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cruelspirit's review against another edition
adventurous
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
First published in 1912, The Autobiography of an Ex-Colored Man is often cited as one of the first novels of African American literature. While not gaining much traction upon its initial release, it did see a revival and ultimate canonization during the Harlem Renaissance period.
This short novella follows the life of a light skinned African American at the beginning of the 20th Century. We follow him from childhood to adulthood and from a young age he finds that he is different. He sees himself unlike the other, predominantly white, kids of his New England childhood until it is the societal action of adults to racialize him and categorize him with the Black kids. That being said, he finds that he often passes for white and is able to easily navigate their world with very little pushback for his ethnicity.
In many ways this book feels very in line with what will follow in terms of Black male memoir and autofiction but I will say this angle of colorism does make it stand out, even 100 years later. Unlike many of the other works I’ve read of Black Literature, the protagonist faces very little hardship and ultimately prospers in society. The commentary on race and exploration of these themes really is just played out by his observations. Seeing how white people speak when they don’t think they are in mixed company. In this sense this is a really interesting look at the arbitrary nature of race and quite impressive given the time period this book is from.
Ultimately, I found the narrative to wander and given the short nature of this book, very brief in its exploration of these themes. There are flashes of greatness that still make it a quite compelling read but overall it left a lot to be desired. Especially given the kinds of books I’ve read that were published after. I found that the kinds of narratives based around being a Black man in America during this time period were done in a much more compelling way by the likes of James Baldwin or Richard Wright. Of course, those authors don’t explore colorism in the ways that Johnson does here but the focus on colorism often takes a backseat to other components in this narrative and given its brevity, it felt too limited in its scope.
One of the more interesting aspects of this narrative when it deviates from its exploration of colorism is looking at the rise in popularity of Ragtime. As maybe the first worldwide phenomenon of Black music captivating the zeitgeist, it is an interesting look at this phenomenon as it is something that has repeated itself with every new style of music based in Black culture and adopted by the masses. At times this feels like the stronger exploration in this narrative than simply the concepts of race on a personal level.
Overall I do think this is an interesting piece of American American literature but something that's value is more in its influence and historical value in a modern context. I can see where this inspired many great works in the decades following its publication but in comparison with those works it is far lacking. The colorism aspect is interesting too. It is known that much of the Harlem Renaissance period features lighter skinned authors, often from much more privileged backgrounds than that average Black person. This work follows right in line with this background and Johnson even admits to that at the end of this work, acknowledging how he differs from the average Black man, making him feel ultimately unqualified to claim this experience.
iheartshoegaze's review against another edition
4.0
i like a lot of his thoughts on things...disagree with others. its mostly an essay
mars68's review against another edition
5.0
Quite possibly one of the most important and yet most depressing books I could have read in this pandemic age...
cmleejim's review against another edition
5.0
What a beautifully poignant work about race and examination of it through the lens of a colored man who mostly passed for white. While at times it seemed like James Wheldon Johnson seemed like an "uppity" man who didn't seem proud of his heritage, he found ways to push forth and take advantage of his passing.
The end of the book in particular got me, in which (spoilers) he meets a white woman and falls in love. The way in which he describes his love for her was so profound, and I felt my heart break at first when he admitted his love and true heritage for her to appear shocked and disappear. When she returned and eventually admitted her love I felt like a weight was lifted (being a big sucker that I am). I wanted more.
Loved this.
The end of the book in particular got me, in which (spoilers) he meets a white woman and falls in love. The way in which he describes his love for her was so profound, and I felt my heart break at first when he admitted his love and true heritage for her to appear shocked and disappear. When she returned and eventually admitted her love I felt like a weight was lifted (being a big sucker that I am). I wanted more.
Loved this.
april_does_feral_sometimes's review against another edition
5.0
I recommend reading this fascinating novel.
'The Autobiography of an Ex-Colored Man' is not a real memoir or non-fiction. It is a fictionalized autobiography written in 1912. Despite that it is fiction, it has a strong feel of true authenticity. What is truly wondrous and sad about the book is how the questions, disputes and agonies over race in 1912 have little changed since this novel was written.
The narrator's story is a coming-of-age one. He experiences unusual adventures because although his mother was a light-skinned black, he himself looks completely white. He describes his birth, education and travels throughout America and Europe. Sometimes he lives like a wealthy white man with wealthy white men, and sometimes he endures the poverty and discrimination of Southern American blacks. He also lived for a time amongst the criminal elements of New York City. His white skin allows him to move freely wherever he chooses, depending on what identity he wants to explore. He is fortunate to be a musical prodigy and he easily learns languages.
The crisis begins when he falls in love with a white woman...
'The Autobiography of an Ex-Colored Man' is not a real memoir or non-fiction. It is a fictionalized autobiography written in 1912. Despite that it is fiction, it has a strong feel of true authenticity. What is truly wondrous and sad about the book is how the questions, disputes and agonies over race in 1912 have little changed since this novel was written.
The narrator's story is a coming-of-age one. He experiences unusual adventures because although his mother was a light-skinned black, he himself looks completely white. He describes his birth, education and travels throughout America and Europe. Sometimes he lives like a wealthy white man with wealthy white men, and sometimes he endures the poverty and discrimination of Southern American blacks. He also lived for a time amongst the criminal elements of New York City. His white skin allows him to move freely wherever he chooses, depending on what identity he wants to explore. He is fortunate to be a musical prodigy and he easily learns languages.
The crisis begins when he falls in love with a white woman...
mayaviiv's review against another edition
4.0
Bit sad to miss seminar for this one as I liked it a lot.
fernisreading's review against another edition
3.0
Read this for class, I can’t remember the exact dates but it’s somewhere in here. A really fascinating read and was great insight into what America was like during this time period. Had some quite powerful scenes and lines that I sat with for a while.
lunchmoneymomo's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
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? Yes
3.25
syvehlla's review against another edition
4.0
Great book! His struggle with race and his own identity is still so relevant today.