misfate's review against another edition
challenging
reflective
sad
tense
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
aidahdefilippo's review against another edition
4.0
Read the story before you read the introduction!!
bookishcapricorn's review against another edition
3.0
I think reading the introduction to the recent edition by Zadie Smith really enhanced the reading experience. I think about it more then the actual story.
allisonbuie's review against another edition
5.0
Ooooh. I love it.
Short story that kept me thinking (still has me thinking).
Short story that kept me thinking (still has me thinking).
fionafsw's review against another edition
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Maybe it's the short story format. Maybe it's me. But the fact that I enjoyed Zadie Smith's Intro/analysis more than the actual book is weird. No doubt Morrison's experimental writing is flawless and groundbreaking, but even though I'd known about this racial ambiguity element, and participated in trying to solve the mystery, the book didn't do much for me. I'm curious about Morrison's full length novels, since she's such a celebrated writer. Maybe there's a different way one should read short stories?
P.S. The story itself is less than 40 very short pages. The rest is Smith's introduction.
P.S. The story itself is less than 40 very short pages. The rest is Smith's introduction.
damalireads's review
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- 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
4.5
rubiesbooks's review against another edition
4.75
This story diminishes stereotypical conceptions of both the white and black race. It intertwines them both in a way where the dynamics between the two have shaped their lives and their way of perceiving the exact same situation. The characters’ races were left ambiguous making the gap between the races seem minuscule in certain aspects due to the differences of the preconceiving characteristics in the story and in real life. Like, they were shared.