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13th out of 40 books
—
75 voters
You Are Free
by
Danzy Senna
From the bestselling author of Caucasia, riveting, unexpected stories about identity under the influence of appearances, attachments, and longing.
Each of these eight remarkable stories by Danzy Senna tightrope-walks tantalizingly, sometimes frighteningly, between defined states: life with and without mates and children, the familiar if constraining reference points provi...more
Each of these eight remarkable stories by Danzy Senna tightrope-walks tantalizingly, sometimes frighteningly, between defined states: life with and without mates and children, the familiar if constraining reference points provi...more
Paperback, 240 pages
Published
May 3rd 2011
by Riverhead Trade
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First, a big thank you to the Goodreads First-Reads program and Penguin books for an advanced copy of YOU ARE FREE. Below is my review...
What does it mean to be biracial and free in postmillennial America? The writer James Baldwin is quoted as saying, “Freedom is something that people take and people are as free as they want to be.”
By that definition, do the young interracial women that inhabit Danzy Senna’s first collection of short stories want to be free? Or do they want to belong to a collec...more
What does it mean to be biracial and free in postmillennial America? The writer James Baldwin is quoted as saying, “Freedom is something that people take and people are as free as they want to be.”
By that definition, do the young interracial women that inhabit Danzy Senna’s first collection of short stories want to be free? Or do they want to belong to a collec...more
The stories in this collection start out fresh and startling in all the right ways: characters' motivations are relatable but their actions aren't too predictable; the dialogue is spare and realistic.
But about half-through, the stories become a bit redundant. Every protag is a biracial, similar-aged married or cohabitating woman (with the exception of maybe one). People are almost constantly described by their complexions. Dreadlocks are mentioned really frequently. The husbands/love interests a...more
But about half-through, the stories become a bit redundant. Every protag is a biracial, similar-aged married or cohabitating woman (with the exception of maybe one). People are almost constantly described by their complexions. Dreadlocks are mentioned really frequently. The husbands/love interests a...more
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What I love about Senna's books, is that they are all quick reads. But just because they're quick, it doesn't negate the freshness and raw feel of the stories. She has a gift with words, her prose streaming across the page quick and beautiful, even if I don't quite care or sympathize with the characters at hand. When ever I pick up one of her books, I usually finish it within the day because I can't put it down, just like with this collection.
Some of the stories, I didn't care much for the narra...more
Some of the stories, I didn't care much for the narra...more
You Are Free: Stories by Danzy Senna reminds me of For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When The Rainbow is not Enough by Ntozake Shange and The Women of Brewster's Place by Gloria Naylor or shows like "Girlfriends" and "Sex in the City". All of these books and shows shift from character to character as they reveal unique aspects of the characters life, however, based on a common theme. Senna writes of the various experiences of women who look white but are actually mixed (black) and th...more
I have a complicated relationship with the characters in this book. The stories in this book share the common theme of race, place, motherhood and caretaking. I respect Senna for not glossing over the more brutal aspects of child birth and its aftermath, such as tearing and nipples that look like they've been through a meat grinder (my words not hers). The lead characters are primarily multiracial or mixed black women who are basking in their status as mothers' while they view others whom do not...more
I was pulled into this collection of short stories slowly. The characters are flawed and often unlikable, and the outcomes of the stories are usually disquieting. But as I read on and noticed the motifs woven throughout I really enjoyed this collection by Causasia author Danzy Senna.
All of the characters are women, and most of them are bi-racial, allowing for an exploration of identity, cultural boundaries, and prejudices, both enforced and self-imposed. Rather than pointing a blaming finger at...more
All of the characters are women, and most of them are bi-racial, allowing for an exploration of identity, cultural boundaries, and prejudices, both enforced and self-imposed. Rather than pointing a blaming finger at...more
You Are Free consists of 8 short stories about women and identity. The women in the stories are multi-racial/bi-racial, just as the author is and it gives both an interesting and authentic vantage point, and though I couldn't relate to that, I could definitely relate to the characters and the stories. The stories all center on women and the identities they have or are perceived to have. They are all trying to find where they belong. Do they not belong because of their uniqueness or do they belon...more
Senna's particular take on race--she's biracial and looks white--is fascinating. Each story is a variation on this theme (along with marriage vs. singlehood, motherhood vs. no kids, and the exact moment a relationship begins to fracture).
This woman can write! Her style is very pared down and direct, but each line is so vivid that you feel you're watching a movie. Her characters and dialogue feel real. Plot is psychological and unconventional.
