|
1. What is the book? Sweet, Soft, Plenty Rhythm 2. Who wrote it? Laura Warrell 3. What is it about? It is an evocation of the jazz that embodies one of the central characters, Circus Palmer, and many of the lives he touches. Like the music, it is at turns sultry, melodious, brash, and reverberating. 4. Why did I read it? As with many novels that capture my attention, the title drew me in first. It is from a quote by jazz pioneer Jelly Roll Morton, epigraphed at the beginning of Warrell’s book. Since jazz is the ebb, flow, and inspiration of the story, it recalled other authors who showcase its influence in their writing, like James Baldwin and Toni Morrison. Of course, I cannot think of jazz in literature without thinking of Ralph Ellison’s Invisible Man, and so I imagined Circus as a contrast to that unnamed, young protagonist in Ellison’s novel. Where he is unseen raging against the machinations of a post-World War II society whose traces on that society are surreptitious, Circus, as an older Black man facing the harsh reality of fading talent and opportunity, leaves haphazard traces of himself on everyone who sees, hears, and touches him. Returning to the title, the novel’s sweetness is bittersweet; it is soft like a bruise; and its rhythm is as syncopated as a murmuring heartbeat. 5. What do I think? The most interesting part of Sweet, Soft, Plenty Rhythm is the variety of perspectives from which the novel unfolds. Warrell places Circus front and center, like a jazz soloist who affects a bevy of women with his art, passions, fears, and outsized personality (his name is apt!), but the women and their voices are the rhythm section that set the tempo and provide context for the solo’s existence. The two recurring characters are Pia, Circus’ ex-wife, and his teenage daughter, Koko, and their cadence is a jazz suite on the page. Part of the charm of the book is that all of the characters are clearly flawed, which accentuates the beauty of their individual and collective struggles. Another character, Maggie, figures prominently in Circus’ thoughts, as she and their unborn child drive him to introspection, but her perspective is only seen in one chapter. There are some uncomfortable scenes in the book, particularly Circus’ painful, meandering, and philandering path to being a responsible and giving father to Koko, and I think Warrell overcompensates for this by presenting a tidily packaged ending, but it does read like the music that inspires it. Reserve your copy by clicking on the book cover image below: 
0 Comments
1. What is the book? If an Egyptian Cannot Speak English 2. Who wrote it? Noor Naga 3. What is it about? It is about a couple in a caustic, toxic relationship in Cairo, several years after the Arab Spring, and the aftermath for both parties. 4. Why did I read it? Besides being drawn to the title, the structure of the novel got me to pick it up. It is divided into three parts. The first and second sections alternate viewpoints between the unnamed woman and man. In the first part, each perspective is prefaced with proverb-like questions. The climax occurs in the second segment, which is given context in part through footnotes. The final section, written as a play, somewhat deconstructs the rest of the text. 5. What do I think? If an Egyptian Cannot Speak English is more layered and complex than what I perceived at first glance. The short passages help to create a sense of the two characters fusing together occasionally. The woman is an Egyptian American living in Cairo, and Naga does a good job of articulating her thoughts as a cultural outsider with blood ties to the region. The novel is also uncomfortable at times, with glimpses into the man’s psychotic, misogynistic thoughts and actions. It also offers insights into his struggles with drug addiction and poverty in the aftermath of the Arab Spring. It is thought-provoking and, in my opinion, a worthwhile read! Interested? Reserve your copy by clicking on the book cover image below:  |
AuthorHello! My name is Tom, and I am a librarian here at the Niagara Falls Public Library. Welcome to a new, recurring blog post that will come out the 5th of every month, where I answer five questions about a book in our collection. ArchivesCategories |
- Home
- Search for Books, Movies, Music
- Locations, Hours, Contact
- About the Library
- My Account
- Library Cards & Borrowing Policies
- Upcoming Programs
- Digital Downloads
- Online Research (Databases)
- Passport Service
- Meeting Room Reservations
- Library Board
- Code of Conduct
- Employment
- Local History Department
- Children and Families
- Genealogy
- Connect With Health Information
- 5for5
- Library Policies
- Tool Library
RSS Feed
Main Library
|
|