196books's review against another edition
funny
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Xenophobia, Racism, and Racial slurs
Moderate: Sexism and Domestic abuse
serendipitysbooks's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
The Lonely Londoners, first published in 1956, is significant as the first novel to explore the experience of the first generation of Caribbean migrants to the United Kingdom, the so-called Windrush generation. It opens with Moses, a Trinidadian who has been in the UK for several years, meeting newly arrived Henry, a friend of a friend, whom he has offered to help get settled. What follows isn’t a strictly chronological narrative but more a series of vignettes involving a group of “boys”, other migrants mainly from the Caribbean who are known to Moses.
One of the things that stood out to me was the nature of the racism these men encountered. It wasn’t - at least mostly - blatant and overt. Rather it was subtle, hidden behind a polite facade. But the job or room had frequently just been taken, or the actual wage was mysteriously much lower than advertised, or the rent higher than advertised whenever a Caribbean man applied. The issue of race and skin colour complicated romantic relationships, with the “boys” sometimes wanting to be with a white woman in the belief it showed they were accepted in English society, while white women were sometimes after a fetishised experience rather than a genuine relationship. The attitude and behaviour of the “boys” towards women was far from enlightened or exemplary. It made for some uncomfortable reading and somewhat countered the sympathy I had for them regarding the racism they encountered, even though I realise such attitudes were common at the time. Despite this they were mostly likeable characters whom it was easy to root for as they struggled to make their way in England while recognising the odds of upward mobility were low and missing their homelands. The support they offered and found in each other warmed my heart as well as theirs. The book was easy and straightforward to read. The use of Caribbean and Creolised English which was unusual at the time is far more common now and unlikely to be a barrier to a modern reader. Although some of the slang was unfamiliar it was easy to figure out via context with a quick Google search sometimes for confirmation. This was a classic I’m pleased to have discovered and read.
One of the things that stood out to me was the nature of the racism these men encountered. It wasn’t - at least mostly - blatant and overt. Rather it was subtle, hidden behind a polite facade. But the job or room had frequently just been taken, or the actual wage was mysteriously much lower than advertised, or the rent higher than advertised whenever a Caribbean man applied. The issue of race and skin colour complicated romantic relationships, with the “boys” sometimes wanting to be with a white woman in the belief it showed they were accepted in English society, while white women were sometimes after a fetishised experience rather than a genuine relationship. The attitude and behaviour of the “boys” towards women was far from enlightened or exemplary. It made for some uncomfortable reading and somewhat countered the sympathy I had for them regarding the racism they encountered, even though I realise such attitudes were common at the time. Despite this they were mostly likeable characters whom it was easy to root for as they struggled to make their way in England while recognising the odds of upward mobility were low and missing their homelands. The support they offered and found in each other warmed my heart as well as theirs. The book was easy and straightforward to read. The use of Caribbean and Creolised English which was unusual at the time is far more common now and unlikely to be a barrier to a modern reader. Although some of the slang was unfamiliar it was easy to figure out via context with a quick Google search sometimes for confirmation. This was a classic I’m pleased to have discovered and read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny, Racism, and Sexism
Moderate: Domestic abuse
lydiature_'s review against another edition
challenging
funny
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
i bought this on a whim. im familiar (obviously) of the treatment of black people living in the united states during less than ideal times (understatement of the century), but i didn’t know much about non-american black people living in england. so i decided to give this a shot!
the writing style reminded me a lot of “the mermaid of black conch” in terms of the vernacular/dialect. the characters were pretty interesting, and they seemed to represent the different types of immigrants found in a new country.
the cast of characters is very diverse and distinct. they’re from all over the west indies—jamaica, trinidad, barbados, etc. there’s moses who has been in london years longer than most people. he’s a hard worker and wise, wanting to do well. but his desire for a better life is not more important than other migrants. he helps when he can. there’s captain, who was originally sent to london to become a lawyer. that didn’t happen. instead, he became lazy and tried to take advantage of the welfare system. but that’s not entirely his fault. 1950s england—like captain and galahad discussed—is more subtle with their racism. while america is overt with the segregation, england covers their racism with kind words and politeness. i personally think that’s worse because it gave false hope to the thousands of migrants seeking better working conditions & hope for their families.
