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Review
With resonances of the eeriness of Marlon James has written an exquisite, haunting and beautiful novel, impossible to resist. Like the best of literature, The Book of Night Women deserves to be passed down hand to hand, generation to generation. --Dinaw Mengestu, author of The Beautiful Things That Heaven Bears
Lilith's narration is one of the novel's strongest features, written in the vernacular and carrying its own drum-like rhythm which is as lyrical as it is hypnotic. --The Independent
With resonances of the eeriness of Toni Morrison's Beloved and of the colonial inhumanity of Conrad's Heart of Darkness, James astutely meshes together a story which explores what freedom means and if it can ever really exist. Turning over The Book of Night Women's final page, one feels a horrible and sobering sense of history's nightmarish weight. --The Literateur
Lilith's narration is one of the novel's strongest features, written in the vernacular and carrying its own drum-like rhythm which is as lyrical as it is hypnotic. --The Independent
With resonances of the eeriness of Toni Morrison's Beloved and of the colonial inhumanity of Conrad's Heart of Darkness, James astutely meshes together a story which explores what freedom means and if it can ever really exist. Turning over The Book of Night Women's final page, one feels a horrible and sobering sense of history's nightmarish weight. --The Literateur
Review
"A book of rip and rhythm. Of violence and tenderness. Of the healing glance in all the hatred. It reads like Faulkner in another skin. It is a brave book. And like the best, and most dangerous, of stories, it seems as if it was just waiting to be told."
--This text refers to the
Hardcover
edition.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
26 of 26 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
The prose is gripping, from the first page. Un-put-downable. There are no bars held with the topics in this book, it is brutal and graphic and exceedingly brilliant.
The book is predominantly based on a single character, a slave girl raised on a plantation estate in Jamaica. The language is 19th century Patois, which brings you nicely in to the era the book was written. It covers the history of slavery in the 1700's without being too heavy, but at times is very graphic. The behaviour and injustice is at times heartbreaking but the writing leads you to a greater understanding of the level of suffering black people endured for freedom. The characters are well defined and the book flows so smoothly you will be on page 100 before you know it.
If you love books like The Help by Kathryn Stockett, The Colour Purple by Alice Walker or anything by Toni Morrison - you will love this book.
I cannot wait for more by Marlon James.
The book is predominantly based on a single character, a slave girl raised on a plantation estate in Jamaica. The language is 19th century Patois, which brings you nicely in to the era the book was written. It covers the history of slavery in the 1700's without being too heavy, but at times is very graphic. The behaviour and injustice is at times heartbreaking but the writing leads you to a greater understanding of the level of suffering black people endured for freedom. The characters are well defined and the book flows so smoothly you will be on page 100 before you know it.
If you love books like The Help by Kathryn Stockett, The Colour Purple by Alice Walker or anything by Toni Morrison - you will love this book.
I cannot wait for more by Marlon James.
14 of 14 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
I brought this book whilst wondering around WHsmiths and the picture on the front cover of the book seemed to be calling me to pick it up, i brought the book and it has been both inspiring and one of the best books that i have read in a long, long time.
I was able to see things about my own identity that i didn't fully see before, words can't really explain what this book has done to me on the inside, only i will trully know. The person that wrote the first review is right this book needs to be passed down the generations.
Thank you Marlon James for writing The Book of the night Women...... It has changed me forever.
I was able to see things about my own identity that i didn't fully see before, words can't really explain what this book has done to me on the inside, only i will trully know. The person that wrote the first review is right this book needs to be passed down the generations.
Thank you Marlon James for writing The Book of the night Women...... It has changed me forever.
27 of 28 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
I picked this book up randomly at WHsmith on my way to holiday and it proved to be a revelation.
This book is beautifully written, exciting, heartbreaking and a true gem which should be passed down from generation to generation.
The first few pages are hard to read because of the language which is mostly 19th century Patois and takes some getting used to but after two pages you completely stop noticing the 'different' language and become absorbed in this novel which is very very hard to read at times because of the violence and injustice and even harder to put down.
There were times while reading this that i became so angry because i was aware that many of these things actually happened. There were times i cried due to the heartbreaking story..
It is a book that demands respect and love.
I assure you, the first thing you'll do after reading this is reading about the history of Jamaica.
We need more writers like Marlon James.
This book is beautifully written, exciting, heartbreaking and a true gem which should be passed down from generation to generation.
The first few pages are hard to read because of the language which is mostly 19th century Patois and takes some getting used to but after two pages you completely stop noticing the 'different' language and become absorbed in this novel which is very very hard to read at times because of the violence and injustice and even harder to put down.
There were times while reading this that i became so angry because i was aware that many of these things actually happened. There were times i cried due to the heartbreaking story..
It is a book that demands respect and love.
I assure you, the first thing you'll do after reading this is reading about the history of Jamaica.
We need more writers like Marlon James.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
The Book Of Night Women
one of the best books i have read in along time i would recommend it, this book should be made into a film
Published 24 days ago by saz
I loved this book!
I absolutely adored every minute of this book.
Be warned, it is not easy, or particularly comfortable reading but it is well worth perservering with. Read more
Be warned, it is not easy, or particularly comfortable reading but it is well worth perservering with. Read more
Published 2 months ago by Alison Fable
The Book of Night Women
I have not read the full story yet, it took me a while to try and follow the dialect,in how the story has been written, also certain words of the Jamacian language I find hard to... Read more
Published 2 months ago by A.Getten
Brilliant book !
Once you get into the vernacular the book takes you along at a fast pace like a roller coaster! It was unputdownable and I felt quite bereft afterwards . Read more
Published 3 months ago by MC
An incredible piece of literature.
Powerful. Gripping. Beautiful. Shocking. An experience to say the least!
Full to bursting with a hypnotic rawness & honesty that had me hooked from chapter one. Read more
Full to bursting with a hypnotic rawness & honesty that had me hooked from chapter one. Read more
Published 4 months ago by Amy
A tour de force. Absolutely excellent novel.
As a Caribbean woman with a love of history, I have to commend Marlon James for this epic piece of writing. Read more
Published 7 months ago by jemma-dee
A very powerful read.
I also picked this book up in the departure lounge while waiting for a plane, and am I grateful that I did. Read more
Published 8 months ago by Randy85
Brilliant book!
I absolutely loved this book, couldnt put it down! There is a quite a lot of violence in it though...
Great read.
Great read.
Published 9 months ago by ritalumi
Don't read it
I found this book highly disturbing. It is rather wearing to keep having to read the word 'nigger' in almost every sentence. Read more
Published 10 months ago by Simon C
the book of night women
This is a fantastic novel for anyone with an interest in in slavery in America. The female protagonist is strong and very memorable, the language is potent and even though... Read more
Published 13 months ago by meggymoo
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