Reviews

We Were Eight Years in Power: An American Tragedy by Ta-Nehisi Coates

marydith's review against another edition

I’ll come back to it later in print, was having trouble focusing on the audiobook 🫡

lvrdlpzm's review against another edition

informative inspiring reflective sad slow-paced

4.75

lottie1803's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

4.25

ariam's review against another edition

5.0

As someone who was but a child during Obama’s presidency, this actually opened my eyes in how I think of him. 

x0pherl's review against another edition

5.0

re-reading through these essays from the Atlantic, along with Coates' updated commentary on the pieces, was helpful to me in processing the events of 2020.

taylorhs's review against another edition

5.0

All Americans should read “The Case for Reparations.” As with all of Coates’ writing, I learned a lot

nookandcrannyseattle's review against another edition

challenging emotional informative inspiring reflective sad slow-paced

4.5

The author puts into eloquent words so many things I felt during those years that I could never figure out quite how to articulate. The title is apropos, too. It deeply feels like a tragedy and it doesn't even get to address the subsequent soul crushing decade.

skmiles's review against another edition

5.0

I've been reading Coates since his essay on reparations was assigned to me as an undergraduate and this monograph is a testament to his lasting power. He is thoughtful, critical, eloquent and compelling, without hesitating to apply his analytical lens to his own perspective or writing from the past as well. I found his epilogue in particular to be enlightening in explaining how not idealized "white working class anger" but rather (an unsimple) racism brought about the presidency of Donald Trump. In general, a stirring, well-researched and deeply thoughtful work on race in America. An absolute must-read.

stephanieridiculous's review

5.0

Reading this as we are gearing up for another Trump campaign was an interesting added layer, and  finishing the day before Biden stepped back and nominated Vice President Harris to run? Whew.

This is an excellent collection of essays. The essays alone are worth reading and grappling with, but that we get context to Coates' writing and personal life for each essay made this an even more impactful read. I appreciate deeply Coates sharing with us what he didn't like about his own writing; getting to hear an author talk about their growth of craft is always a pleasure. 

Definitely recommend in broad strokes for those interested in political commentary, Obama, and Coates' take on various aspect of US culture.

jlelley's review against another edition

medium-paced

4.5