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4.03 AVERAGE
4.03 AVERAGE
fast-paced
challenging
dark
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
I feel like I would benefit from reading this book with other people and having others to talk about it with. With the accompanying essay about Wright’s grandmother, that helped some, and having already read Black Boy, that also helps to give me context, but there is obviously a lot going on in this, a lot of symbolism, that probably just went right over my head. I also didn’t particularly like the audiobook narrator? But that’s probably just me. Anyway, overall, incredible. Very important book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Torture, Violence, Police brutality
Moderate: Rape, Murder
adventurous
challenging
emotional
tense
medium-paced
Among the more unexpected surprises of 2021 has been this publication of a new novel by Richard Wright, eighty years after it was rejected by publishers and made available only as a heavily-truncated short story. In this full version, it's a text as challenging and timeless / timely as one might imagine, especially in its early pages, when a young black man is arrested for a rape and murder he didn't commit, beaten and tortured by his police interrogators, and ultimately coerced into signing a false confession. It's not clear if the cops truly believe he's guilty, or whether that even matters. Similarly, once the protagonist manages to escape through an open manhole and begins to witness a surreal sequence of scenes that move with the logic of dreams and bear a distinct resemblance to some of his own recent experiences, it's possible that everything on display is simply the traumatic hallucination of an unreliable narrator.
In either interpretation, the events that follow are disturbing and reflective of the author's commitment to both present the horrors of racism in their totality and avoid reducing his heroes to blameless saints. Fred Daniels is no Bigger Thomas from Wright's famous Native Son, but as he loses his grip on his identity down in the sewers -- if indeed he does -- he finds himself culpable in similar crimes. It all adds up to the tragic end that seems inevitable as soon as the squad car first stops him, a bleak statement which plays out amid sinister apocalyptic vibes. There's no way of knowing how the title would have been received by critics and popular audiences back in the 1940s, but it's a tale well worth checking out now that we finally can.
[Content warning for suicide, gun violence, and slurs.]
Find me on Patreon | Goodreads | Blog | Twitter
In either interpretation, the events that follow are disturbing and reflective of the author's commitment to both present the horrors of racism in their totality and avoid reducing his heroes to blameless saints. Fred Daniels is no Bigger Thomas from Wright's famous Native Son, but as he loses his grip on his identity down in the sewers -- if indeed he does -- he finds himself culpable in similar crimes. It all adds up to the tragic end that seems inevitable as soon as the squad car first stops him, a bleak statement which plays out amid sinister apocalyptic vibes. There's no way of knowing how the title would have been received by critics and popular audiences back in the 1940s, but it's a tale well worth checking out now that we finally can.
[Content warning for suicide, gun violence, and slurs.]
Find me on Patreon | Goodreads | Blog | Twitter
dark
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Pretty strong indictment of police racism and corruption. When Fred goes underground, we get lots of symbolism in his scavenging. However, I was baffled by his relationship with his family, and thought that the ending could have been better.
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
dark
emotional
sad
reflective
slow-paced
This one was not my typical read. Honestly, I'm glad I took a chance on this one. It was tough to read at some parts, but I enjoyed the story. I found myself feeling all types of emotions while reading this book. You definitely go on a emotional journey with the protagonist throughout this book. It's a shame that it took so long for this piece of work to be published. I would recommend this book to family and friends.