The second overarching thought that I had, beginning around the two-thirds mark, was, “Wow, this is a long and wordy novel.” These two thoughts are not mutually exclusive. You feel comfortable, knowing you are in the hands of a master writer. It may vie for my favourite opening line of a novel. The first line, “Now he blesses the certainty of airports,” is amazing, and sets the tone. As soon as I started the first chapter, which was a marvellous treatise on the experience of airports, I felt as if I were falling backwards into a warm feather bed of beautiful prose. I must begin this review by revealing one overarching thought while reading John Henry Days: Colson Whitehead is a true wordsmith. Who might like this? If you’re interested in mythic Americana paired with Black history narrative in a winding, sometimes-experimental writing style, this one might be for you. If you put the work into it, it will pay off.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |