Reviews for The story of Epaminondas

The average rating for The story of Epaminondas based on 2 reviews is 5 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2018-11-14 00:00:00 Paul Lorrain John Edgar Wideman is one of the true great American Writers. This collection of short stories, mostly about growing up Black in America, ripped me apart, set my heart on fire and left me gasping for breath. This guy`s prose is astounding and the stories he tells about ordinary lives are filled with hope and despair.

Review # 2 was written on 2016-10-18 00:00:00 Conor ONeill The jacket of this book compares Wideman to Faulkner, which is a good comparison. Many of these stories focus on one particular place which Wideman obviously knows well, though he doesn't love all aspects of that place. Wideman also reminds me (in a good way) of James Joyce in his fluid facility with language. I didn't love every story in this book--there are some in which it's obvious that Wideman is trying on a new voice, and I don't always think the experiment works. However, even in his failures, he's a skilled writer.