http://aalbc.com/reviews/the_upper_room.htm
This novel was in my Black literature section at home and since it was set for the most part in Florida, I thought it a good one to bring down for the winter. I am enjoying it. I have read really nothing much like it before. lt is a strange vision of really poor and poorly educated Black community and is almost dark and funny. The central character catches out attention; however, at times there is just too much repetition of the same rants. The novel could have been shorter and done just as much. Still, I keep reading and am about half way through.
The central character talks a good bit of Jesus but is basically amoral and narcisistic to a radical degree. She kills anyone who gets in her way, even those who just basically annoy or in a vague way threaten her. She believes she has magical powers and so do those in her family and community, but it is all simply strong assertion of a powerful will. No one can get in the way of Mama Ruby and live.
I can't say this is the best novel I've read. It is too simplistic and the characters are all shallow with few real complications and no depth. The main character simply rants about Jesus and the Devil, tries to use her healing hands, and murders men who get in her way and tries to isolate her "daughter" Maureen from the world. The dead are all men in this book, those that are killed and those that just die.
Still there is some fascination to the strange community of people and the rules that govern it. And the reverse prejudices are interesting as well.
There are few good men and few good whites. Big Red the sherriff is good to Mama Ruby in some ways but totally corrupted.
In the end it was just as disappointing. Some of the resolutions seemed fitting. Most of it seemed silly, really. Still, for some odd reason I'm happy to have read the book. Now i think it is time to get back to oysters.
This novel was in my Black literature section at home and since it was set for the most part in Florida, I thought it a good one to bring down for the winter. I am enjoying it. I have read really nothing much like it before. lt is a strange vision of really poor and poorly educated Black community and is almost dark and funny. The central character catches out attention; however, at times there is just too much repetition of the same rants. The novel could have been shorter and done just as much. Still, I keep reading and am about half way through.
The central character talks a good bit of Jesus but is basically amoral and narcisistic to a radical degree. She kills anyone who gets in her way, even those who just basically annoy or in a vague way threaten her. She believes she has magical powers and so do those in her family and community, but it is all simply strong assertion of a powerful will. No one can get in the way of Mama Ruby and live.
I can't say this is the best novel I've read. It is too simplistic and the characters are all shallow with few real complications and no depth. The main character simply rants about Jesus and the Devil, tries to use her healing hands, and murders men who get in her way and tries to isolate her "daughter" Maureen from the world. The dead are all men in this book, those that are killed and those that just die.
Still there is some fascination to the strange community of people and the rules that govern it. And the reverse prejudices are interesting as well.
There are few good men and few good whites. Big Red the sherriff is good to Mama Ruby in some ways but totally corrupted.
In the end it was just as disappointing. Some of the resolutions seemed fitting. Most of it seemed silly, really. Still, for some odd reason I'm happy to have read the book. Now i think it is time to get back to oysters.
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