Scan barcode
wmmcmanlypants's review against another edition
4.0
Best stories, IMO, were “I Happy Am”, “J’ouvert 1996”, and “Everything the Mouth Eats”. The connective tissue made this collection feel redundant in spots, but overall it is fantastic and highly worth anyone’s time. It’s currently shortlisted for the National Book Award for good reason.
chazzerguy's review against another edition
2.0
Giving up on this one. Well written, but the stories were ponderous and not terribly interesting. I'd rather be reading something interesting.
rocketiza's review against another edition
4.0
A lot of meh but a little over halfway through till near the end had a solid couple of stories. As it was in order pretty much of age of the narrator that was where it felt most relevant
bibliobethica's review against another edition
4.0
I rarely read short story anthologies. A Lucky Man is a series of stories about fathers and sons. The stories felt very contemporary and complex. Although I found some of the subject matter hard to read due to the characters situations, the author's approach was very unique and kept me turning the page.
sparrinello7's review against another edition
4.0
im just not sure if i'm a fan of short stories. i wanted them to keep going because i wanted to know more about the people in them. but it was still good and entertaining
chiyeungreads's review against another edition
4.0
Brinkley writes with such compassion for his characters. So reminiscent of Yiyun Li and Trevor.
andyirwin89's review against another edition
3.0
A delicate set of portraits about black masculinity. These short stories are deep, rich and textured - writing men in a way I love to see and rarely see. It’s bleak though. Almost relentlessly, with occasional bursts of sunshine through the cracks of the quiet despair that comes with each of the stories. There is love and tenderness for and from the men in these portraits, but it’s complicated.
I can’t live the experiences that these stories portray, I can empathise only insofar as I’m a man who shares the challenges of expressing my true self honestly in a patriarchal system. Skin colour and belonging are rooted in all of these stories and some of them are pretty heartbreaking to read, that’s what makes them powerful.
The women who appear in these stories, however, are mostly un-textured caricatures that lack depth. They’re almost all lightly warped versions of a straight man’s fantasy-cum-fear.
I can’t live the experiences that these stories portray, I can empathise only insofar as I’m a man who shares the challenges of expressing my true self honestly in a patriarchal system. Skin colour and belonging are rooted in all of these stories and some of them are pretty heartbreaking to read, that’s what makes them powerful.
The women who appear in these stories, however, are mostly un-textured caricatures that lack depth. They’re almost all lightly warped versions of a straight man’s fantasy-cum-fear.
tracithomas's review against another edition
2.0
I liked these stories. Some I loved. Some I wasn’t into. Black male experience in NYC revolving around relationships. Melancholy in a good way. Well written.
jvillanueva8's review against another edition
4.0
This was a beautiful collection but nothing about it really blew me away. “Infinite Happiness” was probably my favorite story. Brinkley’s prose is delightful, and he does an incredible job playing with ideas of black masculinity.
megatsunami's review against another edition
4.0
I especially liked the stories "Everything the Mouth Eats", "Infinite Happiness," and "Wolf and Rhonda."