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kjboldon's review against another edition
3.0
I wanted to like this book more than I did. It's got big ideas and some amazing prose and storytelling. And yet...more than once I found it pompous and long winded.
ahynesa's review against another edition
4.0
I was looking for a book by Colson Whitehead in the library. A friend had recommended The Nickel Boys, but that wasn't available. John Henry Days was available, and it caught my attention. I listened to it as an audiobook. It was very long, trying to bring in many different stories. It might have been better if some of the various stories were shortened or left out.
Yet, it pulled together themes of journalism, culture, and black history in a powerful overarching story. At times, it led me to rabbit holes, as I put down the story and read about the history of steam hammers, or racial conflict in New York City.
Find time to read this.
Yet, it pulled together themes of journalism, culture, and black history in a powerful overarching story. At times, it led me to rabbit holes, as I put down the story and read about the history of steam hammers, or racial conflict in New York City.
Find time to read this.
alexkerner's review against another edition
3.0
Whitehead is without a doubt one of the most skilled writers in American literature. His sentences are dense and filled with meaning, but also beautiful, vivid, and expressive. He shines here, in his take of the John Henry story, exploring its origins, its interpretations, and how it has penetrated deep into the canon of American mythology, culminating at a festival commemorating Henry's fatal attempt to defeat a steam powered machine aiming to displace human steel drivers.
All that said, the story at times is too complicated, encompassing too many perspectives, to hold together cohesively. It took me two months to get through it and partly that is the result of how Whitehead has structured the narrative. The multiple stories being told definitely add to the breadth of what he's trying to accomplish, but it takes away from the sheer enjoyment of reading Whitehead's prose.
Worth picking up but my least favourite of the three Whitehead books I have read so far.
All that said, the story at times is too complicated, encompassing too many perspectives, to hold together cohesively. It took me two months to get through it and partly that is the result of how Whitehead has structured the narrative. The multiple stories being told definitely add to the breadth of what he's trying to accomplish, but it takes away from the sheer enjoyment of reading Whitehead's prose.
Worth picking up but my least favourite of the three Whitehead books I have read so far.
elijah_'s review against another edition
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
2.0
benbyoung's review against another edition
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
3.75
jacq_s's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
reflective
medium-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
lit_stacks's review against another edition
challenging
dark
informative
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0