A review by poenaestante
The Beautiful Struggle: A Father, Two Sons and an Unlikely Road to Manhood, by Ta-Nehisi Coates
3.0
A flowing stream of consciousness of a story, this book isn't for everyone but I sort of wish everyone would read it anyway. A beautiful insight into the day to day realities and the competing pressures in the lives of young urban black boys -- the push to achieve in conventional ways (and lift the race up with you!) rubbing up against the pull into coolness and a certain form of authenticity that is all too often rolled up in questionable peer activity. How do you stay "in" with your friends without disappointing your parents? When and what do you pursue ? What does it mean to have the crushing weight of history on your shoulders when you are just one mixed-up teenage boy?
Lots to think about, no easy answers. Ta-Nehisi clearly ended up OK, but we're never quite sure how or why. His parents certainly loved him, but lots of parents love their kids and still can't save them. His parents certainly fought for him, but so do others to no avail. All this to say, the book was frustrating and flawed and glaringly incomplete but I still don't think I'd change a single word. It is necessarily messy.
Lots to think about, no easy answers. Ta-Nehisi clearly ended up OK, but we're never quite sure how or why. His parents certainly loved him, but lots of parents love their kids and still can't save them. His parents certainly fought for him, but so do others to no avail. All this to say, the book was frustrating and flawed and glaringly incomplete but I still don't think I'd change a single word. It is necessarily messy.