The Good Lord Bird by James McBride
417 pages
Published 2013
Read from July 10 to July 13
Rating: ★★★★ out of 5
My first point of comparison was Twain; my book club friend compared it to "reading a Coen Brothers film in book form," which might be closer to the mark. For the hipster cred, I want to state I had this book on my reading list long before I knew it was going to be a Jaden Smith vehicle. In fact, the thought of Jaden Smith trying to take on the role of Onion kept intruding as I read, possibly the first time I have gotten disgruntled over a casting choice in a movie not yet made while still in the act of reading the source material. I just can't imagine a book like this getting reduced to that level; I refuse.
What strikes me most about this book is how extraordinarily vivid McBride's depictions of events and characters -- especially historical figures -- tended to be. Old John Brown feels immediate and real, in all his white man's zealous ignorance. I didn't know what to make of the depiction of Frederick Douglass as a lecherous girl-chaser; I suppose McBride eschewed awe and automatic hagiography by giving flesh to less savory rumors and allegations (though for all I know it could be accurate; I'm white and ignorant as hell).
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