even though the subject matter is kind of bleak, the tone is pretty casual and funny. the humor aspect actually reminded me A LOT of zadie smith (especially her “white teeth”). there was a scene where five saw harris (a black man) at the whitest party & said to him (with a couple of white women hanging off his arms), “harris, you old reprobate! what happening?” im sorry but i screamed when i read this 😭💀 i felt so bad for harris because things got worse (and absurd) for him during the whole party scene. poor guy.
another scene that made me laugh was when galahad hunted pigeons to eat and he was yelling out “coo coo” to get their attention 😭 like even though it was sad that he had to resort to eat pigeons, it was still funny. this whole book is the essence of the tiktok audio “no no, but it’s not funny, is it?” 💀
i really loved the characters. even though there was a lot of jumping around as far as the plot/timeline goes, i was very fond of the characters. they were flawed but likeable. and FUNNY!! moses was so instigating 😭 i want to be as unbothered as five 💀
and just like zadie smith, selvon got serious real fast. toward the end, moses talks about how london has not accepted any of the immigrants. the immigrants are merely tolerated, not accepted. for those immigrants who have married english people (white), their children will face discrimination. if moses makes a lot of money, he wants to go back to his country and be around people who love him and accept him. not spend the rest of his life in a country that will never accept him. and that’s very understandable. at the end of the day, to be known and accepted is more important than to have money.
i will say though that there was a long passage on pages 92-102 without any punctuation and it drove me NUTS. i skipped that section, full-disclosure. i hate when there’s run-on sentences 😭 it gave me a flashback to “hurricane season” which i had to dnf because it was making my brain hurt .
note: i don’t recommend starting with this one, though. the vernacular-if you’re not used to it—will be difficult to understand. start with “white teeth” by zadie smith , “the color purple” by alice walker, and “the mermaid of black conch” by monique roffey first. and then come back to this one.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Domestic abuse
madamelacy's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I initially found this book a bit difficult to understand as it’s written in a West Indian English dialect, but I quickly adjusted and enjoyed the rhythm of the language.
The story starts with Moses grudgingly meeting yet another fellow West Indian off the boat train. The rest of the book recounts stories of various immigrants as they deal with the inclement weather, racism, precarious job situations and attempts to provide for themselves and their families. This sounds potentially bleak but it’s not because the male characters are all imbued with such warmth and humour.
There weren’t very many female characters; most female characters are objects of desire and aren’t respected by the men. I loved Tanty - a woman who knew how to get what she wanted.
Sam Selvon creates a melting pot of characters from different countries who support and tease one another. Really lovely read which made me appreciate the difficulties of being an immigrant in a largely unwelcoming country, whilst simultaneously being within a culturally rich community.
The story starts with Moses grudgingly meeting yet another fellow West Indian off the boat train. The rest of the book recounts stories of various immigrants as they deal with the inclement weather, racism, precarious job situations and attempts to provide for themselves and their families. This sounds potentially bleak but it’s not because the male characters are all imbued with such warmth and humour.
There weren’t very many female characters; most female characters are objects of desire and aren’t respected by the men. I loved Tanty - a woman who knew how to get what she wanted.
Sam Selvon creates a melting pot of characters from different countries who support and tease one another. Really lovely read which made me appreciate the difficulties of being an immigrant in a largely unwelcoming country, whilst simultaneously being within a culturally rich community.
Content Warnings
Minor: Domestic abuse, Drug use, and Sexism
morgangd's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
relaxing
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Specific yet relatable, historic yet modern, it feels like a story only for Moses, a man at the heart of his community of beautifully realised flawed people (not great for women, shockingly for a 1950s novel), yet a story for anyone who's experienced this beautiful, living, lonely city.
"He could see a great aimlessness, a great restless, swaying movement that leaving you standing in the same spot."
"He could see a great aimlessness, a great restless, swaying movement that leaving you standing in the same spot."
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny, Cursing, Racism, Domestic abuse, Animal death, Animal cruelty, Xenophobia, Colonisation, Violence, Alcohol, Racial slurs, Classism, Toxic relationship, and Hate crime
hannah_bookworm's review against another edition
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse and Racism
dominicangirl's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
Content Warnings
Minor: Domestic abuse, Racism, and Racial slurs
tina94's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
funny
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
The final few pages about the group coming together and their dynamics was beautiful, made me like the book much more than I would have without it. Nasta's introduction also made me appreciate it more
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexism, Misogyny, Domestic abuse, Racism, and Animal cruelty
Moderate: Racial slurs, Drug use, Toxic relationship, and Transphobia
Minor: Sexual content
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