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4.1 AVERAGE
4.1 AVERAGE
Would have rated this higher were it not for the ingrained misogyny and homophobia. Particularly disliked the chapter on 'The Woman of Colour and the White Man'. There are moments of real clarity of thought and it's worth the read for these. But wild extrapolations from personal experience, or particular medical case studies, fell flat for me. I was surprised not to find more modern critiques. Dusty's review on Goodreads pretty accurately reflects my views and perhaps those of many 21st century readers.
challenging
informative
reflective
tense
slow-paced
challenging
informative
challenging
informative
reflective
medium-paced
Content Warnings
Minor: Hate crime, Racial slurs, Racism, Xenophobia
Literally one of the most influential books for my politics
4.5
One of the greats! Academic density made readable by his insanely astute intellect and beautified use of language. I would have loved to live in a reality in which Fanon could've written a novel or poetry or some sort of fiction. The voice voice voice bellows in a self-recognizing rage, and you can't help but be swept up in the ebbs and flows of this memoir/essay collection/psychoanalytical case studies/literary criticism/political treatise. There are some less nuanced thoughts about women and gay men, but the rest feels like he scraped the epidermis off the lasting semi-living ghost of imperialism grounded in cultural artifacts and language and then said, wait, let's go deeper, and then flayed some muscle tissue, and it's amazing. Racial essentialism found dead. Determinism found questioned. And the ending tops it all off with such power, with a capital P. Resonant for today while evading universalism (this is a deeply French/Antillean work). Essential. Wish I had read the whole thing in college rather than just excerpts.
One of the greats! Academic density made readable by his insanely astute intellect and beautified use of language. I would have loved to live in a reality in which Fanon could've written a novel or poetry or some sort of fiction. The voice voice voice bellows in a self-recognizing rage, and you can't help but be swept up in the ebbs and flows of this memoir/essay collection/psychoanalytical case studies/literary criticism/political treatise. There are some less nuanced thoughts about women and gay men, but the rest feels like he scraped the epidermis off the lasting semi-living ghost of imperialism grounded in cultural artifacts and language and then said, wait, let's go deeper, and then flayed some muscle tissue, and it's amazing. Racial essentialism found dead. Determinism found questioned. And the ending tops it all off with such power, with a capital P. Resonant for today while evading universalism (this is a deeply French/Antillean work). Essential. Wish I had read the whole thing in college rather than just excerpts.
emotional
informative
reflective
fast-paced
Unlike other collections of essays/theoretical analyses, this book read very linear, with no pauses or moments of disconnect in between. Fanon's prose is very easy to parse and he explains his theories & ideas succinctly, without room for misappropriation or intentional misinterpretation. His language is also very light at times, I found myself smiling or laughing at the way he challenges his perceived naysayers who, I suppose, would seek out his work to disagree with his conceptualisation of Blackness as a lived experience.
The first chapter, the chapter that deals with Language, had me thinking about AAVE and BBE and how it has become a mainstay of modern Black culture; in contrast to the experience of those who lived in the French territories. The concept that he who conquers the language conquers the culture/very existence of the nation they speak the language of gave me a stronger understanding of my own experience having grown up in a different country and often experiencing being "granted" the nationality of the country I was raised in, for my ability to speak the language like a native.
For as much as I enjoyed the book and Fanon's writings, it falls victim to the fact of his career/degree --Psychiatry. While I find his perspective incredibly invaluable, reading about Freud, Jung & Adler got a little tiring a little too quick.
The first chapter, the chapter that deals with Language, had me thinking about AAVE and BBE and how it has become a mainstay of modern Black culture; in contrast to the experience of those who lived in the French territories. The concept that he who conquers the language conquers the culture/very existence of the nation they speak the language of gave me a stronger understanding of my own experience having grown up in a different country and often experiencing being "granted" the nationality of the country I was raised in, for my ability to speak the language like a native.
For as much as I enjoyed the book and Fanon's writings, it falls victim to the fact of his career/degree --Psychiatry. While I find his perspective incredibly invaluable, reading about Freud, Jung & Adler got a little tiring a little too quick.
challenging
informative
medium-paced
challenging
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
slow-paced
informative
slow-paced