Reviews

This book was short but had me reflecting a lot. Some of Johnson's musings about living in a racial society still remain accurate over a century later. The inner battle the narrator faces regarding how he shows up on a day-to-day basis is not unfamiliar or misunderstood to me. In America being black can easily be the deciding factor in whether an individual is treated like an individual, or less than. In some cases, it can also determine whether they live or die. So, in theory, to suppress one's blackness and conveniently already look white seems like an easy way out.

But what's safer isn't always fulfilling, especially when it denies you your truth. I think this book did a good job of expressing that how Black people are treated in this country does not take away from our value and our capabilities, and because of this many people throughout history have put their lives on the line so that we should not have to live in fear or shame. Black people are more than our struggle.

Overall a very insightful story. I went into it knowing that Johnson was a strong writer and this book confirmed that.

amalas_bookstop's review against another edition

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challenging emotional informative reflective tense medium-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

4.0

This was slightly different than what is was expecting but not all bad. This was actually way easier to read than I thought it would be, and I see a lot of James Weldon Johnson actual music background incorporated in this story.

There were parts of this story that I thought got a little off track, just a few pacing issues. But overall I do believe that this novel is a necessary read for those wanting to read black American classics. However when is comes to the “passing” literature I do believe that other authors have maybe written the narrative better.

Content Warnings

mariposachismosa's review against another edition

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3.0

the privilege of passing; i kinda of hate him after reading this

logandansby's review against another edition

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reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

I love reading Black narrative fiction, and this book provided a perspective that I had never read before. As a white-passing Black man, the narrator had the unique ability to choose between being Black and white. Outwardly, he was treated as a white man unless he disclosed his Blackness which gave him a dual perspective on race and identity.

The narrator’s commentary on viewing life through a Black lens resonated with me, especially considering how central race has been to American society throughout our history. The Black lens can be exhausting because you definitely don’t want to put yourself in a victim mindset but it’s hard to mentally ignore when incidents happen that are obviously because of your race. There’s almost a hyperawareness of yourself and your Blackness is at the center of that awareness. Even now, Black people feel pressured to present themselves in the best way possible because it’s not just about the individual it’s about how non-Black people will perceive the race. For example, there’s been a recent attack on DEI with the notion that it gives people of color opportunities that they are unqualified for and undeserving of. This has been so much of a hot topic that DEI has become an insult. I'm sure Black Americans at prestigious schools and universities or companies feel the need to represent the race and not be considered as a “DEI pick.” It almost feels like you are striving to be the best despite your Blackness when it is despite others' perception of Blackness.

To me, the narrator never truly lived as a Black man, and that was never his fault due to his appearance and demeanor, which was nontraditional for Black Americans at that time. And his choosing to be Black to go down South and study slave hymns and elevate his ragtime career was weird. How convenient it was for him to take an anthropological journey down South to study Southern black culture and music so he could become a ragtime icon. Of course, that dream didn’t last and it got real. I’m not going to lie, if I saw a man get burned alive that would scare me white too. This moment highlighted his privilege because he was able to retreat to NYC and hide his blackness with ease because of his phenotype. It also made me think about what it means to be Black. Do you need the collective experience, or is appearance enough? But what about people who don’t have either, and then is self-perception enough? I really don’t know the answer to this. Race is a social construct anyway as we were all taught the “one drop rule”, but I don’t even think that’ll be around much longer, especially in modern times when there is more mixing of races. I believe who is considered Black will become a bigger question.

This book was an interesting exploration of race and identity. I enjoyed it. I feel like it's a book you have to read a few times after reading more books on race and identity.

ameennephillips's review against another edition

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2.0

My first experience with James Weldon Johnson. Easy to read, but the name tells you the whole story in a sense. You're really only reading to see exactly how it happened for him. What the book really did is got me thinking about what "passing" looks like today. Does it still exist: "passing"? The notion of passing has since been transformed and exists in a different way. I mean it used to be something Black people who looked white did and if they were ever found out, there would be some serious reprecussions. However, now some years later "to be passing" is something that can often be bestowed upon a Black person by others, which is most readily seen in the statement that has been said to me on more than one occassion: "Well I don't really consider you Black." For anyone who has seen me, I am most clearly Black and for everyone who knows me more intimately I am clearly Black. I often times find it funny that people think it's a good thing that they don't consider me Black, while I'm frustrated. So passing remains apart of our lives although in a different form, but we've got time to change and that's what makes it alright in the end.

gabbyac's review against another edition

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informative reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

I find myself in awe at how relevant this book is over 100 years since its original release. Where it could be very frightening to think about how little American culture has changed around the race questions, it's reassuring to know that these thoughts and feelings are nothing new and are well documented, even if people would like to say otherwise.

Content Warnings

jnepal's review against another edition

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reflective medium-paced

4.0

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