Scan barcode
ellareads2's review against another edition
dark
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
michellemybelle's review against another edition
4.75
grannie petry was gifted literary artist…. this novel gives high school english lit reading list, but in the BEST possible way 🫢 her character-building skills were impeccable, my only tiny issue is the repetitiveness of Lutie’s inner dialogue, but that’s about it! strongly recommend if you wanna get into your Black American classics bag 🤌🏾
dunnadam's review against another edition
5.0
The 1940's is such a great time period for a novel. The war is over but the effects are still being felt. There are movie theaters but no televisions. Black people are free, but not really.
I would say this book is a great character novel, which I'm learning is right in my wheelhouse. Not much happens but man this author can write. She draws a villain so well you want to stop reading the book. The characters are flawed but real and will stick with me for a long time.
A passage:
"She listened intently to the record. It was “Darlin’,” and when the voice on the record stopped she started singing: “There’s no sun, Darlin’. There’s no fun, Darlin’.”
The men and the women crowded at the bar stopped drinking to look at her. Her voice had a thin thread of sadness running through it that made the song important, that made it tell a story that wasn’t in the words—a story of despair, of loneliness, of frustration. It was a story that all of them knew by heart and had always known because they had learned it soon after they were born and would go on adding to it until the day they died."
I would say this book is a great character novel, which I'm learning is right in my wheelhouse. Not much happens but man this author can write. She draws a villain so well you want to stop reading the book. The characters are flawed but real and will stick with me for a long time.
A passage:
"She listened intently to the record. It was “Darlin’,” and when the voice on the record stopped she started singing: “There’s no sun, Darlin’. There’s no fun, Darlin’.”
The men and the women crowded at the bar stopped drinking to look at her. Her voice had a thin thread of sadness running through it that made the song important, that made it tell a story that wasn’t in the words—a story of despair, of loneliness, of frustration. It was a story that all of them knew by heart and had always known because they had learned it soon after they were born and would go on adding to it until the day they died."
prettypious's review against another edition
5.0
No review I could write could capture how amazing this book was. The story, plot, characters, and most importantly the actual writing were all independent works of arts that come together into a masterpiece! What a beautiful piece of American literature that in my humble opinion really provides a perfect screenshot of a slice of American life during World War II in Harlem!
thechanelmuse's review against another edition
5.0
I read The Street for the first time eight years ago after roaming through the classics section in my local library and saw the title on the spine. It stood out from the rest. The story has stuck always with me since then.
What gets me about this book is how it’s beautifully written with vivid language and flair yet heartbreakingly told as it progresses. The Street was written in 1946 yet continues to resonate with today's reality... The story seamlessly weaves character development, perspectives and flashbacks together as the story builds setting, suspense and tension; and you glide through spaces, rooms and streets by the turn of a page. Also, it's sensory. You can smell the street, hear the soundscape and feel the thickness in the air. Ann Petry was a hell of a writer.
What gets me about this book is how it’s beautifully written with vivid language and flair yet heartbreakingly told as it progresses. The Street was written in 1946 yet continues to resonate with today's reality... The story seamlessly weaves character development, perspectives and flashbacks together as the story builds setting, suspense and tension; and you glide through spaces, rooms and streets by the turn of a page. Also, it's sensory. You can smell the street, hear the soundscape and feel the thickness in the air. Ann Petry was a hell of a writer.
evangelinemurphy's review against another edition
4.0
captivating and heart breaking. an important read
mikewardevrybdy's review against another edition
5.0
This book is truly amazing and should be read by everyone. Ann Petry can tell a story like no other.
pinkstar's review against another edition
challenging
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0