review against another edition
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
4.0
rebecca316's review against another edition
3.0
Meh. More like a 2.5. As with some Junot Diaz, I found the line between writing about misogyny and writing misogyny to be pretty blurry.
ridgewaygirl's review against another edition
4.0
This is a noteworthy collection; not only are short stories a hard sell for established authors, but for a new author like Brinkley, published by a smaller publisher outside of the Big Five to get any attention at all is unusual. Yet this book shows up on prize lists as diverse as the National Book Award and The Tournament of Books. The attention the is book is getting is well-deserved, the stories collected here are varied, but all speak to the experience of growing up as a person of color in New York. Like most collections, there were a few weaker offerings sandwiched between the strongest stories at the front and back of the book, but all were worth reading. Brinkley's skill is to bring the inner life of a child to life and to make the reader feel every uncertainty. This is a collection that brings to life the people living in the ungentrified areas of New York's boroughs. It's a good collection and I'll be sure to read whatever Brinkley writes next.
erynn01's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5