alonovo.com (beta 2.0)

Yes I read it but it wasn't as great as I wanted... 2009-05-03

Reviewer: Roland G. Martinez

was excited when I cracked open this book. It came in the big box of classics that I bought for a very reasonable price from E-bay that is still paying dividends.

The publication date for my copy was 1965. It was underlined in places which means at some point someone actually read it. I wonder if that copy of the book influenced history somehow?

The book is a series of 5 stories of southern black people. It was originally written in 1935 and includes an essay by the author about growing up in the south. Now the book while a classic piece of history is no modern piece of work.

Firstly the white characters are brutes who exist only to brutalize black people. Now I know that all the violence, hatred and evil that are portrayed in the book went on. I know that the southern black man had a horrible existence. However there is no character development whatsoever of the white men.

Secondly Communism is the political movement of choice of the main characters. I wonder how historically accurate this is and I'd like to read more about how this affected the black political movements of the South. Most of the time you see Communism mixed up with the equal rights movement it's in relation to Martin Luther King and it's portrayed as an attempted smear on him by his opponents. I wonder how much the acts and writings of Communist sympathizers in the civil rights movement affected things in the 60s.

I'd say this book was an OK read. it was nice to see a piece of history but I wouldn't put it in he necessary category for black history reading. If you have the good fortune to get it in a big box from E-bay or see it in your local library pick it up. Otherwise read Martin Luther King's speeches or the autobiography of Malcolm X instead.

The Brutality of Jim Crow 2009-03-03

Reviewer: JMack

Perhaps nothing was more appropriate about this restored text than placing "The Ethics of Jim Crow" in its rightful place at the front of this short story collection. Richard Wright used the brief autobiographical essay as a device to state that the short stories included in this set are not far from the truth. The racism during his time period was brutal. These short stories are meant to be emblematic of the brutality of the period.

The set begins with the short story "Big Boy Leaves Home". To many readers, this may seem to resemble "Native Son" and could be thought of as an early draft. The story finds an African-American adolescent forced to leave home in order to save his life after a local white man is killed at the river. "Down by the Riverside" takes place during a flood. To save his pregnant wife, who has taken ill, the main character steals a boat. This story may be the most compelling in the set because of a choice the main character is forced to make. To honestly decide what he/she might do under the circumstances, the reader must look deep into his/her soul.

"Long Black Song" explores the sexual exploitation that African-American endured during this period. Like so many other characters in Wright's stories, one senses that the main character is trapped in a situation in which she is destined to fail. As the story progresses, the greed of exploiters puts even more people in "no win" situations.

"Fire and Cloud" and "Bright Morning Star" show Wright to be far from timid in his leftist leanings. The first story involves a community choice, while the second is more of an individual choice. Because the plots of these short stories follow a similar path to failure, Wright hardly seems to be endorsing communism.

Each of these stories is raw in its unfliching ability to tell an honest story. Wright does not shy away from uncomfortable details. With a general sense of hopelessness that extends to a point where the reader must know the main character will fail, the reader may find himself/herself too engrossed in the details to flinch.

Great seller! 2009-01-13

Reviewer: Cheryl M. Pifher

The book came quickly and was in the promised shape. Will definitely but from this seller in the future.

Riveting Masterpiece of Social Exposure and Racial Injustice 2007-01-12

Reviewer: Juilan A. Dotson

If white people today have any doubts of the harsh treatment of blacks in the 1900's, read this book. As a matter of fact, read the first 20 pages.
I teach this book to my 10th grade English class and my kids love this book! It is an easy read because the stories are so gripping, and the dialogue is written in the southern vernacular of the time. The main reason why high school students need this book now is because not only are the black students losing sight of the past and appreciation for the efforts of black people, but the white students are unaware of the greatest crime in American History after slavery, Jim Crow Ethics. The Hispanic students, Asian students, African students, Indian students and countless other students from different parts of the world also need to read literature that enhances their knowledge of the brutal history of Americans.

Powerful stories about injustice 2006-03-07

Reviewer: K.A.Goldberg

This 1938 collection of short stories by Richard Wright (1908-1960) was the first book the author had published. Wright had a remarkable talent for description, and he makes the reader feel as if alongside the main characters as the stories play out. These stories detail racial discrimination and oppression in the Deep South during the 1930's. I particularly liked his story about a flood that led to blacks being conscripted at gunpoint to work on the levee (and a tragic shooting that followed), plus his story about a planned hunger march that went against the wishes of the local (racist) government. Each story attacks southern racial injustice in a concise and powerful manner.

Two years after this book was published, Wright burst into fame with NATIVE SON, and he followed a few years later with BLACK BOY and THE OUTSIDER. This collection of short stories isn't Wright's best work, but it demonstrates the author's budding talent.