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thejadedhippy's review against another edition
2.0
The violence in this book was really disturbing, and I get what she was doing with it, but for me personally it was much too much. If you’re sensitive to that, trigger warning. I would have put it down if I didn’t have to read it for school.
koraliedw's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
sineadb's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
4.75
sam_bizar_wilcox's review against another edition
4.0
No Telephone to Heaven is not a novel I was familiar with before finding it at a local thrift store (although maybe I should have known Michelle Cliff was connected to Adrienne Rich); a blurb from Toni Morrison and an interesting-sounding summary were enough to lure me in. And the novel that followed was exceptionally difficult to untangle, with language and narrative unwinding and rewinding, a glossary in the back and thematic epigraphs throughout. I'll say, it's hard to gather my thoughts on this book. But - what I could understand - I loved.
Cliff is brilliant. Her observations are wry and dazzling. Her characters are complex and - reading from the 2020s - presciently modern. I think I can only describe the novel as a sort of kaleidoscope of beautiful fragments. Post-colonial shards here, feminist there.
Voice and speech are essential to the novel (See the emphasis in the title - "Telephone"). Like Zora Neale Hurston, Cliff captures the rhythm of individuals through their speech, transcribing a language almost as if anthropology. Cliff's novel, then, is more then just an introspective glance at her Caribbean heritage, her experiences abroad, and her coming-of-sexuality, but a national glance at Jamaica of the sound of its people.
Cliff is brilliant. Her observations are wry and dazzling. Her characters are complex and - reading from the 2020s - presciently modern. I think I can only describe the novel as a sort of kaleidoscope of beautiful fragments. Post-colonial shards here, feminist there.
Voice and speech are essential to the novel (See the emphasis in the title - "Telephone"). Like Zora Neale Hurston, Cliff captures the rhythm of individuals through their speech, transcribing a language almost as if anthropology. Cliff's novel, then, is more then just an introspective glance at her Caribbean heritage, her experiences abroad, and her coming-of-sexuality, but a national glance at Jamaica of the sound of its people.
samripley1963's review
challenging
dark
informative
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.25
potterpav's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
i am a huge fan of books that intertwine characters through separate chapters/fragments, so when christopher came back at the end and was connected to kitty and clare, it all worked so well for me. much of the speech of this book is written in the jamaican dialect which takes a moment or two to get used to, but to see where jamaican dialect is used against american english is so crucial to this text, especially when clare is brought back to jamaica and speaks with harriet, you really see how clare was deprived of her family heritage. this text is so sad but full of so much richness of character, like every single part of this text just jumps out of the page, including the pages about jamaican wildlife. it truly is a fantastic text, split into 11 chapters that vary wildly in length but that adds to the overall text i think, it takes it out of the box a bit. overall, there is something for everyone in this text and the beauty intertwined with the desolation should not be overlooked, but appreciated on the same scale <3
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism and Miscarriage
Moderate: Gun violence
squrrl_grrrl's review against another edition
5.0
I wrote my senior thesis on this book. It really captures the Jamaican post-colonial experience. This is about revolution, getting back what was lost..recovering roots, history and culture....something we should still have the drive to accomplish but have somehow forgot.
kmarkham's review against another edition
5.0
Trigger warning: there is some extreme violence at the beginning of this book in chapter 2. You can skip it without losing much.
I loved this book.
I loved this book.
alanffm's review against another edition
3.0
I was tempted to give this book four stars but I found the language and writing far too frustrating: it is not always clear, or balanced, and often very gory. Luckily, No Telephone To Heaven has incredible content. As someone alien to the Caribbean narrative this book helped me contextualize the violence and racism I knew were associated with colonial Caribbean nations like Jamaica and Haiti. I'm glad to have read this book, but I do not recommend it to the feint of heart.