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A review by mariahistryingtoread
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou
3.0
Maya Angelou is a writer very few people have not, at the very least, heard of. She's critically acclaimed, commercially beloved and a figure of great esteem in the Black community.
I was not particularly moved by I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings.
It's an objectively well written work. I enjoyed hearing about Angelou's experiences growing up in Arkansas. I enjoyed her commentary on the complexities of being Black in rural America. I enjoyed her characterization of various family members.
I can see why it's a classic. I believe it deserves it's classic status. I just did not like it all that much.
The nonlinear format meant I rarely was aware of when something was taking place. It made it hard to keep track of what stage of life Angelo was in. I always felt a little on the backfoot because context would unfold slowly. Sometimes she'd thrown in something and never expand on it: for example, she mentions how her brother Bailey 'the next year' would ride the rails and get stranded somewhere for a week as an aside. I didn't know how old Bailey was at the time or the year and it never happened on the page in the book. So when exactly did this occur in the grand scheme of her life? It flows generally forward but I was never quite sure how much time was passing.
'Story' wise, the book was like a collection of short stories. As such, sometimes one would very much invest me, then I'd be bored by or neutral to the next. Looking at this overall as a never before seen examination at rural Black life, I can look at it impartially and say that it's clearly a transformative book. On a personal level having read quite a few of these kinds of books, I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings very rarely stood out in perspective, prose or critique.
I'm none the worse for wear for reading it nor do I regret it. I wouldn't actively recommend it, but if you told me you were going to read it I'd let you sans comment.
I was not particularly moved by I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings.
It's an objectively well written work. I enjoyed hearing about Angelou's experiences growing up in Arkansas. I enjoyed her commentary on the complexities of being Black in rural America. I enjoyed her characterization of various family members.
I can see why it's a classic. I believe it deserves it's classic status. I just did not like it all that much.
The nonlinear format meant I rarely was aware of when something was taking place. It made it hard to keep track of what stage of life Angelo was in. I always felt a little on the backfoot because context would unfold slowly. Sometimes she'd thrown in something and never expand on it: for example, she mentions how her brother Bailey 'the next year' would ride the rails and get stranded somewhere for a week as an aside. I didn't know how old Bailey was at the time or the year and it never happened on the page in the book. So when exactly did this occur in the grand scheme of her life? It flows generally forward but I was never quite sure how much time was passing.
'Story' wise, the book was like a collection of short stories. As such, sometimes one would very much invest me, then I'd be bored by or neutral to the next. Looking at this overall as a never before seen examination at rural Black life, I can look at it impartially and say that it's clearly a transformative book. On a personal level having read quite a few of these kinds of books, I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings very rarely stood out in perspective, prose or critique.
I'm none the worse for wear for reading it nor do I regret it. I wouldn't actively recommend it, but if you told me you were going to read it I'd let you sans comment.