Reviews

Imitation of Life by Fannie Hurst, Daniel Itzkovitz, Fannie Hunt

averyw's review against another edition

challenging slow-paced

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

3.0

miiisch's review against another edition

3.0

This book is sooooooo lengthy! It took me ages to get through, even though I had to read it for uni... The themes of this book are very interesting, very modern and I love me some women in the workplace at the beginning of the 20th century. This book is about feminism, about family and about race in America. Published in 1933 it represents very current topics and mindsets. One topic e.g. for the book is the theme of passing. Sadly, this was only an aditional storyline and I would have much rather read a book that was focused on Peola and Delilah than on Bea and her daughter Jessie.
Also I hated the ending? wtf... but the book wasn't bad, it was just meh. Solid 3 stars though.

girlonthecsaw's review against another edition

3.0

Watching the 1959 adaptation of this novel has long been a rite of passage in my family. Who can watch the film without crying at one or several points? When I was a young adult I discovered there had been an earlier adaptation of the film in 1934. Neither film stays completely true to the original plot of the novel. In fact, having seen both films made me enjoy the book far less than I would have if the order had been reversed. For people who've seen either of the film versions this will be a disappointing read. However, I admire Ms. Hurst's courage in writing and publishing such a novel during the early thirties when many of the themes of her book were taboo.

rdhk's review against another edition

slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated

2.0

Honestly this book was one of the most boring that I've ever read (in addition, of course, to being hella racist). would not recommend. I did enjoy the twist at the end though.

blairewithane's review against another edition

2.0

This book has to be thought of in its historical context but I didn’t find it held up particularly well. The dialect that all of Delilah’s lines are written in is so exaggerated as to be almost unreadable. I also had the impression going in that a larger part of the plot was about race. The parts that work better are bea’s story - the rise of a businesswoman going it on her own and her relationships with her daughter and struggles with work-life balance. And the ending shocked but perhaps should have been expected.