Reviews

Sing, Unburied, Sing by Jesmyn Ward

Only show reviews with written explanations

lhenric22's review against another edition

2.0

Ward is a talented writer but her style unfortunately didn't work for me. I prefer to be at ground level with the characters so I can see their world through their eyes. Ward writes in a way that I feel 20 ft above them at all times. Leonie's chapters in particular often feel like they are written at odds with how Leonie would think. She is an uneducated waitress but from her inner-monologue you'd think she has a MFA. This wouldn't be an issue if it was written in 3rd person where it could be attributed to an omniscient narrator, but every chapter is written in 1st person.

The book also has a spiritual aspect that I found difficult to take seriously. There is quite a bit on herbal remedies that I found myself rolling my eyes at. I initially interpreted the ghosts as manifestations of psychosis, with that psychosis being hereditary so it passes to Jojo. It then seemed to be more of Magical Realism angle, with the lines blurred as to if they were real or not. But we learn they are quite literally ghosts, with rules and even some kind of unfinished business before they can "go home." I enjoyed this with Richie for the most part although his chapters also were immersion breaking for me due to his award-winning prose coming from an uneducated 15 year-old.

The strongest part of the book for me was Pop's recollection of Richie's death.

I may try out Ward's other work in the future but this one didn't line up for me.

laura_corsi's review against another edition

Go to review page

5.0

The writing is beautiful. The story is compelling. The characters are true to life in all their mess and greatness mixed together in equal measure. The supernatural element is thrown in deftly as just one more matter of fact part of life as normal as butchering a goat or buying charcoal to help your mother who overdosed on drugs. These are not parts of a seemingly normal life but these are just Jo-Jo’s every day. And perhaps, things like these are more people’s every day than we like to think. This book has a lovely southern flavor comparable to Flannery O’Connor or William Faulkner or Kate Chopin. Lovely and fine and searing.