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A review by jonathanlynch
A Minor Chorus by Billy-Ray Belcourt
challenging
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
5.0
"I write because I've read and been moved into a position of wonder. I write because I've loved and been loved. I want to find out what 'we' or 'us' I can walk into or build a roof over. To hold hands with others, really. To be less alone."
I won an Advanced Reader Copy in a Goodreads giveaway. This novel is centered on an Indigenous queer narrator who takes a break from his doctoral dissertation to travel back to his hometown in northern Alberta, Canada, to gather interviews and write a book. Billy-Ray Belcourt is both storyteller and educator whilst he takes us through the minds of multiple Indigenous interviewees who give the reader a glimpse of life directly impacted by colonial violence in North America. The author philosophizes on Indigenous and queer themes, while underlying community and survival.
At one point the narrator questions the opacity of the English language. Will there be the correct words to portray emotions and unspoken trauma that need to be told? Is the English language itself an oppressive blanket draped over a white supremacist culture? These are important questions asked and although there are no explicit answers, I can say that the author strung together an amalgamation of words in such a way that it felt brand new to me; almost musical. I never experienced this in literature before, where I wished the author was standing right in front of me speaking, sharing their story, and letting their language wash all over me. That's selfish and a lot to ask for, but I just need to emphasize how beautifully written this novel is.
Belcourt will undoubtedly hear every celebratory keyword there is, but I just want to add my own to the table: Magical. I can't wait to read the rest of his works.
Hype this up. This book deserves the highest praise.
I won an Advanced Reader Copy in a Goodreads giveaway. This novel is centered on an Indigenous queer narrator who takes a break from his doctoral dissertation to travel back to his hometown in northern Alberta, Canada, to gather interviews and write a book. Billy-Ray Belcourt is both storyteller and educator whilst he takes us through the minds of multiple Indigenous interviewees who give the reader a glimpse of life directly impacted by colonial violence in North America. The author philosophizes on Indigenous and queer themes, while underlying community and survival.
At one point the narrator questions the opacity of the English language. Will there be the correct words to portray emotions and unspoken trauma that need to be told? Is the English language itself an oppressive blanket draped over a white supremacist culture? These are important questions asked and although there are no explicit answers, I can say that the author strung together an amalgamation of words in such a way that it felt brand new to me; almost musical. I never experienced this in literature before, where I wished the author was standing right in front of me speaking, sharing their story, and letting their language wash all over me. That's selfish and a lot to ask for, but I just need to emphasize how beautifully written this novel is.
Belcourt will undoubtedly hear every celebratory keyword there is, but I just want to add my own to the table: Magical. I can't wait to read the rest of his works.
Hype this up. This book deserves the highest praise.