Scan barcode
ttodd86's review against another edition
2.0
I feel like I might have enjoyed this book more had I read it at the time of its release in 2001. Nearly 20 years after the fact, I didn't find the book to meet the expectations I had based on its early reviews, nor rise up to the level of Whitehead's later work. The writing is without question solid, but the side trips to various events and times often come across as the result of writing exercises -- write a chapter that uses only one (lengthy) paragraph, write a chapter in the form of a script -- that I thought took away from a more interesting story. It feels like there might be other, better, ways to make some of the same social comments. More troubling, and as others have noted in their reviews, the book moves slowly with very little happening. Well before I was done I found myself eyeing the rest of my nightstand book pile and looking forward to a more enjoyable read.
japonica_fenway09's review against another edition
challenging
funny
informative
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
sydneyedens's review against another edition
reflective
slow-paced
2.5
obviously dated but still covers relevant, current issues in journalism, which was interesting to think about - how journalism has been slowly going down the tubes for decades. however, this was just too overwritten for me - i struggled to finish it, although i did end up liking the ending and how it was wrapped up. “laugh-out-loud-funny” is not how i would describe this book. probably would’ve liked it more as an audiobook
bookherd's review against another edition
5.0
Every possible angle on the story/myth of John Henry, set in a small town in West Virginia with a claim to be the site of the famous race between John Henry and the steam drill. The town is hoping to give itself a boost by putting on an annual John Henry Days festival, and for the first annual celebration they have gotten the USPS to unveil a John Henry stamp. J., a black journalist from New York, has come down to attend the festivities and possibly write about it. A host of other characters come and go through the book, with references to past scholars who attempted to find out whether John Henry was real, the origins of the Ballad of John Henry, a little boy who steals a steel driving hammer out of an exhibit, and a shopkeeper who collects John Henry memorabilia and turns his home into a museum. It's a marvelous book about myth and pop culture.
bryce_is_a_librarian's review against another edition
4.0
Read Updike's review of this.
Imagine getting *that* review, at *this* point in your career.
Imagine getting *that* review, at *this* point in your career.
ajkhn's review against another edition
4.0
Since it's a book that's all about air travel and americana, and was published in early 2001, it feels extremely dated in a way I don't know if the writer intended. And I don't mean that in a negative way! It's historic fiction, about 1990s America. We all become the weird side character who just talks about the past, sooner or later.
I thought it was a really incisive and interesting book about Blackness, masculinity, and labor, and alienation from one/two/all of those three. There's bits where it's sprawly, for sure, especially compared to other Whitehead books. But it's a really thoughtful approach to the 20th century that I enjoyed. As a novel, it kind of purposefully keeps its protagonist in the shade and does a lot of interesting stuff around the plot that ... I dunno, doesn't always work for me and my reading habits. But it's a good one, for sure.
I thought it was a really incisive and interesting book about Blackness, masculinity, and labor, and alienation from one/two/all of those three. There's bits where it's sprawly, for sure, especially compared to other Whitehead books. But it's a really thoughtful approach to the 20th century that I enjoyed. As a novel, it kind of purposefully keeps its protagonist in the shade and does a lot of interesting stuff around the plot that ... I dunno, doesn't always work for me and my reading habits. But it's a good one, for sure.
ralphswater's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
msmagoo502's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
funny
informative
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
tense
slow-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? Yes
5.0