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4.14 AVERAGE
4.14 AVERAGE
McBride has written a wonderful book. The story takes place in the Cause housing projects of South Brooklyn in 1969. McBride has created several vivid characters in this novel. Chief among them is Cuffy Lambkin but known as Sportcoat to everybody. He's drunk much of the time but has a good heart. You'll also meet several other interesting folks: Hot Sausage, Sister Gee, The Elephant, Potts, Deems Clemens, as well as numerous others who live in the New York projects and attend Five Points Baptist Church. And then there are the ants. McBride gives us a Brooklyn that few of his readers will have experienced. There are several unanswered questions that drive the narrative. Learning the answers basically takes the whole novel. Don't be daunted. Just relax and enjoy McBride's beautiful writing, the great dialog, the characters, and his thoroughly engaging story. Highly recommended.
Deacon King Kong...where do I start? Colorful and memorable characters, snappy dialogue, and cohesive connectedness throughout the story make this a read that keeps you engaged and makes you feel like this could be your neighborhood or one you've visited. Every neighborhood has the loveable old guy who maybe drinks a little too much but is harmless as a fly and always there to help in a pinch; the local gossips; the low to mid level gangsters and crooks; the police, both clean and crooked; and the level-headed church woman who is the glue that holds the community together. McBride makes his characters so identifiable that although the story takes place in the projects of New York, they could be transplanted to any community. The multiple story lines that are interwoven with the main event of the story are compelling and also lend to the humanization of his characters. There's even a couple of episodes of potential romance here for the hopeless romantics. If there is one aspect of the novel that I didn't care for it was the Faulknerian stream of consciousness paragraphs that would appear at times. It was hard for me to stay focused on them when they run on and on. All in all, I found it to be a good read due to the language and the characters.
funny
hopeful
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Deacon King Kong was a unique and unexpected novel. There were moments I laughed out load and moments that caused me to pause. It was a refreshing and insightful story with many colorful characters of whit, charm, and menace. Deacon, Sportcoat, is a character anyone would be privileged to have as a friend; the type of person you'd want to sit at the porch drinking some tea and wishing for another story.
Oh, this cast of characters! They are real and full of life and heart, they struggle and fight and ultimately come together in a completely satisfying and profound ending. Recommended most assuredly.
Beautiful story about pain and structural suffering in the US and finding purpose and community after years of sleepwalking through life. Had multiple stories that went from seeming completely distinct to being completely intertwined and a poetically just ending. Showed pain and hardship and escape from it and how sometimes there is no escape in this world.
I really enjoyed this one. It took my awhile to get used to the writing style and all the names and nicknames, so many names to remember! However it was a wonderful story, outside my usual genre and I loved how it came together in the end.
Excellent book, well-written as usual for a novel by James McBride.
A lot of humor to balance a gloom reality.
I know that having so many characters tend to scare or confuse some readers, but personally I love it, as it is more realistic.
The end, however, was disappointing... Too well wrapped up for my liking.
A lot of humor to balance a gloom reality.
I know that having so many characters tend to scare or confuse some readers, but personally I love it, as it is more realistic.
The end, however, was disappointing... Too well wrapped up for my liking.
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
I don't often read fiction written for adults, but this book was fantastic. The characters were layered and well-developed and interesting. There was a lot of pain, but also a lot of hope. I love how all of the plot lines and different characters gradually reveal their connections to one another.