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4.25 AVERAGE
4.25 AVERAGE
I really liked this book and I'm wondering why it's taken me so long to find a copy of it considering it seems to be a classic in African American literature.
Then I got to the end and I think I figured it out. There was one specific incident that seemed to sink it for the novel. Or potentially sank it? Then again, this particular scene could have been the unleashing of all the feminine rage that is so longed suppressed.
Regardless of this one scene, I loved the portrayals of each woman and how they intertwined with everyone else's life on Brewster. It was heartbreaking but you couldn't help feeling a bit of hope with some.
I loved the scene between Kiswana and her mom. Naylor perfectly portrayed a mother/daughter relationship. The mother: standing firm in her love for her daughter but urging her to do better and acknowledge her past. The daughter: standing firm in her newfound beliefs but realizing her mistake, and her mother's strength. That story was likely my favorite.
If you find a copy of this book, please read it. I thought it was deeply enlightening and I would like to hear what others think.
Then I got to the end and I think I figured it out. There was one specific incident that seemed to sink it for the novel. Or potentially sank it? Then again, this particular scene could have been the unleashing of all the feminine rage that is so longed suppressed.
Regardless of this one scene, I loved the portrayals of each woman and how they intertwined with everyone else's life on Brewster. It was heartbreaking but you couldn't help feeling a bit of hope with some.
I loved the scene between Kiswana and her mom. Naylor perfectly portrayed a mother/daughter relationship. The mother: standing firm in her love for her daughter but urging her to do better and acknowledge her past. The daughter: standing firm in her newfound beliefs but realizing her mistake, and her mother's strength. That story was likely my favorite.
If you find a copy of this book, please read it. I thought it was deeply enlightening and I would like to hear what others think.
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The Women of Brewster Place weaves together the stories of seven women living in Brewster Place, an inner-city apartment with Ben, the alcoholic caretaker. Written in simple, but heartbreaking, language, this story shows the everyday struggles of women, African-American women, and the poor trying to make it in America. The book was both poignant and moving, eye-opening and frustrating. It's hard to summarize or review, but it was different than most books I normally read, and I found it very enjoyable.
I liked the intricate way the characters and their stories intertwined, and Naylor's language is great. Some really strong moments and images here.
A collection of short stories that together cement one shared community and consciousness, Brewster Place. Seven African American women find their way to its steps - all fleeing something and in the search of another. In desperation and hope. It’s in Brewster Place that they live the great contradiction - they are alienated from one another and yet they are tethered together. Told beautifully, with each woman’s voice fully unique and carrying the tamber of her own pains, exhaustion and lived-life, this is a collection worth reading.
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The women of Brewster Place have ended up together in place and time. They are not necessarily friends, nor are they necessarily enemies, and at first look the book seems to be a collection of their individual short stories, but look more closely and it is much, much more. Though each of these women comes to Brewster Place with a story in tow, each with their own cross to bear, the book as a whole is less about their individuality than about their need to unite and claim their rightful place in the world.
Each character, seven women and one man, has followed their own road to come to the projects, to Brewster Place, where they have been shut off from the growing and modernizing world behind a wall erected long ago by those in power in the city, and those you can bet were neither African American or female. The women arrive carrying burdens, in many cases burdens that they have created for themselves, or have at least accepted, and further cripple their own strength by fighting amongst themselves, allowing the world to drive wedges between them. The end of the story shows them finally combining their strengths to tear down the wall once built by the outside world to release themselves from the cage they had been put in.
The thread of the African American story is strong in Gloria Naylor's writing—stronger here than in Bailey's Cafe, but not so strong as in Mama Day. Shades of segregation and hints at abuse, and abuse of power, as well as the debate between embracing the culture of ancestry versus the culture of inheritance, all of these issues are very real, and Naylor brings them to life with her characters. But some critics have accused her of sidestepping the African American issue, of not making a real statement. And they may be right, but I don't think it's a matter of unwillingness, I just think she's writing about something else. While Gloria Naylor is often considered one of the most talented writers of contemporary African American fiction, the empowerment of women is also a common theme for her, and that is where her statement lies. She is writing about African American women.
The characters of Brewster Place are expertly drawn, and the symbolism is woven finely throughout. Naylor's hallmark voodoo-like mysticism makes a short appearance at the end, and might be readable in the very beginning of Mattie's story as well, but I'd have liked to see more of it. I don't think Brewster Place is as tight a narrative as Naylor's other works, and the stories are not as neatly threaded together as they are in Bailey's Cafe, but The Women of Brewster Place is a beautiful novel and most definitely worth reading in its own right.
Each character, seven women and one man, has followed their own road to come to the projects, to Brewster Place, where they have been shut off from the growing and modernizing world behind a wall erected long ago by those in power in the city, and those you can bet were neither African American or female. The women arrive carrying burdens, in many cases burdens that they have created for themselves, or have at least accepted, and further cripple their own strength by fighting amongst themselves, allowing the world to drive wedges between them. The end of the story shows them finally combining their strengths to tear down the wall once built by the outside world to release themselves from the cage they had been put in.
The thread of the African American story is strong in Gloria Naylor's writing—stronger here than in Bailey's Cafe, but not so strong as in Mama Day. Shades of segregation and hints at abuse, and abuse of power, as well as the debate between embracing the culture of ancestry versus the culture of inheritance, all of these issues are very real, and Naylor brings them to life with her characters. But some critics have accused her of sidestepping the African American issue, of not making a real statement. And they may be right, but I don't think it's a matter of unwillingness, I just think she's writing about something else. While Gloria Naylor is often considered one of the most talented writers of contemporary African American fiction, the empowerment of women is also a common theme for her, and that is where her statement lies. She is writing about African American women.
The characters of Brewster Place are expertly drawn, and the symbolism is woven finely throughout. Naylor's hallmark voodoo-like mysticism makes a short appearance at the end, and might be readable in the very beginning of Mattie's story as well, but I'd have liked to see more of it. I don't think Brewster Place is as tight a narrative as Naylor's other works, and the stories are not as neatly threaded together as they are in Bailey's Cafe, but The Women of Brewster Place is a beautiful novel and most definitely worth reading in its own right.
Such an important book, and I am so glad I have finally picked it up! The short stories really worked, and it was so great to meet this women again in the other stories. The concept really, really worked for this book, and that is not an easy feat!
One of the best short story collections I'v read. Each woman's story unfolds with vivid images while they persevere through their challenges. Exceptional writing. The characterization along with the imagery made each story extraordinary.
dark
reflective
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape