woolfy_vita's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
afreen7's review against another edition
4.0
A classic piece of literature. Every story feels timeless yet refreshing to read even if it starts off feeling like it's been done before. There are some great character studies and morals about how our own actions affect our lives as well as others. Stories about how families work and how some do not. Humans being very much humans.
This quote from "An Unimportant Man" where the parents of a child argue about her future based on their individual contrary life experiences:
“Essie’s got a right to decide her own future,” he cried jealously. “I’d bin a better man today if my mother had let me live my own life.”
“You might ‘a’ bin slavin’ in a cotton field. You might ‘a’ bin swingin’ from a tree. And then, God knows, you would ‘a’ blamed your mother.”
There is a second half of the book composed of sketches from West's life. Some of them were really interesting and informative to read. Some of them regarding the geography, political and religious history of Martha's Vineyard, though, went right over my head. But I did love the writing and impeccable flow of each story.
This quote from "An Unimportant Man" where the parents of a child argue about her future based on their individual contrary life experiences:
“Essie’s got a right to decide her own future,” he cried jealously. “I’d bin a better man today if my mother had let me live my own life.”
“You might ‘a’ bin slavin’ in a cotton field. You might ‘a’ bin swingin’ from a tree. And then, God knows, you would ‘a’ blamed your mother.”
There is a second half of the book composed of sketches from West's life. Some of them were really interesting and informative to read. Some of them regarding the geography, political and religious history of Martha's Vineyard, though, went right over my head. But I did love the writing and impeccable flow of each story.
gpotter100's review
inspiring
reflective
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? No
2.5
corvinus's review against another edition
5.0
There are writers who let you keep yourself while reading their books. There are writers who allow you to forget yourself and become one with the words and feelings and experiences. Dorothy West is the latter. I feel like I have lived with her, or that I am her...or have been her. I am definitely reading more of her. Recommended to you who loves and appreciates exquisite genius writing.
arisbookcorner's review against another edition
5.0
"To know how much there is to know is the beginning of learning to live. Don't count the years that are left us. At our time of life, it's the days that count. You've too much catching up to do to waste a minute of a waking hour feeling sorry for yourself." Bess, 56
I can't believe this has been in my to-read queue on Goodreads since 2011 and yet I somehow thought I'd already read it. Reading this short story and essay collection reaffirmed that I love Dorothy West. Her stories explore class lines and marital discord and then the collection jumps to a lovely essay about Wallace Thurman or the history of Oak Bluffs, Martha's Vineyard. She has a wide range of topics. Her stories also end with a resolution or leave the readers with an idea of what will happen next which I appreciate as an impatient reader of short stories. I do find it funny that she seems to dislike marriage so much, one of the biggest takeaways from this collection is that she doesn't seem to believe in happy marriages. None of her couples are happy and it got a little old after awhile.
As I've been more active in reading online social commentary and critiques I've started to pick up on ideas that are common today being similarly described or lightly touched upon in some of the greatest writers. Granted this collection was published in the '90s but I think the 'newest' story is from 1987. For example this devastating line from one of West's characters; "'It's hard,' he said gently, 'for colored girls to do things that are beautiful, like acting in plays, or singing in op'ra, or dancing in ballets'" (150). And then there was this familiar line of thinking in MAMMY "'How good Negroes are. I am so glad it was you who came. You are so sympathetic. I could not have talked so freely to a white investigator. She would not have understood.' The investigator's smile was wintry. She resented this well-meant restatement of the trusted position of the good darky" (46), which was the one story that did leave me feeling unsatisfied as I felt I wasn't understanding the secrets in the family. But that line really struck me as did the story itself, its haunting in its exploration of good intentions, bureaucracy and the relationship between "the help" and their employers.
I'm very glad Professor Henry Gates Jr. hounded West into putting together this collection, it's a treat and valuable part of the literary canon by lifting up a group of people still ignored in literary fiction, the black bourgeoisie. Her style is subtle with a wink and a nod, I'd imagine in person she had a very dry sense of humor. Finally this line in the preface is fantastic "we also see her [West's] larger political statement that, in black communities especially, the privileged and the poor, like house servant and field slave, are sometimes desperately united."
Final favorite quote: "He had remembered the good part and forgotten the rest, which is the dictate of wisdom" (214)
I can't believe this has been in my to-read queue on Goodreads since 2011 and yet I somehow thought I'd already read it. Reading this short story and essay collection reaffirmed that I love Dorothy West. Her stories explore class lines and marital discord and then the collection jumps to a lovely essay about Wallace Thurman or the history of Oak Bluffs, Martha's Vineyard. She has a wide range of topics. Her stories also end with a resolution or leave the readers with an idea of what will happen next which I appreciate as an impatient reader of short stories. I do find it funny that she seems to dislike marriage so much, one of the biggest takeaways from this collection is that she doesn't seem to believe in happy marriages. None of her couples are happy and it got a little old after awhile.
As I've been more active in reading online social commentary and critiques I've started to pick up on ideas that are common today being similarly described or lightly touched upon in some of the greatest writers. Granted this collection was published in the '90s but I think the 'newest' story is from 1987. For example this devastating line from one of West's characters; "'It's hard,' he said gently, 'for colored girls to do things that are beautiful, like acting in plays, or singing in op'ra, or dancing in ballets'" (150). And then there was this familiar line of thinking in MAMMY "'How good Negroes are. I am so glad it was you who came. You are so sympathetic. I could not have talked so freely to a white investigator. She would not have understood.' The investigator's smile was wintry. She resented this well-meant restatement of the trusted position of the good darky" (46), which was the one story that did leave me feeling unsatisfied as I felt I wasn't understanding the secrets in the family. But that line really struck me as did the story itself, its haunting in its exploration of good intentions, bureaucracy and the relationship between "the help" and their employers.
I'm very glad Professor Henry Gates Jr. hounded West into putting together this collection, it's a treat and valuable part of the literary canon by lifting up a group of people still ignored in literary fiction, the black bourgeoisie. Her style is subtle with a wink and a nod, I'd imagine in person she had a very dry sense of humor. Finally this line in the preface is fantastic "we also see her [West's] larger political statement that, in black communities especially, the privileged and the poor, like house servant and field slave, are sometimes desperately united."
Final favorite quote: "He had remembered the good part and forgotten the rest, which is the dictate of wisdom" (214)
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