autiquarian's review against another edition
dark
informative
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
Good academic resource for learning about white artists in the Harlem Renaissance, but would probably not re-read for entertainment as the depictions of several black characters are uncomfortable.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racial slurs, Drug use, Cultural appropriation, Gun violence, Racism, Violence, Toxic relationship, and Murder
Minor: Blood
msand3's review against another edition
3.0
For such a provocative title and all the controversy surrounding its initial publication, Carl Van Vechten's Nigger Heaven is a rather mainstream novel. I doubt it would have been so controversial had it been given a different title or published by a black writer. Written from the perspective of two lovers, Mary and Byron, the novel introduces a host of characters who represent the full social, economic, and cultural sweep of Harlem in the 1920s. Van Vechten tackles topics ranging from passing to the impossibility of upward mobility in careers or in the social world. The novel is written as an insider's view, but often feels awkward and patronizing at many moments. (Much like the title itself, come to think of it, despite Van Vechten's ironic intentions.) I do give Van Vechten credit for attempting to write a novel that relates the black experience in America, but I often found myself comparing it to better works written by black writers during the '20's and earlier. Van Vechten even acknowledges this difficulty, with two characters discussing the possibility of a black writer ever writing a novel from a white perspective. As one character mentions, this was attempted by Charles W. Chesnutt years earlier. With several mentions of Chesnutt throughout the novel, perhaps Van Vechten is trying to position himself as the white Chesnutt, or at the very least attempting to justify writing a novel from the perspective of characters of a different race. It's no surprise that this is exactly the problem encountered in the novel by Byron, a black writer who struggles to get a manuscript published that explores the perspective of white characters. The Byron section of the novel is the most memorable, whether it's because Van Vechten identifies with him more than with Mary or because these are the chapters that catapult the novel to its violent conclusion. Although this novel is worth reading for Van Vechten's unique insight on Harlem, there are better works of fiction on the topic.
dubiousdeeds's review against another edition
3.0
Pretty good actually, but that title ain't doing it any favors
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