A review by laurenleigh
The Autobiography of an Ex-Colored Man by James Weldon Johnson, Arna Bontemps

challenging dark informative slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

Read this for the Popsugar 2021 reading challenge for the “published anonymously” prompt. Stylistically, there’s a lot of interest here. Though “autobiography” is in the title, this is a novel. I read that Johnson took much inspiration from his real life, but added some embellishments. It does make me wonder where those additives are, because most of the story felt quite real and believable to me. The narrator never gives us his name, nor does he give anyone else a true name. The closest we get to a name is “Red” or “Shiny.” I suppose this adds to what makes this feel less novelistic, like he was trying to conceal true identities. What I liked most about this text was Johnson’s insightful descriptions of emotions or events that many of us could find relatable. I loved the part where he anxiously awaits his friend’s answer during a spelling bee. To somewhat quote, he said “many times in my life I’ve anxiously awaited to see how the wheel of fortune would land, but never so much as in that moment!” Growing up biracial but white passing, and growing up with some money from his white father, the narrator is afforded more comfort than many other Black people during the post-Civil War Reconstruction era America. As a young adult, he gets to tour Europe with “his millionaire,” a wealthy benefactor who hires him to play piano. I was quite fascinated by the narrator’s descriptions and comparisons of Paris, London, and Berlin. Just another example of the narrator’s keen insight into humanity. Definitely want to give a content warning here for a scene with some pretty horrific racial violence, which becomes a pretty major turning point in the narrator’s life.
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