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121st out of 332 books
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292 voters
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Gorilla, My Love
In these fifteen superb stories, written in a style at once ineffable and immediately recognizable, Toni Cade Bambara gives us compelling portraits of a wide range of unforgettable characters, from sassy children to cunning old men, in scenes shifting between uptown New York and rural North CaroLina. A young girl suffers her first betrayal. A widow flirts with an elderly b...more
Paperback, 192 pages
Published
February 9th 2011
by Vintage
(first published 1972)
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Happy but not at all surprised to find this for sale at the Varina Public Library. That is correct: predominantly white rural Virginians ain't really feeling this badass author "strongly informed by radical politics, feminism, and African American culture." Boggles thee mind. Their loss. I've only read the first story, about a middle-aged woman who sees no reason not to show some cleavage, booze it up and dance all sensual (no room left for the Holy Ghost!) with a flirty elderly blind ...more
A number of 5 star short stories in this collection, some of the best I've ever read. Even if you're not a short story fan, you might like this. Interesting characters, thought-provoking twists, and overall good storytelling. I particularly love the feisty little girls that show up.
In her essay Writer to Writer: Remembering Toni Cade Bambara, Bell Hooks says "Throughout her life Bambara was a champion of the Black poor and working class...Few black writers have captured th...more
In her essay Writer to Writer: Remembering Toni Cade Bambara, Bell Hooks says "Throughout her life Bambara was a champion of the Black poor and working class...Few black writers have captured th...more
Bambara's stories are a pleasure to read. Her characters are so distinctive that they really seem to come to life. You have to love the little girl in the title story, if perhaps you might not want to have to be an adult dealing with her. The language really stays true to the voice of the character speaking. Foremost, though, I adore the description. Bambara often has characters trying to describe something by comparing to something else they know. It is wonderfully specific and concrete a...more
Bambara's stories are a pleasure to read. Her characters are so distinctive that they really seem to come to life. You have to love the little girl in the title story, if perhaps you might not want to have to be an adult dealing with her. The language really stays true to the voice of the character speaking. Foremost, though, I adore the description. Bambara often has characters trying to describe something by comparing to something else they know. It is wonderfully specific and concrete a...more
This is a part of my 2010 Summer Short Story Collection Challenge:
The fifteen taut stories are fascinating glimpses into the lives of Black women and girls, some in the streets in New York, some in the Southern small town. Bambara is a master of first person point of view and dialect--and her experiments using Black English feel effortless. This collection is dripping with voice.
The showpiece here is "The Lesson," which is actually the first thing I ever taught, ...more
The fifteen taut stories are fascinating glimpses into the lives of Black women and girls, some in the streets in New York, some in the Southern small town. Bambara is a master of first person point of view and dialect--and her experiments using Black English feel effortless. This collection is dripping with voice.
The showpiece here is "The Lesson," which is actually the first thing I ever taught, ...more
Sonya Feher
rated it
Gorilla, My Love is the first book of short stories I've read from Feminista's Top 100 Works by Women Authors. I'm not so sure about their mixing short stories, novellas, autobiography, and novels. Why not add some poetry and personal essays in there too? Or, how about making a top 100 list by genre so we're not comparing apples to gorillas?
Reading this book from cover to cover was challenging.If I'd just kept the book in the car for months and read a story anytime I was sitting in...more
Reading this book from cover to cover was challenging.If I'd just kept the book in the car for months and read a story anytime I was sitting in...more
i practically specialize reading about sassy girls. this collection has some of the most bad-ass girls i've had the pleasure to read. each of the stories is a quick glimpse of a day or two into the lives of some amazing characters. whenever a girlchild is the narrator, the voice is strong, strong. it's really a pleasure to read Toni Cade Bambara. i'm generally not a short story reader, so this collection is definitely something special. can't wait to read more.
Absolutely loved this book. Most of the stories were narrated by young girl, not necessarily the same one, but always a little smart ass. All well written. Stand out stories include "My Man Bovanne," "Gorrila, My Love," and "Raymond's Run."
This book had a collection of Bambara's writings compiled into one book. So some of the stories were great but then some were not. This is something you would have to read for yourself to judge correctly.
When i was bemoaning my inability to follow Toni Cade Bambara's writings to a friend recently (in the forms of the Salt Eaters and These Bones are Not My Child), my friend said, "No, no..start with Gorilla, My Love" so, i did. and its amazing. Scrawled in the inside cover of my fantastic 1972 edition copy, in pencil, are Politics; the Black community; children a lot. Though a pretty simple overview of the books short stories, it definitley gets the gist. Beautifully writen, mostly ...more
Wonderful short stories with very vivid character descriptions. Although the stories were short they were power packed and reflective on life issues as seen from a child's view.
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Day-um. How did I not know this woman existed until now? I loved these stories.
"Cause if you say 'Gorilla my love,' you supposed to mean it!"
Mely
rated it
Recommends it for:
Fans of Toni Morrison, Sandra Cisneros
Shelves:
mainstream,
short-stories
Extraordinary short story collection.
Excellent voice-driven stories about black life in NYC and the south during the Civil Rights era. A young girl ponders a slow summer, an older women's politicized children browbeat her for flirting at a neighborhood party, a black record label employee takes her white boyfriend to the deep south to try and record wary blues musicians. The themes of social justice never feel heavy-handed, and the variety of perspectives all ring true, but are not limited to their settings.
Short stories first published anywhere from 1959 to 1971 and collected here in 1972. One or two are hard for me, but the rest are just wonderful. She gets you so clearly into the situation and the persons she is describing. It all just comes to life.
Not only is she a good storyteller, she also found a really good way to represent a "black dialect" of English. Much much better than any previous attempt I have seen. She uses very little spelling changes, mostly just words.
...more
Not only is she a good storyteller, she also found a really good way to represent a "black dialect" of English. Much much better than any previous attempt I have seen. She uses very little spelling changes, mostly just words.
...more
Such a good read! Got a bit more difficult toward the middle-end, but the last story was such a perfect cap. I love writers who can combine down-to-earth characters and human agency with bigger social questions; and precision without pretension (well, not in any condescending or pedantic way).
I read this book years ago. Not only is it one of my favorite reads, it changed my own approach to writing. I love Bambara's willingness to paint Black women, young & old alike, as defiant and victorious rather than sad, defeated victims.
Beautiful collection of stories that takes a strong, hopeful, and unique look at Black culture--primarily through the eyes of young Black girls.
I am not a lover of short stories but I really loved this collection. I loved the fact that each central character was a black girl, young woman, or a grown woman. This is a great collection of stories.
I really enjoy the view point of most of these stories. Some were harder to understand. I do not know if this was because they were culturally outside my understanding or they were just confusing.
How to describe this collection? Bambara herself put it best, this is "straight-up fiction." I enjoyed: "My Man Bovanne," "Gorilla, My Love," "The Lesson," and "Blues Ain't No Mocking Bird."
Loved these stories, especially the ones featuring spunky and opinionated little girls. Funny, smart, and moving. Also, the foreword is something I sort of want to memorize.
This book is a good collection of interrelated vignettes. I didn't understand The Survivor, though.
great work from a younger perspective. simply beautiful. this was my introduction to toni cade.
"My Man Bovanne" is my absolute favorite of Bambara's short stories, and it's in this volume.
SIX WORD REVIEW: Strong girls beautifully portray Black life
especially "my man bovane" and "a sorta preface"
i love this book of short stories.
Ashley White
marked it as to-read
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