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deservingporcupine's review against another edition
5.0
A stunning portrait of Ms. Hansberry. There is so much I didn’t know about her life, and learning it through Imani Perry’s poetic prose gave me new insights not just about Raisin, but also about America. Beautiful, heartbreaking and I highly recommend.
brycestevenwilley's review against another edition
informative
inspiring
sad
slow-paced
3.0
Pros:
- Convinced me I need to read more works by Lorraine!
- A full, detailed look, with many of the specific detailed cited in the text (i.e. "in a letter from XYZ"...)
Cons:
- I didn't get as much from it as I could have, since I'm not as well read on writers like DuBois and Hughes. Certain pages would just list off lots of authors that Lorraine was responding to specifcally, but I had never read, so the specifics of the detailed response were lost on me.
- The descriptions of her works were some what scattered, and in the chapter they were focused on, they felt like subpar wiki summaries.
Great work if you also go through all of the supporting reading!
ducksfloat's review against another edition
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
5.0
This book was so incredibly inspiring and impactful. Imani Perry provided such a meaningful biography of Lorraine that hit every part of my body in such astounding ways. I am completely and utterly moved!
carstensena's review against another edition
5.0
I read this for Croton Reads, an all-village event sponsored by my local public library. I knew very little about Lorraine Hansberry going in, and quickly realized that I also knew very little about her literary, political and social circles. It was disorienting to realize how ignorant I am of a crucial part of American literary history. I am SO GLAD I read this book. It is beautifully written and quite moving while also being an incredible work of scholarship. The author subtly integrates her own life into this book in an affecting manner. I cannot wait to attend her talk, and to use this book as inspiration to fill in more gaps in my reading life.
ari76's review against another edition
4.0
The radiance of Lorraine Hansberry shone through this book. Any biography that causes me to make of list of additional things to read, watch, and consume is worth reading.
tgrvs78's review against another edition
5.0
I could read this book over and over. Spellbinding and powerful.
readerenergy's review against another edition
3.0
Never knew much about Lorraine Hansberry and but this book serves as a reference to her life. Her actions are on full display as well as the actions of those around her.
What I knew of her pre book: her beauty, her play, her friendships with Baldwin and Nina Simone, her queerness; this interested me most. After reading her book, I now k own how radical and revolutionary she was. She was a woman who tried the struggle of being a black person living in America from birth till death.
Looking for Lorraine, I believe we found enough of her, at least all the rightness.
What I knew of her pre book: her beauty, her play, her friendships with Baldwin and Nina Simone, her queerness; this interested me most. After reading her book, I now k own how radical and revolutionary she was. She was a woman who tried the struggle of being a black person living in America from birth till death.
Looking for Lorraine, I believe we found enough of her, at least all the rightness.