elenajohansen's review against another edition
1.0
DNF @ 33%. The story might have been interesting eventually, but the style was exhausting--Moinette's cerebral fascination with the workings of the human body, her own body, started out as an interesting facet of her character, but the fourth time I saw the word "skull" on the same page, or the tenth time "water" was used to describe something not-water in a chapter, I just got fed up.
mimirtells's review against another edition
1.0
1/5 Stars (%5/100)
-Very slow pacing plot. (The book is very long and the plot goes very slow. So double the problem)
-Not a very interesting main character. (A young mulatto girl named Moinette who is sold to slavery multiple times.)
-Not a very original story. (We have seen a lot, I mean a lot, of stories dealing with black people escaping slavery etc. I don't have a problem with this if the characters are interesting. Beloved and The Color Purple are some of the good examples.)
-Trying to implement stream-of-consciousness but failing.
Overall, I found it boring and difficult to read. I kept comparing it to similar books and it made me dislike it even more. Try it yourself, some people seem to enjoy it a lot.
-Very slow pacing plot. (The book is very long and the plot goes very slow. So double the problem)
-Not a very interesting main character. (A young mulatto girl named Moinette who is sold to slavery multiple times.)
-Not a very original story. (We have seen a lot, I mean a lot, of stories dealing with black people escaping slavery etc. I don't have a problem with this if the characters are interesting. Beloved and The Color Purple are some of the good examples.)
-Trying to implement stream-of-consciousness but failing.
Overall, I found it boring and difficult to read. I kept comparing it to similar books and it made me dislike it even more. Try it yourself, some people seem to enjoy it a lot.
ryner's review against another edition
5.0
As the story begins, Moinette is a 14-year-old slave on a Louisiana plantation. She is "yellow" (i.e., of mixed race), and has always lived with only her mother in le quartier (slave quarters), but is one day moved into the main house to be the personal handmaiden and hairdresser to the owner's teenage daughter, Céphaline. When Céphaline succumbs to disease, Moinette is only a reminder to her parents of their loss, and without warning Moinette is uprooted from the only life she has known.
Many nights I did not get enough sleep because, while reading in bed, I simply could not stop reading. There are many, many bite-sized sections within each chapter, each tantalizingly entreating, Oh, you know you have time to read just one more tiny, tiny piece! Look how small the next passage is! (repeat 53x) I appreciated the author's skill at storytelling in such a way that I was unable to guess what was going to happen next -- that I was even conscious of this made me aware of how even original plots are often somewhat transparent. A Million Nightingales is heartbreaking, but Moinette also has her triumphs, small and large.
Many nights I did not get enough sleep because, while reading in bed, I simply could not stop reading. There are many, many bite-sized sections within each chapter, each tantalizingly entreating, Oh, you know you have time to read just one more tiny, tiny piece! Look how small the next passage is! (repeat 53x) I appreciated the author's skill at storytelling in such a way that I was unable to guess what was going to happen next -- that I was even conscious of this made me aware of how even original plots are often somewhat transparent. A Million Nightingales is heartbreaking, but Moinette also has her triumphs, small and large.
ismahane's review
5.0
This novel was an emotional journey for me. I can't accurately put into words how I felt while reading it. At times I felt inspired by the characters, at other times I felt betrayed by the author. However, I do understand the author's choices for the characters since life has never been fair to anyone, let alone to slaves in 1800s Louisiana.
What I most love about this novel -is what I've come to realize that I love about all of Ms. Straight's writings,- is the sense of genuineness I feel whenever I read one of her books. While reading this book for my MA dissertation no less, I felt transported to that time period of history, I found myself adapting the way of thinking and completely immersed in the novel. Hence the red weeping eyes and puffy nose I am currently supporting while writing this review.
In short, this was an amazing read, I recommend to all who wish to take a dive into Louisiana's history and see life from the point of view of a survivor.
What I most love about this novel -is what I've come to realize that I love about all of Ms. Straight's writings,- is the sense of genuineness I feel whenever I read one of her books. While reading this book for my MA dissertation no less, I felt transported to that time period of history, I found myself adapting the way of thinking and completely immersed in the novel. Hence the red weeping eyes and puffy nose I am currently supporting while writing this review.
In short, this was an amazing read, I recommend to all who wish to take a dive into Louisiana's history and see life from the point of view of a survivor.
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