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A review by barnswallow8
The Water Dancer by Ta-Nehisi Coates
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
slow-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? Yes
4.75
I had heard great things about Ta-Nehisi Coates' Between the World and Me, and while aimlessly looking for a library book I remembered my aunt had recommended his novel The Water Dancer. I thought, why not try it out? I can test the waters of Coates' style. I came away totally impressed.
I was consistently floored by Coates' skill at portraying the various locations in the book in a nuanced and rich way. Every part of Lockless felt full of history. Even as the story progressed and the world expanded both geographically (everywhere from Pennsylvania to Maryland), and socially(the tightly-knit Lockless community to the multifaceted organization of the Underground), there still felt like an overarching thread connecting the unique stories of all these places.
Not only was Coates' portrayal of the world complex and thoughtful, but the people who filled it were even more so. Characters who could have easily fallen into stereotypes instead revealed deep and fleshed-out beliefs as the story continued. Each character had internal conflicts of their own, pursued different goals, saw the world in fundamentally different ways, and still fit the atmosphere that Coates had built like a glove. These characters come to mind when I appreciate Coates' undeniable character writing talents:
Thena, for her steadfast melancholy
Corrine, for her ruthless intellect
Sophia, for her unwavering independence
Maynard, for his hapless foolery
Harriet/Moses, for her unshakable wisdom
Additionally, Coates did very well what I always aspire to do-- develop each of the individual thematic journeys of his characters, and then tie them all to the main idea with a neat little bow. Even with the huge variety between characters, the threads of memory, family, and resilience shone through in each of them. The complete picture at the end was a kaleidoscope of struggles and triumphs that both stood wonderfully on their own and complemented each other endlessly.
As someone raised on YA-style fantasy novels, I was expecting the "magic" of this story to be much more forward. While initially the slow and cumulative approach Coates took to Hiram's conduction bothered me, I grew to love the way that it meshed with reality and did not shine a spotlight upon itself, rather preferring to stand off to the side and quietly blossom. By the conclusion of the book, I knew what all the waiting had been for, and it felt more satisfying and impressive than any kind of candid magical journey could have been.
Hiram himself was an amazingly written protagonist. I did not think it was possible for him to have grown as much as he did throughout the book, both in maturity and knowlege, until I looked back from the end and saw how far he'd come. Young Hiram's shortcomings and natural ignorance of all that he was yet to experience did not feel distracting even as I was reading it, and his path to learn these things felt equally natural.
Why 4.75 stars?
I believe The Water Dancer is a phenomenal book. The characters, world, story, themes, and writing are impeccable in their depth, resonance, and appeal. Despite the slower pace and significant length, I rarely felt taxed reading this book, and would gladly recommend it to others.
Solely because of the denser and more realistic energy that this book has, I hesitate to rate it 5 stars. The perfect 5-star book to me is not only finely crafted but also a joy to read. While The Water Dancer compelled and impressed me, it did not bring a smile of sheer enjoyment to my face, or beg me to read it again once some time had passed.
All this is to say, I'm now putting Ta-Nehisi Coates on my radar, and I look forward to reading more of his brilliance in the future.
I was consistently floored by Coates' skill at portraying the various locations in the book in a nuanced and rich way. Every part of Lockless felt full of history. Even as the story progressed and the world expanded both geographically (everywhere from Pennsylvania to Maryland), and socially(the tightly-knit Lockless community to the multifaceted organization of the Underground), there still felt like an overarching thread connecting the unique stories of all these places.
Not only was Coates' portrayal of the world complex and thoughtful, but the people who filled it were even more so. Characters who could have easily fallen into stereotypes instead revealed deep and fleshed-out beliefs as the story continued. Each character had internal conflicts of their own, pursued different goals, saw the world in fundamentally different ways, and still fit the atmosphere that Coates had built like a glove. These characters come to mind when I appreciate Coates' undeniable character writing talents:
Thena, for her steadfast melancholy
Corrine, for her ruthless intellect
Sophia, for her unwavering independence
Maynard, for his hapless foolery
Additionally, Coates did very well what I always aspire to do-- develop each of the individual thematic journeys of his characters, and then tie them all to the main idea with a neat little bow. Even with the huge variety between characters, the threads of memory, family, and resilience shone through in each of them. The complete picture at the end was a kaleidoscope of struggles and triumphs that both stood wonderfully on their own and complemented each other endlessly.
As someone raised on YA-style fantasy novels, I was expecting the "magic" of this story to be much more forward. While initially the slow and cumulative approach Coates took to Hiram's conduction bothered me, I grew to love the way that it meshed with reality and did not shine a spotlight upon itself, rather preferring to stand off to the side and quietly blossom. By the conclusion of the book, I knew what all the waiting had been for, and it felt more satisfying and impressive than any kind of candid magical journey could have been.
Hiram himself was an amazingly written protagonist. I did not think it was possible for him to have grown as much as he did throughout the book, both in maturity and knowlege, until I looked back from the end and saw how far he'd come. Young Hiram's shortcomings and natural ignorance of all that he was yet to experience did not feel distracting even as I was reading it, and his path to learn these things felt equally natural.
Why 4.75 stars?
I believe The Water Dancer is a phenomenal book. The characters, world, story, themes, and writing are impeccable in their depth, resonance, and appeal. Despite the slower pace and significant length, I rarely felt taxed reading this book, and would gladly recommend it to others.
Solely because of the denser and more realistic energy that this book has, I hesitate to rate it 5 stars. The perfect 5-star book to me is not only finely crafted but also a joy to read. While The Water Dancer compelled and impressed me, it did not bring a smile of sheer enjoyment to my face, or beg me to read it again once some time had passed.
All this is to say, I'm now putting Ta-Nehisi Coates on my radar, and I look forward to reading more of his brilliance in the future.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Physical abuse, Racism, Slavery, Trafficking, Classism
Moderate: Animal death, Death, Racial slurs, Sexual assault, Colonisation
Minor: Pregnancy