skersh68's review against another edition
4.0
I give this book a 4 out of 5 stars. I really enjoyed reading this short essay book. Mabanckou points out what it is like to be black in America today and the prejudices and injustices that blacks(men)still face. I like where he points out that focusing on the past limits yourself to the future. It was interesting to read about blacks from France, Perisa, Cameroon and how they dealt with being black or black something or Franc0-something. Black men in Africa still face some of the same demons that black men in other parts of the world do. A few of my favorite essays of this book are The Black Man's Tears, A Negro in Paris, Murderous Identities, The Foreign Student and Bound to Violence. The Tears of the Black Man will forever linger on because he longs to be accepted and treated with respect and dignity.
bougainvillea's review against another edition
1.0
Un livre pathétique, plein de clichés et d'une écriture ordinaire. Mabanckou s'y révèle comme grand défenseur de la France et autres pays colonisateurs. Il révèle aussi sa méconnaissance de la culture américaine et des Noirs Américains tout en voulant se montrant comme un expert en la matière. Le livre ne présente aucun intérêt, sauf en ce qui concerne le droit de certains Africains à la nationalité française et la lettre des deux enfants qui se trouve en annexe.
emoweaboo's review against another edition
2.0
2.5/5
Looking back into this book, I remember that the most interesting part of it was the references to other black authors. I'm not black so not directly concerned, but a lot of his arguments just don't sit well with me. Very meh book.
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Definitely an interesting bunch of thoughts. In this book, Mabanckou tries to redefine what it means to be black in France today. Lots of interesting references that I want to look into, and a lot of bits I found really interesting. It's not groundbreaking for me, but I'm glad I picked it up ?
Looking back into this book, I remember that the most interesting part of it was the references to other black authors. I'm not black so not directly concerned, but a lot of his arguments just don't sit well with me. Very meh book.
____
Definitely an interesting bunch of thoughts. In this book, Mabanckou tries to redefine what it means to be black in France today. Lots of interesting references that I want to look into, and a lot of bits I found really interesting. It's not groundbreaking for me, but I'm glad I picked it up ?
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