She does not identify at all with her Caucasianess; th...more
This woman can write! Her style is very pared down and direct, but each line is so vivid that you feel you're watching a movie. Her characters and dialogue feel real. Plot is psychological and unconventional.
She does not identify at all with her Caucasianess; th...more
Whoopee! I received a free copy of this book in the drawing. Thank you so much for all the drawings that appear on "Good Reads"! It is so much fun to receive a book in the mail. This book has many interesting story lines in its short stories. I'd read with interest. However, the endings felt unfinished & left me wondering what the message was that I should've taken away. Guess ya just gotta spell it out for me 'cuz I don't get it. I get the general idea, of course, but prefer to read a more...more
I received this book as part of the First-Reads giveaway, and so thank you to both Goodreads and Penguin books for the advance copy!
I find books that deal with race, identity and gender issues particularly appealing, and this collection of 8 short stories focused on exactly these areas.
The title of the book, You Are Free, says a lot about the various characters struggling to find an identity in a heterogenous society. On the surface, the female characters appear to fit a certain mold or niche...more
I find books that deal with race, identity and gender issues particularly appealing, and this collection of 8 short stories focused on exactly these areas.
The title of the book, You Are Free, says a lot about the various characters struggling to find an identity in a heterogenous society. On the surface, the female characters appear to fit a certain mold or niche...more
8 stories about biracial individuals and couples. It's a quick read-- less than 220 pages, but even with the short length, it packs a punch. The author is not afraid to describe uncomfortable situations: a dog passing gas, a frustrated woman beating a dog, a woman giving out unwanted advice...The author makes the characters too real-life for comfort, but of course it works. The second story "The Land of Beaulah" was so painful to read for someone I knew that she dissed it to everyone and refused...more
Years ago I fell in love with Danzy Senna's first book, Caucasia. Her talent for storytelling continues in this new collection of short stories called, You are Free: Stories. This collection contains seven short stories, all centered around biracial characters who are trying to figure out what it means to be free in a perhaps, post-racial world. Judging by the characters' actions and behavior, the jury still might be out on if that world has come into being yet.
While this unique vantage point wa...more
While this unique vantage point wa...more
(FTC disclosure: I won this great book in the Goodreads Firstreads giveaway.)
The short story genre is, I believe, overlooked and underrated, and this fine collection proves that. These eight stories, though different from each other, are all fun to read.
I'm not a writer, but I would imagine writing a short story is in some ways more of a challenge than writing a novel, because of the "space limitations," making character development difficult. This does not seem to be the case for this author,...more
The short story genre is, I believe, overlooked and underrated, and this fine collection proves that. These eight stories, though different from each other, are all fun to read.
I'm not a writer, but I would imagine writing a short story is in some ways more of a challenge than writing a novel, because of the "space limitations," making character development difficult. This does not seem to be the case for this author,...more
I wanted terribly to like this book, but I just felt either lost or uncomfortable with some of the stories. I’ll be the first to admit that I probably didn’t get the entire concept of each narrative. The endings felt unfinished and left me at a loss. I’m a person of mixed race and even I couldn’t identify with many of the frustrations of most, if not all of the characters. It all felt a little forced and overdramatic. However, with that being said, I did find the tales rather captivating. As ann...more
As an infrequent reader of fiction, I was more excited to read something by Senna rather than actually read short stories. This is a fantastic collection, written with heart and humor. Senna has a gift for capturing women's lives and the foibles of marriage, parenthood, friendships and our relationships with our own self. "Triptych," "You are Free," "The Car of the Self," and my favorite, "What's the Matter With Helga and Dave?" "Helga and Dave" features the most brilliant tirade against "The Co...more
Every other story in this collection is pretty strong-the writing moves along and often there is a twist. But, characters are kind of annoying and redundant-the stories apparently address the "woes" of upper middle class mixed race couples. For example: which elite preschool should I send my toddler to, my neighbor thinks I'm white but I'm black even though I look white, should I get a nanny and then reproduce the racist/sexist patriarchy of the antebellum South, is my husband cheating on me wit...more
Look: I'm glad this book exists. I don't encounter mixed race protagonists enough in fiction, and there's a lot of us out there, so...what? No one feels like thinking about it? However, Senna's stories are not getting it done. And by "getting it done," I mean, writing fiction that contains a certain element without being overly message-y about that element. Or even writing fiction that contains a certain element without consistently bringing weirdly, possibly personal biases to the story. For ex...more
Received the book for free through Goodreads First Reads. I liked how the first story starts with a research project about an elite school. I found it funny,as a parent myself I understood Cassie's want to have her kids go to this school. To get to an interview is an amazing step. I do have to ask though if I could handle my kids going to school with a presidents child though? I would be nervous of an interview that asked such personal questions just for schooling too. Wait a mammy what is that?...more
The fictional biracial women who Danzy Senna writes about are a melancholic, yet deep lot. They are uncomfortable with with so-called privilege that society (particularly African American) assumes they have because they have a light skinned appearance. And it affects their sense of self and their world.
