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4.25 AVERAGE
4.25 AVERAGE
Naylor is a master of words. She's not just trying to tell me a story - she's choosing each phrase with care, painting a picture of a life that is completely unfamiliar to me. And yet, she's showing me that what's inside the women of Brewster street is also inside of me - the same hopelessness you have to overcome to feel peace, the same need for acceptance and love.
Life on this run-down block is not easy - once you arrive there, you're either at the end of your rope, or you're stopping there on your way, you hope, to something better. The book is a novel in seven stories - and characters you've already met are interwoven throughout the stories of the women you're meeting. It's a harsh world, full of alcohol, libertine living, landlords who don't provide heat or sanitary living conditions, and neighbors who are so wrapped up in the pain of their own lives that everyone is always lashing out at each other. A few characters move through the book - Mattie and Kiswana - that seem to be a balm to all those others who have a continual desire to add fuel to the never-ending fires of hatred and distrust that rule among the residents of Brewster place. There are things that are very hard to read, especially the rape of a lesbian resident - apparently evidence that each person, no matter how "low down" you are, is looking for someone lower than themselves to push down.
One thing about the book that was a little disconcerting, was the fact that you never meet a single male character that is stable or provides in any way for his lover, wife or family. They are all deadbeat, womanizing and selfish. I don't know if this is really the way it is on streets like Brewster Place, and I don't know if she was just trying to focus on the strength (or weakness) of the women (hence the title), but it bothered me that there wasn't a single male with a redeeming quality. This isn't the first book by an African American author that has left me with the same taste in my mouth - although I'm pretty sure that all African American authors I have read are women, which may have something to do with it. I really liked, however, reading about Cora, whose decision to visit a performance of Midsummer Night's Dream, awoke in her a desire to finally begin caring for her children and trying to provide them with a better life - without depending on a man.
If you can handle the harshness of this book, it is well worth reading - a portrait of a place and of a people that deserve to have their story told and considered.
Life on this run-down block is not easy - once you arrive there, you're either at the end of your rope, or you're stopping there on your way, you hope, to something better. The book is a novel in seven stories - and characters you've already met are interwoven throughout the stories of the women you're meeting. It's a harsh world, full of alcohol, libertine living, landlords who don't provide heat or sanitary living conditions, and neighbors who are so wrapped up in the pain of their own lives that everyone is always lashing out at each other. A few characters move through the book - Mattie and Kiswana - that seem to be a balm to all those others who have a continual desire to add fuel to the never-ending fires of hatred and distrust that rule among the residents of Brewster place. There are things that are very hard to read, especially the rape of a lesbian resident - apparently evidence that each person, no matter how "low down" you are, is looking for someone lower than themselves to push down.
One thing about the book that was a little disconcerting, was the fact that you never meet a single male character that is stable or provides in any way for his lover, wife or family. They are all deadbeat, womanizing and selfish. I don't know if this is really the way it is on streets like Brewster Place, and I don't know if she was just trying to focus on the strength (or weakness) of the women (hence the title), but it bothered me that there wasn't a single male with a redeeming quality. This isn't the first book by an African American author that has left me with the same taste in my mouth - although I'm pretty sure that all African American authors I have read are women, which may have something to do with it. I really liked, however, reading about Cora, whose decision to visit a performance of Midsummer Night's Dream, awoke in her a desire to finally begin caring for her children and trying to provide them with a better life - without depending on a man.
If you can handle the harshness of this book, it is well worth reading - a portrait of a place and of a people that deserve to have their story told and considered.
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Lovely language, delicious characters, and tightly woven plot. Excellent--I wish the novel were longer.
This novel is made up of seven interconnected stories weaving through the lives of the women who live in a run down housing complex called Brewster Place. The connections and intersections are strong enough to hold everything together and enhance the story as a whole without being gimmicky or cute. Probably one of the best endings I've ever read -- still thinking about that final block party....
I'm sad to say that this is an abridged version. I really enjoy books that focus on characters and their stories--the presentation of life as experienced by a specific individual offers invaluable insight and encourages empathy building opportunities. It was heartbreaking to read about the lives and hardships of the various inhabitants of Brewster place, but I enjoyed the cathartic ending and the messages of unity and hope throughout.
4.5 ✨. Wow, I really enjoyed this book. It caused me to feel so many emotions. I saw the Mini Series from the 1980s lots of times. I appreciate that they were faithful to the book. I enjoyed both very much. 7 stories all connected these Ladies to one Housing Project called Brewster Place. Their lives falling apart just like the Building. Well done Gloria Naylor ♥️. I look forward to reading The Men of Brewster Place and later, Linden Hills.
dark
emotional
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Bullying, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Homophobia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Abortion, Murder, Pregnancy, Lesbophobia
4.5, rounding up
*Trigger warning* Very graphic violence towards the end of the book; violence towards women/domestic abuse
I recently read "The Street," which had a foreword by Tayari Jones, and this book had a foreword by Jones as well. She mentions having read both books for a literature class she took at Spelman. I didn't intentionally read these books back-to-back, but it was very interesting to compare/contrast them. I kind of felt like I got to audit Jones's college lit class by reading her summaries and analysis.
