Scan barcode
marthaos's review against another edition
challenging
informative
medium-paced
4.0
I listened to this as my non-fiction read for May as part of the @another.chapter.podcast non-fiction reading challenge. It was an interesting read, it was very informative and it looked at the Black elite and upper class, a side that is often overlooked in cultural discourse.
The book was really well written, well researched and well structured. The first half was very much based on Black history and recounting specific lives of black people, taking in the civil rights movement, the feminist movement and contemporary life in America, whereas the second was more of a personal history, describing the author’s own childhood and coming of age and her experience of life among the elite and the many examples of when she came up against racism.
The descriptions of skin tones and hair types I found interesting as it was very clear cut despite very subtle but clearly important differences and struck me as the author’s own summation probably based on her family’s history handed down orally and her own lived experience and observations. The complexities that should not be, but often are, overlooked are what makes this book stand apart. Too simple a telling of a story does justice to no-one.
Personally I found the facts and historical accounts at the start heavy going but I can understand how it was important to provide context and taught me a lot. More interesting to me was her own story which I found compelling, so rich in detail and eye-opening.
This book showed me how little I know and definitely made me feel like I have a duty to be more informed, to keep learning and I would definitely recommend it.
The book was really well written, well researched and well structured. The first half was very much based on Black history and recounting specific lives of black people, taking in the civil rights movement, the feminist movement and contemporary life in America, whereas the second was more of a personal history, describing the author’s own childhood and coming of age and her experience of life among the elite and the many examples of when she came up against racism.
The descriptions of skin tones and hair types I found interesting as it was very clear cut despite very subtle but clearly important differences and struck me as the author’s own summation probably based on her family’s history handed down orally and her own lived experience and observations. The complexities that should not be, but often are, overlooked are what makes this book stand apart. Too simple a telling of a story does justice to no-one.
Personally I found the facts and historical accounts at the start heavy going but I can understand how it was important to provide context and taught me a lot. More interesting to me was her own story which I found compelling, so rich in detail and eye-opening.
This book showed me how little I know and definitely made me feel like I have a duty to be more informed, to keep learning and I would definitely recommend it.
cgcpoems's review against another edition
slow-paced
2.0
I’ve only put down a few books in my life in the middle of reading them. Generally, even if a book is terrible, I soldier through on the off-chance that by the end things will be better.
I came incredibly close to giving up on this halfway through, and now that I’ve finished it I think it wouldn’t have mattered if I had. I had a number of issues with the execution of this book, not to mention the fact that it’s labeled a memoir when it’s really a non-focused autobiography that meanders into other subjects. The writing was incredibly stiff, and the author’s tone throughout was off-putting. I didn’t know what to make of this.
There was no flow to this “memoir” told through choppy sections. Why did the author explain to us their use of initials instead of names within the text and not in a note before or after? Things like this made the book unenjoyable, and had me upping the speed on the audiobook just so I could get through it.
I’m glad Jefferson has told her story—the more stories in the world, the better we are for it. But her memoir fell flat, and was wildly disappointing.
I came incredibly close to giving up on this halfway through, and now that I’ve finished it I think it wouldn’t have mattered if I had. I had a number of issues with the execution of this book, not to mention the fact that it’s labeled a memoir when it’s really a non-focused autobiography that meanders into other subjects. The writing was incredibly stiff, and the author’s tone throughout was off-putting. I didn’t know what to make of this.
There was no flow to this “memoir” told through choppy sections. Why did the author explain to us their use of initials instead of names within the text and not in a note before or after? Things like this made the book unenjoyable, and had me upping the speed on the audiobook just so I could get through it.
I’m glad Jefferson has told her story—the more stories in the world, the better we are for it. But her memoir fell flat, and was wildly disappointing.
jazzyjaz6's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
4.0
The narrative style of Negroland is perfect for those in interested in a wide range of genres and writing mediums. Jefferson's memoir is raw and real and the fluidity of the styles within the book is the only way to accurately capture her life.
khartke's review against another edition
challenging
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
saranies's review against another edition
4.0
Continuing reading non-fiction books in 2017. This memoir was very well written and very intersectional. The author didn't just present a memory of growing up a well off Black woman in the 50s and 60s, but provided a lot of context for her entire world.
merthelibrarian's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
3.75
newdayvow's review against another edition
3.0
Interesting material-I liked the section on the author's childhood, but the format of the book overall felt jarringly disjointed which made it hard to follow sometimes.
amlibera's review against another edition
4.0
Fascinating cultural history/memoir of race and class in the late 20th century - I particularly enjoyed her stories of growing up and going to the U of C lab school. Some of the latter parts of the book get a bit oblique and I missed the straightforward storytelling of the earlier sections.