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4.34 AVERAGE
4.34 AVERAGE
I think this is the best social commentary novel I've read in recent years. It's just that with the social commentary books I've read, I almost always encounter one (or more of the following) problems that make it impossible for me to rate the book highly: 1) The integrity of the characters is destroyed by the fact the author values delivering the message more highly than maintaining the aliveness of the characters 2) The message and observations are now quite dated, even if they might have been poignant at the time of publication 3) The author is commenting from a place of privilege; i.e. rich straight white man railing about the injustice of society (well, yes, but should we be amplifying their voice over others?)
The Street managed to avoid all of these traps. The characters are real living breathing people; published in the 1940's, the themes are as relevant as ever today; and Ann Petry was a black woman writer who lived in Harlem writing about a young black woman's life in Harlem. Perfect!
The Street is just a really skillfully written book, beautifully composed, and it adeptly finds the right balance between elaborating the "message" and telling the story of the characters. You really get a feeling for the absolute hopelessness that comes from living in a impoverished black inner-city neighborhood, and the ironclad barriers white society has erected, making it basically impossible for a young black poor single mother to stay afloat or to find any dignity or way to improve her lot in life. The Street is vivid, alive, and compelling. The ending was perfect.
Really, it's a brilliant book and should be more widely read and praised.
The Street managed to avoid all of these traps. The characters are real living breathing people; published in the 1940's, the themes are as relevant as ever today; and Ann Petry was a black woman writer who lived in Harlem writing about a young black woman's life in Harlem. Perfect!
The Street is just a really skillfully written book, beautifully composed, and it adeptly finds the right balance between elaborating the "message" and telling the story of the characters. You really get a feeling for the absolute hopelessness that comes from living in a impoverished black inner-city neighborhood, and the ironclad barriers white society has erected, making it basically impossible for a young black poor single mother to stay afloat or to find any dignity or way to improve her lot in life. The Street is vivid, alive, and compelling. The ending was perfect.
Really, it's a brilliant book and should be more widely read and praised.
challenging
emotional
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
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
slow-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
Yes, this is ABSOLUTELY a haunting tale. I thought it was told beautifully.
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
fast-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:
Yes
dark
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
emotional
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
This book gutted me. It was uncomfortable and unpleasant to read. But it was also one of the clearest depictions I have ever read of the pain and rage that racism, poverty and sexism cause. It was written in 1946 but it is completely relevant today.