The two book are very similar; they both center on a specific street and the hard-luck characters who live there. With both books, you know they are going to end tragically, but you still can't help but root for the happy ending that will always stay just out of reach. The Street was written in 1946 and set in the 1940s, and focuses on the protagonist, Lutie, although also has several chapters told from other characters' points of view. Brewster Place was written in 1982 and is set in the 1980s, and each chapter has a different protagonist, although their stories all weave together. The Street definitely felt like a precursor to Brewster Place.
Out of the two books, I preferred Brewster Place, just because I really connected with Naylor's prose. I read one GR review (I'll link it below) that said she really knows how to create an atmosphere, and that's how I felt; when I put the book down at the end, I had to just sit quietly for 15 minutes and allow myself to detach from Naylor's reality and come back to my own. Her writing absorbed me in a way that made me feel really deeply about each character, as flawed and as frustrating as they were at times. I really enjoyed Petry's writing as well, but it didn't have that same captivating quality for me, and I didn't feel as devastated at the end. When Petry describes Lutie, it all feels fairly matter-of-fact and straightforward; not quite as nuanced and complex as the characters in Brewster Place.
Both books really made an impact on me, and maybe even more so since I read them together. I enjoy the kind of writing where one of the "characters" is the place itself, whether it be the specific street or a neighborhood or city. I've read a few other books like that - Augustown by Kei Miller and Claire of the Sea Light by Edwidge Danitcat come to mind. I always feel like places have their own personalities and memories, so I connect with the idea of the location being more than just the setting where the story happens, but being an integral part of the story itself.
*Trigger warning* Very graphic violence towards the end of the book; violence towards women/domestic abuse
I recently read "The Street," which had a foreword by Tayari Jones, and this book had a foreword by Jones as well. She mentions having read both books for a literature class she took at Spelman. I didn't intentionally read these books back-to-back, but it was very interesting to compare/contrast them. I kind of felt like I got to audit Jones's college lit class by reading her summaries and analysis.
The two book are very similar; they both center on a specific street and the hard-luck characters who live there. With both books, you know they are going to end tragically, but you still can't help but root for the happy ending that will always stay just out of reach. The Street was written in 1946 and set in the 1940s, and focuses on the protagonist, Lutie, although also has several chapters told from other characters' points of view. Brewster Place was written in 1982 and is set in the 1980s, and each chapter has a different protagonist, although their stories all weave together. The Street definitely felt like a precursor to Brewster Place.
Out of the two books, I preferred Brewster Place, just because I really connected with Naylor's prose. I read one GR review (I'll link it below) that said she really knows how to create an atmosphere, and that's how I felt; when I put the book down at the end, I had to just sit quietly for 15 minutes and allow myself to detach from Naylor's reality and come back to my own. Her writing absorbed me in a way that made me feel really deeply about each character, as flawed and as frustrating as they were at times. I really enjoyed Petry's writing as well, but it didn't have that same captivating quality for me, and I didn't feel as devastated at the end. When Petry describes Lutie, it all feels fairly matter-of-fact and straightforward; not quite as nuanced and complex as the characters in Brewster Place.
Both books really made an impact on me, and maybe even more so since I read them together. I enjoy the kind of writing where one of the "characters" is the place itself, whether it be the specific street or a neighborhood or city. I've read a few other books like that - Augustown by Kei Miller and Claire of the Sea Light by Edwidge Danitcat come to mind. I always feel like places have their own personalities and memories, so I connect with the idea of the location being more than just the setting where the story happens, but being an integral part of the story itself.
Set between the 1940s and the mid-1970s and tells the interconnected stories of African American women living in Brewster Place, a rundown apartment complex. The writing is powerful and gripping, with memorable characters whose journeys of self-discovery and survival form the heart of the story.
Raw, tough, and far from sentimental, the book explores themes of oppression, suffering, and female solidarity.
With its 192 pages, it’s a novella that lingers, and I believe the characters and their stories will stay with me for a long time. I am hoping to locate and watch the miniseries that was adapted in the 80's as well.
Raw, tough, and far from sentimental, the book explores themes of oppression, suffering, and female solidarity.
With its 192 pages, it’s a novella that lingers, and I believe the characters and their stories will stay with me for a long time. I am hoping to locate and watch the miniseries that was adapted in the 80's as well.