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benandrewsauthor's review against another edition
3.0
This book is heartbreaking and dark and shows recent history in a terrible light. This book was written in the 1940s and the age does show when reading. There is language used that some readers may find difficult. I did find the writing style interesting, but some of the dialogue was very repetitive. Part 2 of this 3 part story was the weakest, even though that part is the "live underground" part, and I found the parts set above ground, with the police and the main characters life more interesting to read through.
This is a short story that you could breeze through in a day or two. It has a sad ending but one that is poignant, sadly even by today's standards.
This is a short story that you could breeze through in a day or two. It has a sad ending but one that is poignant, sadly even by today's standards.
korrick's review against another edition
4.0
Richard Wright is one of many authors whom I read at the right time somewhat for the wrong, or more accurately very 'good intention'ed', reasons. This means, at some point in my future, it'd be best for me to backtrack and go through those works of said authors that I claimed as favorites/five stars/even four stars back in the day, and make sure it wasn't the high of 'I am morally correct!' blinkering me to my actual opinions. In the case of Wright, I'll still be tackling his [b:Native Son|15622|Native Son|Richard Wright|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1627788308l/15622._SX50_.jpg|3159084] at some point, but when this particular work revealed itself eight years after it was first submitted to the ungrateful publishers, it appeared to be a rather fortuitous opportunity to tackle something technically old, and yet revealingly new. As it stands, this work gets into the marrow of something the entire reading scene could afford to learn from, especially when it concerns those folks that conflate artistic license with artist morals and want to send us all back to the days when women read too many novels and degenerates pained too many pictures. Outside of that, and there is quite a bit to go after, this work tackles in a manner that is all the more effective for its simplicity the state of Blackness in white supremacy: how the violent arbitration is capable of unmooring en masse its singled out victims, leaving an alienation that is simultaneously valuable for its insights (valuable: food, shelter, companionship. not valuable: whiteness, the police, capitalism) and dangerous to the bearer of its paradigm. Wright talks religion, Freud, and sociopathology, while Malcolm Wright, his grandchild, speaks of othering and Plato's cave, which offers such an interesting juxtaposition of authorial interpretation of 1940s US and descendant hypothesizing of 2010s France (or wherever the grandchild these days) that I won't call out the lazy ableism too much. In any case, I'm confident in saying that, if this had been published back in 1942 as was Wright's initial intent, it would have built up the canon. The fact that we're able to have it now is a blessing, and if it leads at least one hyper-contemporary reader back to some of their roots, all the better.
jdsreadingcorner's review against another edition
dark
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
1.0
etakloknok's review against another edition
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
mdaughte's review against another edition
5.0
This book is a masterpiece
At the end is an essay Wright wrote to explain his thinking and intent of the novella. The text draws forth memories of/allusions to Platos allegory of the cave, but he talks directly about the black Pentecostal experience, surrealism, jazz musical influences, Freud, his relationship with his grandmother…all of them work together to create the story of the man who lived underground. Pure genius. No exaggeration
The upsetting part exists as a device fulfilling a specific literary purpose—it frees the character so he is able to move into any direction. It is a transition to push the character into where he needs to go for the story to live.
At the end is an essay Wright wrote to explain his thinking and intent of the novella. The text draws forth memories of/allusions to Platos allegory of the cave, but he talks directly about the black Pentecostal experience, surrealism, jazz musical influences, Freud, his relationship with his grandmother…all of them work together to create the story of the man who lived underground. Pure genius. No exaggeration
The upsetting part exists as a device fulfilling a specific literary purpose—it frees the character so he is able to move into any direction. It is a transition to push the character into where he needs to go for the story to live.
himpersonal's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
This book needs to be taught in every high school. I'm sure it's on the MAGA ban list, but all the more reason to read it. There are so many layers to it! I can already imagine all the papers I would assign and want to read from the brilliant students that would be in my class, had I been an English teacher.
Written in the 1940s, it's still relevant almost a century later. It's an unlikely book in today's time with all the video surveillance and controls in place against escape; I suppose it was also somewhat unlikely in the 40s, though I couldn't say since it was before my time. But I can also see how someone might have escaped back then, even if I can't imagine someone actually living in the sewers without getting sick.
I would say this is fairly representative of Richard Wright's other works too. If you are familiar with his other books, I think you'll appreciate the uniqueness of this book as well as the comfort of the familiarity of his other works. Themes of guilt and innocence, freedom, imposed identity, the point of it all, and finding release, among many others.
I would love to see this brought to film.
Written in the 1940s, it's still relevant almost a century later. It's an unlikely book in today's time with all the video surveillance and controls in place against escape; I suppose it was also somewhat unlikely in the 40s, though I couldn't say since it was before my time. But I can also see how someone might have escaped back then, even if I can't imagine someone actually living in the sewers without getting sick.
I would say this is fairly representative of Richard Wright's other works too. If you are familiar with his other books, I think you'll appreciate the uniqueness of this book as well as the comfort of the familiarity of his other works. Themes of guilt and innocence, freedom, imposed identity, the point of it all, and finding release, among many others.
I would love to see this brought to film.
poetraebooks2's review against another edition
2.0
I don’t think I like this book very much.. I really wanted to like it because, well, it’s Richard Wright author of Native Son but I just .. don’t! It started off very good. A black man randomly walking down the street gets stopped by the cops and accused of murdering a white Family and is tortured and abused into admitting to the crime. Then he escapes and descends into the sewer and finds his way in total darkness into several basements stealing food, money and other stuff. The whole underground part to me was meaningless to me. If it was supposed to be symbolic for something, it just didn’t resonate with me. The only thing I did like was Wright’s style of writing that’s filled with lots of imagery but the plot itself seemed very incomplete
gleerobbins's review against another edition
5.0
Amazing. Such a suspenseful, driving narrative, with a tinge of magic. So relevant still, Wright was so wise. Don't stop before getting through the accompanying essay in which he links surrealism to jazz, the blues and so many other black cultural mainstays. Brilliant.
8little_paws's review against another edition
5.0
HOW, HOW is this book not one of the most buzzed about literary events of the year?!
Go read it ASAP. It's a masterpiece of fiction. The essay the author includes is also quite fascinating and added elements to the story which I missed.
Go read it ASAP. It's a masterpiece of fiction. The essay the author includes is also quite fascinating and added elements to the story which I missed.
monneypenny42's review against another edition
5.0
This might be one of the hardest and harshest things I've read in a long time.
I would argue should be sold along side horror stories. A black man gets arrested foe a crime he didn't commit. Beaten up, tortured and forced to confess. He miraculously escapes and hides in the sewers. What follows is a crazy fever dream of a story.
In the sewer he seems to loose his humanity (which society by the hands of the policemen already took from him in the first chapter), his link to society and gradually descends into madness. In this growing madness he refects upon the outside world until he is ready to confront it all once again.
I will have to take some time to digest it all... It took me the longest time to get through it, it is so gritty and grim you need a lot of energy not getting sucked under by the grisly dark currents of this book.
I would argue should be sold along side horror stories. A black man gets arrested foe a crime he didn't commit. Beaten up, tortured and forced to confess. He miraculously escapes and hides in the sewers. What follows is a crazy fever dream of a story.
In the sewer he seems to loose his humanity (which society by the hands of the policemen already took from him in the first chapter), his link to society and gradually descends into madness. In this growing madness he refects upon the outside world until he is ready to confront it all once again.
I will have to take some time to digest it all... It took me the longest time to get through it, it is so gritty and grim you need a lot of energy not getting sucked under by the grisly dark currents of this book.