Reviews

Black No More by George S. Schuyler

dveliseev's review against another edition

challenging dark funny reflective fast-paced

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

4.0

Deeply funny and cuts sharply against the weaponisation of racism as a tool of capitalism. George Schuyler asked, “what happens to a racist society when race disappears” and the answer, unsurprisingly, is white people would still be racist

stacydt's review against another edition

challenging dark funny reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.25

jojodoug55's review against another edition

3.0

Obviously a literary piece, but I think its potential could have been further reached had the narration not been so much told as described. Had it been more character-driven, it would have also been more interesting and could have offered more perspective, aiding in the fiction's speculative nature.

drlark's review against another edition

dark funny medium-paced

4.25

I can't help wondering if Dr. Seuss was inspired by this satire of racial identity when he wrote The Sneeches, where the plain-bellied and star-bellied speeches fight over who is superior and build machines to add and remove their stars until everyone is all mixed up.

This is much much darker, a biting and well fleshed out spec-fic account of the rippling effects of turning black people white to eliminate "the negro problem." Still very funny, too. Highly recommend this Harlem Renaissance novel/novella.

thechanelmuse's review against another edition

4.0

Written during the Harlem Renaissance, Black No More is a satirical, speculative fiction novel that follows Max Fisher, a Black man who resorts to a scientific procedure after he gets rejected by a white woman

joelette's review against another edition

challenging fast-paced

• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

It's hard to believe this book was published in 1931 because the themes are very modern.

renjamin's review against another edition

dark funny fast-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Torture, Xenophobia, Racial slurs, and Racism

arinaski's review against another edition

5.0

I felt like the ending was rushed, a bit like a fairytale epilogue (it's not a bad thing I just wanted the book to go on haha and I probably had my own expectations; waiting to see the "black no more" treatment having some side effects..)
Very good, very smart.

victoriashirey's review against another edition

dark funny tense fast-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

4.75

aliena_jackson's review against another edition

5.0

You can say a lot of things about this book, but you absolutely cannot say that it’s boring, that’s for sure.