In my opinion the best written stories in this collection are Triptych, The Land of Beulah, and Replacement Theory.
I've also noticed that these heterosexual African American women have somewhat s...more
In my opinion the best written stories in this collection are Triptych, The Land of Beulah, and Replacement Theory.
I've also noticed that these heterosexual African American women have somewhat s...more
Amateurish writing with the same useless "plot" for nearly every story: affluent multi-racial females who agonize over race, the act of childbirth, and the prospect of bringing up said children. Ethnicity, children, and other women's looks are apparently all that's ever on these characters minds. Picking this book up was a poor choice; finishing it was an act of masochism.
I really enjoyed this book. (It even skipped a few places on my to-read list!) Race, gender, and class have always been sensitive subjects and this book really makes you pause and wonder. This book inspired so many new thoughts, perspectives, and ideas in my own thinking, the stories will stick with me. It was refreshing. It is not every day you pick up a book like this one. The stories are so wonderfully written, Replacement theory was my favorite of the group. I recommend this book to people o...more
This is a nice collection. I'll spare you my cliches about collections being uneven and say that the second story is the most powerful. (Few things are more powerful to the American reader than a puppy being beaten.) All the stories are worth reading, though.
A consistent, and interesting, theme is the sexual politics of skin tone.
A consistent, and interesting, theme is the sexual politics of skin tone.
I'm picking up short stories more these days and wanted to read about women with lives different from my own and perspectives I might not have contemplated. Some of the stories delivered on my expectations but I also found an echo in the later stories. Had a read something like it already in the collection? I would recommend Senna, though.
Really enjoyable book of short stories. Each story drops you into the life of a woman, deeply intertwined in her own life. Danzy Senna gives us a brief window into their lives and then we're off to the next story. Each woman is grappling with tensions within their family, usually addressing the intersection of race, class and gender.
First of all the cover art was done by Lorna Simpson. Hell yes.
And then you open it.
Senna pins down the idea of double consciousness incredibly, whether the characters identity is divided between races or ideas of gender.
Thanks, D.S. for this contribution to the world. This book is a catalyst for important discussion that should be taking place in the US!
And then you open it.
Senna pins down the idea of double consciousness incredibly, whether the characters identity is divided between races or ideas of gender.
Thanks, D.S. for this contribution to the world. This book is a catalyst for important discussion that should be taking place in the US!
I found the endless descriptions of skin color distracting. I realize that all of the stories dealt with race in some way, but until the last two stories, I felt the descriptions and even race had little to do with the appeal of the stories. Only when I got to the last two stories did the racial aspects of the narrative felt organic.
the stories are closely related in theme and nuance, which makes sense as a collection, but diffuses the impact of the few that were so well-written and unique that they could have stood on their own. maybe i would have appreciated the stories more if i hadn't read them all at once..
I am glad I read this book at this exact moment in my life because I wouldn't have liked it a few years ago. But now that I'm old enough to have regrets I can appreciate bittersweetness even more, and everyone knows that bittersweet is the ideal tone for the perfect short story.
Normally I find short story collections to have 1 or 2 stories I love, at least 1 I hate (and don't finish), and the rest are OK. All of these stories were OK; none were in the love or hate categories (the first story - "Admission" - was the closet to a love). I guess this makes sense, given that the collection is about liminality vs. extremes....
Took me awhile to finish this book. Some of the short stories were a little bland and some of them had the feel of Symptomatic but it doesn't come nearly as close to being as good as Caucasia. I did enjoy it, I just enjoyed her previous works better.
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Danzy Senna is an American novelist, born and raised in Boston, Massachusetts in 1970. Her parents, Carl Senna, an Afro-Mexican poet and author, and Fanny Howe, who is Irish-American writer, were also civil rights activists.
She attended Stanford University and received an MFA from the University of California at Irvine. There, she received several creative writing awards.
Her debut novel, Caucasia...more
More about Danzy Senna...
She attended Stanford University and received an MFA from the University of California at Irvine. There, she received several creative writing awards.
Her debut novel, Caucasia...more
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09 mar. 08:47
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