rlgreen91's review
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Money can't buy everything, including a basic understanding of genetics, apparently.
Linden Hills is the second novel I've read by Gloria Naylor, and I certainly enjoyed it. I know a large part of that is the fact that Naylor uses the novel to critique the aims and process of "making it" as a Black person in the US, something I've personally been doing for years - it's always nice to feel validated. I really liked just how pointed Naylor was at the beginning about how prioritizing amassing material wealth and power, for whatever reason, is so damaging to your soul.
Another thing I loved in the book was the friendship between Willie and Lester. Naylor created a beautiful friendship between Mattie and Etta in The Women of Brewster Place, and I was glad to see her continue that type of depiction here. How could you not love Lester and Willie? I especially liked that Willie and Lester were depicted as two bright, sensitive young Black men who were genuine in their love for one another and in thinking deeply about the world around them and what they think it should be. It feels like stories that center around this depiction of young Black men are still rare enough that it's hard not to appreciate it when it's done and done well.
There's a lot more I could say about this book - it was well worth the 3 hour book club meeting and more! I'll just end by saying that I really enjoyed the horror aspects of this book. It blindsides you a bit - even though you get an inkling at the beginning, it's not until later, when you actually learn that an event happened that the horror begins to sink in. I have not read Dante's Inferno, so I'm sure that a lot of the references and allusions were lost on me, which probably includes some that would have made things even more spooky.
Overall - a fantastic novel. 5 stars easy. Looking forward to Mama Day.
Linden Hills is the second novel I've read by Gloria Naylor, and I certainly enjoyed it. I know a large part of that is the fact that Naylor uses the novel to critique the aims and process of "making it" as a Black person in the US, something I've personally been doing for years - it's always nice to feel validated. I really liked just how pointed Naylor was at the beginning about how prioritizing amassing material wealth and power, for whatever reason, is so damaging to your soul.
Another thing I loved in the book was the friendship between Willie and Lester. Naylor created a beautiful friendship between Mattie and Etta in The Women of Brewster Place, and I was glad to see her continue that type of depiction here. How could you not love Lester and Willie? I especially liked that Willie and Lester were depicted as two bright, sensitive young Black men who were genuine in their love for one another and in thinking deeply about the world around them and what they think it should be. It feels like stories that center around this depiction of young Black men are still rare enough that it's hard not to appreciate it when it's done and done well.
There's a lot more I could say about this book - it was well worth the 3 hour book club meeting and more! I'll just end by saying that I really enjoyed the horror aspects of this book. It blindsides you a bit - even though you get an inkling at the beginning, it's not until later, when you actually learn that an event happened that the horror begins to sink in. I have not read Dante's Inferno, so I'm sure that a lot of the references and allusions were lost on me, which probably includes some that would have made things even more spooky.
Overall - a fantastic novel. 5 stars easy. Looking forward to Mama Day.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide, Confinement, Classism, and Child death
Moderate: Sexism, Domestic abuse, Grief, Alcoholism, Homophobia, Mental illness, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, and Police brutality
Minor: Fire/Fire injury and Infidelity
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