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criticalgayze's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
1) The polyphonic choral concept, which is overall the strongest thing about the book, and
2) The concept of the growth of an idea in a community, in this case homophobia among the enslaved.
The choral narration, as stated above, is the strongest thing about the novel as it runs throughout its entirety and often provided relief when I wanted to abandon the story. The chorus serves as a kind of chaotic good to our main focus, Samuel and Isaiah, and to tie in ancestral practices that remind us of that second concept the novel is ruminating on.
This second concept, the growth of homophobia in the enslaved community at the heart of the novel, is also incredibly interesting. Watching how and why a community might adopt an idea they heretofore had no concept of or interest in was an interesting piece of, likely historically accurate, social experimentation. And watching it played against the ideas on gender and sexuality brought over from tribal communities made it all the more impactful.
My biggest struggle in the book was when the story began to devolve from this second concept as we begin to have chapters from the perspective of the white characters in the story. The idea still lives in the novel as the driving force, but we are introduced to the narrative interests of the white enslavers, which becomes the central focus of most of the novel's back third. While I understand why the choice was made in the interest of servicing Jones's plot, it was far less interesting than the work he had been doing so far.
While significantly smaller, I also had a couple of other issues with my reading of the story. The first is that I wanted Isaiah and Samuel to be the focus of the novel, as I had been led to believe. Even though I knew going in that the vast majority of the story was not told from their point of view, I thought more of the story would be about them, yet the story was really more about the way they are used as pawns to play out the interests of other characters. I am also curious about the cultural conversations of the characters. I would have to read more firsthand writing from the period, but it sometimes seemed like the cultural ideas were more reflective of our modern revisiting of the period rather than period appropriate.
Despite my qualms, this book does have incredibly important things to say that I think make it a great pick for a book club discussion, which is the context for which I read it. There are lots of ideas and perspectives that feel new, either in their discussion or in their approach. Furthermore, until we begin to get some of those later white-perspective chapters, I think this is one of the gentler books on slavery as Jones seeks to both love his Black characters and show the love between them. Finally, the last three chapters go a long way toward making the ending of the novel a powerful piece that will stick with you.
Quotes:
"Our responsibility is to tell you the truth. But since you were never told the truth, you will believe it is a lie. Lies are more affectionate than truth and embrace you with both arms. Prying you loose is our punishment." (Page 2)
"That was good, though, because some things should never be mentioned, didn't have to be, not even among friends. There were many ways to hide and save one's self from doom, and keeping tender secrets was one of them." (Page 40)
"This wasn't a framework for liberty; this was the same tyranny of Europe, only naked and devoid of baubles." (Page 126)
"'Some people pain is eternal. Some people worship they pain. Don't know who they are without it. Hold on to it like they gon' die if they let it go.'" (Page 167)
"The North, meanwhile, still couldn't answer the questions of who would do the work freed slaves would necessarily leave behind and how those unfortunate souls would be paid once the position of slave was abolished. These men were bad at business, though there was every indication they were just as greed." (Page 202)
Graphic: Confinement, Death, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, and Violence
Moderate: Sexual content, Suicide, Blood, Excrement, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Child abuse, Child death, and Homophobia
cait's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
The Prophets is a novel that takes some time to get into. As with many books about slavery, it is a distressing and uncomfortable read. We follow the occupants of a cotton plantation known as Empty as desperation leads one man to Christ and the rest to destruction. Wanting nothing more than to have his sort-of wife be excused from the forced inseminations, Amos decides to appease the plantation owner by turning to Christianity and spreading it amongst the other slaves, grasping particularly onto the "sins" he perceives are being committed by Isaiah and Samuel in the privacy of their barn. Though the duo is known for their hard work and kind natures, being the only men in Empty who don't participate in the forced rape of slave women at their master's command, it isn't long before the members of the community turn on them, just so they can have someone to look down upon.
This is a difficult story to put into words. It is equal parts fascinating and horrifying, beautiful and hideous. The way it delves into generational trauma and blood memory is fascinating. Jones did such an incredible job of fleshing out these characters within their limited amount of designated pages and completing the story so that it circles back in on itself. This is the sort of novel that makes you really think. I've heard it's the kind of story that, if you explore it a second time, you discover was deeper and more detailed than you originally imagined.
But, while this is a story of race and racism, I think that it is also a story of power and misogyny. Like the steps of a ladder: White over black and men over women. As you go down the rungs of the ladder, though, who has the least amount of power: Black women ... or black men who do not obey the "rules" of manhood? And why and by who was it decided that the thing that made these two boys lesser was the fact that they alone never laid a single hand upon anyone unwilling to be touched?
Graphic: Confinement, Racial slurs, Racism, Slavery, and Colonisation
Moderate: Confinement, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Homophobia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, Excrement, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Grief, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Murder, and Colonisation
maggiekateb's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Body horror, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Blood, Excrement, Trafficking, Grief, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail
invaderlinz's review against another edition
- 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? It's complicated
4.0
Graphic: Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Gore, Homophobia, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, and Murder
jennikreads's review against another edition
4.75
Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Hate crime, Homophobia, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Transphobia, Violence, Blood, Trafficking, Grief, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, and Murder
davidrb's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Homophobia, Infertility, Infidelity, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Blood, Excrement, Vomit, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, and Murder
caseythereader's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.75
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Excrement, Vomit, Kidnapping, Grief, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, and Murder
emilybolivia's review against another edition
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Genocide, Gun violence, Hate crime, Homophobia, Infertility, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Excrement, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Religious bigotry, and Murder