I think this is the general consensus from the reviews gathered here, but I will add my voice to the chorus, so to speak. This book is haunting. This is not one of those books that you forget about as soon as you've finished reading the last page. I've personally never been to the Caribbean, and I do not think I will ever be able to personally visit Rousseau for instance, but Kincaid's literary ability to make the descriptions jump off the page is something to be admired. there is a caveat to all of this of course. This book is not for the faint of heart. There are portions of this novel that are quite graphic, and that is putting it lightly. That is not to say that it distracts from the work itself, merely that it is there, and certain sensitive readers may take affront to it. This is a rich text that can withstand multiple readings, because you find something new every time. I came to this novel after reading. In a previous work " A Small Place", and gratefully on my part, the author was redeemed in my esteem. Not that I'm someone of any great import, but I had completely sworn off the author as someone I could never enjoy. this book is really hard to describe beyond the utter basics to someone who has never read it. in order to do so, I would need to commit a great disservice to the book and the author. There are elements of, biography and autobiography as well as magic realism, and what could possibly be construed as a cultural critique of the West. It is not necessary to see each and every one of these threads to enjoy the book, I merely use this as a way to comment that the author certainly has an intellectual project in mind.
of course, this review is not an introduction to English. sufficed to say, this book is worth your time.
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Caribbean classic
"My impulse is to the good, my good is to serve myself. I am not a people, I am not a nation. I only wish from time to time to make my actions be the actions of a people, to make my actions be the actions of a nation."I started this one on my vacation to Costa Rica and I have been thinking about it ever since. The Autobiography of My Mother by Jamaica Kinkaid is haunting, introspective and thought provoking. The writing cuts deep to the core. As a reader you are challenged to contemplate on the writer's innermost thoughts and process the historical context that has contributed to some of her beliefs and shapes this story.Kinkaid's portrayal of Xuela, the protagonist, as flawed but not devoid of deep introspection and questioning was my favorite aspect of this character study. It starts off as a story about grief. Xuela's mother dies during childbirth so she never gets to meet or bind with her. However, the grief of love that develops stays with her & shapes her relationships with people & ties her closely to her island's history with colonization. Even Xuela questions her grief all the time because she doesn't understand how she can feel such great loss over someone she never met. She questions what love is and what it feels like. It makes her an observer of life at times, rather than a participant. This very grief also makes her have fierce autonomy over her own body, shapes her feminism, & keeps her from getting too close to anyone.Kindkaid masterfully tackles these main themes:🌴 lasting impacts of colonization in the Caribbean🌴 autonomy over sex & female bodies & ability to birth🌴 the exploration of the meaning of love🌴 grief from the womb, absent parents, lack of love🌴 how absence of love shapes people🌴 mixed identities and power🌴 older men preying on young girls🌴 how grief makes you an observerUltimately the writing keeps you hooked. It was keeps you moving forward through the darkness of this book. Kinkaid makes excellent choices in how she tells this story & it is one that you have to experience personally in order to fully understand how powerful it is. Every line is intentional & makes you question what you think you know.
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Top reviews from other countries
Mariateresa Villari Muccio
The autobiography of my mother.
Reviewed in Italy on August 19, 2014