Reviews

The Living is Easy by Dorothy West

tricechara's review

dark emotional sad slow-paced

• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

caitlingb's review

medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

rouge_red's review against another edition

reflective medium-paced

4.5

Excellent and terrible MC who I never failed to feel anger, frustration and sad for at the end of each chapter. Cleo's a woman of contradictions- proud, yet ashamed of her blackness, charming, yet rules out of anything but love, presents a cold exterior, yet wants (but also scorns) affection etc, etc. I was always on tenterhooks, wondering just how Cleo was going to meddle and ruin more and more lives. It's interesting because she always gets her way, but things have a way of going wrong in ways she didn't expect. I really liked seeing all the ways class, race, colorism, tradition, and the time period clashed. The final scene with Galloway was pretty heartbreaking as we saw how people stand together to keep whatever semblance of comfort they can. In this case, it's by denying a fellow black man acknowledgement, (and furthermore on Cleo's part) denying her family. This was a great and powerful book and as expected, Cleo is alone at the end, the cause of ruin for all these people she sought to hold onto. And Tim? Tim won't want her.

discodetective's review

challenging reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

I'll have to sit and stew on this one for a bit LOL

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racial slurs

kaylinmoss's review

• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

kategci's review

3.0

This is Dorothy West's first novel, written in 1948 and I picked it up for book club. Cleo is the eldest of four sisters, born and raised in the South. At 14, she moves north to Boston to work. She meets her husband who is 23 years older and is a successful (although perhaps not wealthy) businessman. Early on in the story the author lets us know what a manipulative witch (or perhaps a word that rhymes with witch) that Cleo actually is. Cleo decides she needs to have her sisters move North and live in a large house with her and her daughter Judy. Men are not really welcome, except for Cleo's husband and just barely, but he is paying the bills. The major part of the book takes place in 1914, and there are many themes related to race and social status throughout the book. This was not the easiest book to get into and at times I wanted to throw it across the room as Cleo made me crazy. It gets 3 stars because there was a lot (maybe too much) going on and because I found Cleo too unlikeable.

readincolour's review

3.0

My goodness, Cleo might be the most unlikable character I've ever read. She has absolutely no redeeming qualities.

zellm's review

2.0

I generally enjoy an unlikable protagonist, but I absolutely could not get over how much I hated Cleo. She was so completely self-centered and ruined everyone around her, and she just got away with it. This book dragged on and I just wanted her to get what was coming to her.

rosebottorf's review

challenging emotional sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.25

nailaj's review

challenging dark sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Mr. Hartnett failed in business, and blew his brains out just like a white man. Everybody was a little proud of his suicide.

The twisted psychologies of the black aspirant class in the early 19th century on full and foul display. Steel yourself before picking up this novel. 

I give the book five stars simply because of the intense emotional and physical distress it caused me. I just finished it and my stomach is still twisted in hate against Cleo.