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indalauryn's review against another edition
5.0
wonderful collection of stories that give an idea of hurston's true range and genius
eslsilver's review
emotional
funny
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Racial slurs
rubybastille's review against another edition
3.0
I liked the chronological structure and the inclusion of some previously unpublished stories. They span the rural Deep South to Roaring 20s Harlem and the styles vary widely. I'd only read "Their Eyes Were Watching God" so it was interesting to see Hurston's evolution and ability as a writer.
stevendedalus's review against another edition
3.0
Most of these stories read as fairy tales or popular fiction. They're interesting in that a lot of them are curiously deracialized, they don't struggle or rail at society, but merely picture people within it.
Beyond the use of dialect and occasional injections of voodoo, you could almost make the characters any race and the stories would still work. And there is a certain shock in reading stories with rich white saviours and poor black villains that don't feel stereotyped or mean.
But this commitment to telling unexamined tales isn't really my bag. They feel like fun, pass-the-time stories without depth. The entertainments are slapstick or maudlin, splashy but shallow. There's an entertainment to it told with some style but the stories are so broad and the characters so cut-out, they don't have much heft.
I can see why they fell out of popularity with the rise of more politically urgent and biting fiction. While I appreciate the revival of a forgotten literary figure, I'm not much one for the style of these nice, unchallenging entertainments.
Beyond the use of dialect and occasional injections of voodoo, you could almost make the characters any race and the stories would still work. And there is a certain shock in reading stories with rich white saviours and poor black villains that don't feel stereotyped or mean.
But this commitment to telling unexamined tales isn't really my bag. They feel like fun, pass-the-time stories without depth. The entertainments are slapstick or maudlin, splashy but shallow. There's an entertainment to it told with some style but the stories are so broad and the characters so cut-out, they don't have much heft.
I can see why they fell out of popularity with the rise of more politically urgent and biting fiction. While I appreciate the revival of a forgotten literary figure, I'm not much one for the style of these nice, unchallenging entertainments.
cheye13's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I love the stories – Hurston's writing is unparalled. But I completely hate the editing of this collection. Alice Walker's article is magnificent, but the other materials – namely the foreword and afterword – felt detached and irrelevant. I disliked the structure of the collection as a whole. Out of this context, each of Hurston's stories really shine, but this collection shoves them together in a way that feels like flipping through a file cabinet.
drewsstuff's review against another edition
5.0
No spoilers...
Rich in everything, Hurston's writing is exemplary. I can find no downside to reading these stories - other than the vernacular spelling, which takes a few pages to get into, so I'd suggest that this isn't a book to dip into when you have five minutes, read a story or two at a time.
Other than that, superb characters and stories. I could go into her anthropological studies, how the effect of societal norms and structures (and strictures) impact some wonderfully drawn characters; how she's sees into people and portrays them so realistically, but that would take a long time. Suffice to say that that, too, is done exceedingly well.
Go for it, read it. I loved every word, every nuance, and now I have to read more of her writing.
Rich in everything, Hurston's writing is exemplary. I can find no downside to reading these stories - other than the vernacular spelling, which takes a few pages to get into, so I'd suggest that this isn't a book to dip into when you have five minutes, read a story or two at a time.
Other than that, superb characters and stories. I could go into her anthropological studies, how the effect of societal norms and structures (and strictures) impact some wonderfully drawn characters; how she's sees into people and portrays them so realistically, but that would take a long time. Suffice to say that that, too, is done exceedingly well.
Go for it, read it. I loved every word, every nuance, and now I have to read more of her writing.
ninachachu's review
3.0
Enjoyed some of the stories, though I found some of the language used a bit difficult to follow.
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