Reviews for Figures in Black: Words, Signs, and the "Racial" Self

The average rating for Figures in Black: Words, Signs, and the "Racial" Self based on 2 reviews is 4 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2020-05-07 00:00:00 Lorraine Corvino Pretty good literary theory text from Henry Louis Gates Jr. (most well-known these days for his many specials on PBS about history and genealogy). I'm not going to say it's an easy read, but it's a fun read in many respects and a nice look at some different figures in African-American literature and their relation to the wider world of American literature. The essays on Jean Toomer and Phillis Wheatley were very good, and his essay on Ishamel Reed's "Mumbo Jumbo" make me want to revisit it soon.

Review # 2 was written on 2012-04-14 00:00:00 Eric Laborde Very helpful to read the introduction and the epilogue chapters first then the specific chapters that relate to individual poems of interest. This book gave me a better grip on Eliot's body of work and whetted my thirst to study this important 20th century poet some more.