Review "Powerful and often lyric … an important work." —Library Journal"The beauty and authority of her writing are coupled with profound insight." —Toni Morrison"Her keen eye for detail and pithy anecdotal descriptions bring Jamaica's present and past to life." —New York Times Book Review"Jamaican history, lore, and lanscape are evocatively re-created in this multilayered novel. … Through its richness and diversity of detail, Abeng achieves a timeless universality." —Publisher's Weekly"Abeng is a solid achievement, a book that offers a wealth of history and culture. … [Cliff's] perception of character, her receptivity to sensuous detail, her rendering of the language, make our journey … a richly textured experience." —Plexus About the Author Michelle Cliff was born in Jamaica and is the author of three acclaimed novels: Abeng, its sequel, No Telephone to Heaven, and Free Enterprise (Plume). She has also written a collection of short stories, Bodies of Water (Plume), and two poetry collections, The Land of Look Behind and Claiming an Identity They Tought Me to Despise. She is Allan K. Smith Professor of English Language and Literature at Trinity College in Connecticut and divides her time between Hartford, Connecticut, and Santa Cruz, California.
1**5
I liked it!
It starts off a bit slow and it's hard to get into the narrator's mindset if you're coming from a completely different walk of life (like me), but I absolutely LOVED the ending. Cliff's writing is beautiful yet tense. Elements dance and collide beautifully, and as a self-professed Feminist, I truly respect her for the complex themes of female sexuality and coming-of-age that are embedded within this novel.
N**A
I recommend this book to anybody struggling with two identities
I recommend this book to anybody struggling with two identities, whether that be somebody of mixed heritage, different gender identities, two or more nationalities, or anything that causes some strife in your own identity. Amazing and thought provoking book. I was able to experience a book about somebody like me from an island of torn by colonialism the Caribbean, particularly Jamaica in Abeng. Wonderful book about a dual consciousness and forming an identity, I was able to see myself and my family through the main character's eyes. So amazing I highly recommend it.
K**E
A Good Read
A good story that was well written with developed character, and straight forward story line.
V**L
Although I initially believed that I'd conclude the novel in ...
Although I initially believed that I'd conclude the novel in less than four hours, I found myself savoring passages and rereading them to fully grasp their historical/political/social message. Clare, her friends, and family do not make colonized humanity any less complex than you imagine. Mix in coming-of-age and you have a beauty. The narrative is anecdotal, but necessary. Take your time with this one folks!!
B**A
Relatable
I loved this novel. It speaks volumes to how we as blacks live our lives with no connection to our history and often live under the pressure of who others want us to be, rather than accepting our natural beings and the struggle to find the right voice to speak against those negative demands
