Xiao LAN LAN itibaren Freshford, Bath, Bath and North East Somerset BA2, İngiltere
Will review soon.
The opening of the book is fascinatingly surreal. For countless pages one wonder what masterful trick the devil/bulkahov will turn up next... there is such a sublime contrast of rip-roaring intrigue and adventure set against a very somber and contemplative love story. But in the end i felt as though the book fizzled out. Then again there is a way in which form may have been meant to emulate content (or subject in this case?). Aside from having extreme respect for M.B. for writing in repressive and often censored environment I know little about the specific images he meatn to conjure but they recall a few scoundrels and tragic heros alike...
As a high school teacher on the west side of Chicago, the beginning of this book was slow and painful to read (while Cedric's in high school). However, I found the book much more fascinating and insightful when it explored his experience at a summer college program and at Brown University. I also found Cedric's friendship with Bill Ayers' son Zayd to be particularly interesting. I would definitely recommend this book to others who are interested in issues of race, class and education. Suskind's journalistic integrity and insight is really incredible. It's amazing to think about the kind of work this book took over the course of 3 years.
This book is simply lovely. It probably does not deserve four stars but earns it because the story - a young kid who lives with his hardworking single mother juggles his sick best friend, a new upstairs neighbor and a crush on a girl all during a summer at the Jersey shore - is just so sweet and simple. I was engaged by the prose right away and the use of humor and the clown character working a dunk booth on the boardwork (hence the title) is original.
I thought this book gave a diverse perspective on slavery. It showed that slave-owners are/were born into a deeply entrenched system of domination just like slaves are/were born into oppression (which is definitely not to, in any way, excuse the actions of the privileged!!). This book also enlightened me on archetypes that are used today in contemporary media. At first I was taken aback by of the strong presence of the author, but as I read, I felt as if Beecher-Stowe herself was telling me the tale from her own mouth by fireside.
The non-fiction books are much better! Start with "The Sweet Potato Queen's Book of Love."
I like cheap thirills, so even though the 'dumbfuck' moves someone else eloquently added were all there, the story itself is entertaining and gallops quickly to a revealing end. If you can handle suspension of disbelief, than this is a day's fun read, and if you want your intelligence truly insulted watch FOX. AND it made me do lots of personal research into all his (mainly false or misleading) claims, and very few books inspire true interest like that.