Reviews

The Souls of Black Folks by W.E.B. Du Bois

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manadabomb's review against another edition

4.0

I've been listening to this book, courtesy of Librivox.org, for a while now. Not because it was boring or a bad book. Mainly because it's very in-depth and serious. To me, this is the kind of book that is almost impossible to read in one sitting.

As an aside, the reader for this particular book was extremely good. He provided music and was a great, steady reader. http://librivox.org/souls-of-black-folks-by-web-du-bois/

This is a book containing several essays on being an African American among a white society. Published in 1903, it contains 14 essays ranging from initial slavery and Booker T. Washington to the songs of sorrow that are popular among the African American population. Some of the especially poignant essays are about young black men trying to make more of themselves, only to be pushed aside and treated very poorly by white people. Of The Coming of John and Of Alexander Cummell were two of the best essays, in my opinion.

All in all, this was an excellent book that gives insight into how the African Americans dealt with the lives they were given.

Also available on Project Gutenberg: http://www.gutenberg.org/files/408/408-h/408-h.htm

paddlefootbookwolf's review against another edition

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informative reflective slow-paced

5.0

adarre's review against another edition

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challenging informative reflective medium-paced

ashkitty93's review against another edition

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challenging informative inspiring

5.0

Certainly deserves to be revisited in the future. Chapter 9 in particular should be printed out and used to wallpaper every statehouse in the nation, Congress included. Nicely narrated by Rodney Gardiner.

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baileyll's review against another edition

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challenging dark informative slow-paced

3.0

callieju's review against another edition

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5.0

wow this was truly incredibly written. i was expecting cut and dry socio-political dialogue which i struggle with sometimes but what i got was so much more. it was a story along with theory, Du Bois portrayed resilience and struggle and this is the first time i haven’t put a book down for multiple hours in a while. The use of black folk music throughout the essays was so powerful.