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tonyv379's review against another edition
challenging
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
4.25
kimball_hansen's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 stars. The book read very easily. But from the get go, the story at the beginning was so stupid with the boy burning the house down and the parents beating him for it and subsequent stories were just a frustrating headache. Both his parents, grandparents, aunts, and uncles are awful humans. I think people can mistake this boy's behavior and pity or justify him. Even though he doesn't deserve all the bad treatment, he's still pretty disrespectful. And there's no excuse for that.
But the story of him telling his grandma to kiss his bum was so funny. That was my favorite part.
He said that being cruel to the Jews wasn't racial prejudice but rather cultural heritage. Yet when white people used the same reasoning aimed toward blacks somehow that's not allowed. I hate the double standards with any race.
I thought he wasn't very educated and struggled with classes but then he got valedictorian in 9th grade?
I hate how badly most the white people treat most black people. Makes me mad.
That girl Bess is so forward with Richard.
He's so dumb that he wanted to quit his job (and did a week later without even warning them) when he lied a dozen times to his employer and they didn't even fire him. He said they insulted him? What a retard. There's your insult Mr Prideful.
He (and many others) say American is a racist nation. But they're wrong. There is no nation of racial hate in America. There are areas where some people have that hate. Why can't racist condemning racists understand that?
Seems like the blacks were mostly in support of communism because they just wanted to overthrow tyranny of whites. I can understand that. But I hate how the stupid communists call each other comrade.
How did his mom get better? I thought she had a stroke and was paralyzed?
The ending left me like...what happened to the rest of his life? He just stops the story.
But the story of him telling his grandma to kiss his bum was so funny. That was my favorite part.
He said that being cruel to the Jews wasn't racial prejudice but rather cultural heritage. Yet when white people used the same reasoning aimed toward blacks somehow that's not allowed. I hate the double standards with any race.
I thought he wasn't very educated and struggled with classes but then he got valedictorian in 9th grade?
I hate how badly most the white people treat most black people. Makes me mad.
That girl Bess is so forward with Richard.
He's so dumb that he wanted to quit his job (and did a week later without even warning them) when he lied a dozen times to his employer and they didn't even fire him. He said they insulted him? What a retard. There's your insult Mr Prideful.
He (and many others) say American is a racist nation. But they're wrong. There is no nation of racial hate in America. There are areas where some people have that hate. Why can't racist condemning racists understand that?
Seems like the blacks were mostly in support of communism because they just wanted to overthrow tyranny of whites. I can understand that. But I hate how the stupid communists call each other comrade.
How did his mom get better? I thought she had a stroke and was paralyzed?
The ending left me like...what happened to the rest of his life? He just stops the story.
alisonjfields's review against another edition
3.0
In all fairness, I should really go back and read this again. I read it for class, in college, back to back with "Native Son," I think I was so frustrated with Wright at the conclusion of "Native Son," that I probably didn't give this the attention it deserved. However, if memory serves, this was a direct, well-written, often painful autobiography about being a black kid in the Jim Crow south.
bookswgreen's review against another edition
informative
reflective
sad
slow-paced
2.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny and Racism
Moderate: Racism and Misogyny
katherinefontan's review against another edition
4.0
My thing is, I despise having to rate memoirs because in my overthinking brain it means I'm judging someone's experiences.
This book was absolutely amazing and tells an important story. Richard Wright had a way with words, this book absolutely made me feel everything he did despite the racial barriers. Thank you Wright for letting me in on the good, the bad, and the frustrating feeling of what being black in the Jim Crow south was.
This book was absolutely amazing and tells an important story. Richard Wright had a way with words, this book absolutely made me feel everything he did despite the racial barriers. Thank you Wright for letting me in on the good, the bad, and the frustrating feeling of what being black in the Jim Crow south was.