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4.27 AVERAGE
4.27 AVERAGE
I’ve been wanting to read The Souls of Black Folk for ages and it definitely didn’t disappoint.
Much of what Du Bois writes about is still just as relevant today. It’s such an important read to understand racial oppression and white supremacy.
The final chapters of the book really hit me hard, especially “Of the Coming of John".
Beautiful and poetic prose meet historic, social and political commentary
Much of what Du Bois writes about is still just as relevant today. It’s such an important read to understand racial oppression and white supremacy.
The final chapters of the book really hit me hard, especially “Of the Coming of John".
Beautiful and poetic prose meet historic, social and political commentary
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
This book knocked me down on my little white ass. Definitely worth the read, and still incredibly relevant.
Trying to learn about history. Informative though not exciting.
I struggled with this one.
While I appreciated the feat Du Bois performed simply by getting this book published at a time when many doubted the intellectual capabilities of black people, I found the structure confusing.
There was some strong writing. For example, the image of a veil between the world as experienced by white people at that time as compared to black people was very striking. It conveyed the feeling of having your nose pressed against the glass, seeing what could be but never being quite able to reach it. I can certainly see how that inspired Ta-Nahesi Coates book 'Between the World and Me'.
However, the language really is of its time; it's overly flowery and full of Biblical references. A couple of chapters were written in the style of a short story which didn't work for me.
The book was almost begging Americans to dig deep into their better nature. I much prefer the fiery style of Baldwin in 'The Fire Next Time'. Of course I understand why Du Bois could not speak in those strong terms but nevertheless I feel his message was not clearly explained.
While I appreciated the feat Du Bois performed simply by getting this book published at a time when many doubted the intellectual capabilities of black people, I found the structure confusing.
There was some strong writing. For example, the image of a veil between the world as experienced by white people at that time as compared to black people was very striking. It conveyed the feeling of having your nose pressed against the glass, seeing what could be but never being quite able to reach it. I can certainly see how that inspired Ta-Nahesi Coates book 'Between the World and Me'.
However, the language really is of its time; it's overly flowery and full of Biblical references. A couple of chapters were written in the style of a short story which didn't work for me.
The book was almost begging Americans to dig deep into their better nature. I much prefer the fiery style of Baldwin in 'The Fire Next Time'. Of course I understand why Du Bois could not speak in those strong terms but nevertheless I feel his message was not clearly explained.
This book may be among the greatest works of art I have yet experienced. WEB DuBois is not only a strong advocate for justice, but a prolific writer, masterfully capturing the human condition. Highly recommended
An incredible look at the life of the black race following the Civil War and just previous. It is frustrating to me to see how little has changed in the course of human rights over the last 100 years. This book was printed in 1903 and there are still passages that ring true about the state of black issues and how much suffering still exists. All the more frustrating is the fact that writers like Du Bois are mere footnotes in history classes today and are typically relegated to February as though they are somehow less important.
I only had to read about 25% for school. I'm kind of lost?
3.5??? IDK. HM at one thing in particular but fuck, most of it was so moving and his writing blew me the frick away..
As a seminal work in American history, this is a must-read for anyone wanting to read important works. Some of what Du Bois writes sounds as if it could have been written yesterday, and some truly shows how much has changed. The only reason I give it 4 rather than 5 starts is the difficulty in reading it. Written by a brilliant man over 100 years ago, the prose can be dense sometimes. Maybe this isn't a valid reason to give a book 4 stars, but it does affect the readability.