Black No More – George S Schuyer

This is a book which asks, ‘What if …?’. That is, what if someone invented a machine to turn black skin white and then the whole of the Black population in the US underwent the procedure? Black No More is set in 1931 when being white meant better jobs, education and opportunities. There is much documentation of people at the time ‘passing’ as white for these reasons. I recently read and reviewed Passing by Nella Larsen

As I suspected this is a ‘the grass is always greener’ book and the reality of human nature is that we seem to need to feel superior to others. Meaning that even when the country is all white, we are not happy and discrimination doesn’t disappear. In fact, the population continues to look for differences and to discriminate against others for these. I think the book is trying to say that colour is not the core issue here, the problem is that we need to change our attitudes and accept that deep down we are all the same. In the same way that young children don’t see colour or race.

The book is a satire so when Max joins the equivalent of the KKK and then carries out his money-making and power hungry schemes, we need to take it all with a pinch of salt. The book is of its time, the references to white supremacy are uncomfortable reading nowadays. All in all the book highlights how wrong racism is and interestingly how it is manipulated by those in power to gain control. I would recommend it but what it makes you think about is much more interesting that the actual plot.

Library Loot – September 12 to 18

Library Loot is a weekly event co-hosted by Claire from The Captive Reader and Linda from Silly Little Mischief that encourages bloggers to share the books they have checked out from the library.

I really need to stop myself, I can’t pass the library or a charity shop by without picking up some more books. I have no idea when I am going to read all these books but even still, I can’t stop. Having said that at least it is healthier than picking up doughnuts every time I pass the bakers. This is what I found in the library this week:

 

Wild – Cheryl Strayed. I’m sure this book was extremely popular several years ago when Oprah Winfrey chose it for her book group. It is the tale of a woman finding and saving herself by walking a large chunk of the American West Coast.

 

 

A line made by Walking – Sara Baume. This is about a woman who is struggling to cope with modern life and takes herself away to her grandmother’s rural bungalow. What is interesting about this book is that whilst there she takes photographs of dead animals and these are in the book as a form of art and coming to terms with grief.

 

 

Herland and the Yellow Wallpaper -Charlotte Perkins Gilman. I have already read The Yellow Wallpaper, which is a fantastic depiction of a woman’s downward spiral into madness. Herland is a Utopian Feminist novel, can’t wait to see what that is like.

 

 

 

The Unicorn – Iris Murdoch. Mercedes recently hauled this novel on her book tube channel and I really liked the sound of it. So when I saw it, it got added to the pile.

 

 

 

 

The Hotel – Elizabeth Bowen. This takes place on the Italian Riviera in the 1920’s. I don’t need to say anymore. That sounds perfect to me.

 

 

 

The Revolution of the Moon – Andrea Camilleri. This is based on the true story of Eleanora De Moura who in 1677 became Marquise of Palmero after succeeding her husband on his deathbed. She only lasted one month (i.e. the revolution of the moon) before she was recalled to Spain.  It has been on my Amazon Wishlist for several months so I was thrilled to find it on the library shelf.

 

CoDex 1962 – Sjon. Once again this is a recommendation from a booktuber. Simon of Savidge Reads, who also writes a blog. This has been described as an epic novel and a work of great ambition.

 

 

 

Black No More – George S Schuyler. I have started reading this one because it has such an fascinating subject. It is 1933 and a Dr Junius Crookman has discovered a process which turns black skin white. The novel follows Max Disher, a young black man, who one of the first to undergo the process in New York and what happens to him whilst the rest of the black population turns white too.