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18th out of 97 books
—
176 voters
Manchild in the Promised Land
by
Claude Brown
Manchild in the Promised Land is indeed one of the most remarkable autobiographies of our time. This thinly fictionalized account of Claude Brown's childhood as a hardened, streetwise criminal trying to survive the toughest streets of Harlem has been heralded as the definitive account of everyday life for the first generation of African Americans raised in the Northern ghe...more
Paperback, 416 pages
Published
June 3rd 1999
by Touchstone
(first published 1965)
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It took me forever to finish this book because it is very long and it has little or no structure. Overall, it's just an endless series of little vignettes, but it still may be one of the most amazing books I've ever read.
The book is a semi-fictionalized account of the author's life growing up as a small-time street criminal in Harlem in the 1940s and 50s (the narrator is, like the author, named Claude Brown). He eventually gets shot escaping from a heist, gets put in a juvenile detention center,...more
The book is a semi-fictionalized account of the author's life growing up as a small-time street criminal in Harlem in the 1940s and 50s (the narrator is, like the author, named Claude Brown). He eventually gets shot escaping from a heist, gets put in a juvenile detention center,...more
I read this book in high school. I had been deeply affected by the Watts riots in the mid-sixties. It upset me to see the violence and at the same time I knew that it came from hundreds of years of festering hurt, fear and anger among African Americans. It looked like the beginning of another civil war to me.
My father was a teacher and had taught us all about the real American history that was not being taught in the schools in those days. He taught us about slavery, the abusive treatment of th...more
My father was a teacher and had taught us all about the real American history that was not being taught in the schools in those days. He taught us about slavery, the abusive treatment of th...more
An extraordinary book documenting the impact of generations of cultural disruption, violence, and cruelty. This is the memoir of a member of the first generation after the Great Migration of African Americans from the rural south to the northern cities, in this case Harlem, but you can feel how directly the roots of this experience reach back through slavery and its aftermath. I felt very strongly the disjuncture between the rhetorical power of the text and the extreme cultural privation Brown d...more
Apr 07, 2008
Mister Jones
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
anyone who reads for meaning
Recommended to Mister Jones by:
My mama (she had to read it for a college course)
I remembered reading this eons ago, and there are still parts of that fictionalized/non-fiction memoir I remember. Brown growing up in Harlem during the 40s and 50s is rough, but I like how he wrote in clear prose, and didn't shy away from the difficulties and the unpleasantries of being in a depressing environment; he perserveres, and I think there's a message here that transcends racial lines and time.
I read this many years ago whlie on active duty overseas in the Air Force. I had been assigned to read it in during the 1960's in high school and read it mechanically without much thought. I reread it while in service much slower and it was extremely influential in starting a lifelong habit of reading non-fiction as well as a good novel. People's individual stories are very useful in developing an adult feeling of empathy for others that most small children have naturally but seems to leave us u...more
Manchild in the Promised Land is an important book, and for the most part was an interesting book as well. I would have given it 4.5 stars if that were an option
I had never heard of it, but when I mentioned to a friend that I was reading it, she said "It was on our required list in college." But she also thought she didn't actually read it. And that's how old it is, published in 1965.
By my calculations, Claude Brown was 27 when he wrote this. It is his autobiography of how a black boy escaped fr...more
I had never heard of it, but when I mentioned to a friend that I was reading it, she said "It was on our required list in college." But she also thought she didn't actually read it. And that's how old it is, published in 1965.
By my calculations, Claude Brown was 27 when he wrote this. It is his autobiography of how a black boy escaped fr...more
This is a wonderfully written autobiography of a boy's experiences growing up in Harlem, New York during the 1940s and 1950s, as a black person. Claude was the "man-child" in this story and he said that Harlem was considered the Promised Land because after the Depression, the poorest people of the south moved there. These were told that there were opportunities in New York City, where people could live in homes with running water, heat and electricity. They could leave the cotton fields. To them...more
An engaging and insighful read about a boy growing up and out of Harlem, though more out of the expected lifestyle than the neighborhood. Brown doesn't pull any punches, giving his own bad and good deeds freely, although never without thought later as to the why's. As much about Harlem itself and what it expected from it's youth, as it is about his own story. The landscape changes when heroin or "the plague" takes over, affecting everyone he knows in some fashion. Brown is able to find goodness...more
Being very selective about reading any book, and even more so, regarding personal Memoir's/Autobiographes; Brown's "Manchild in the Promisland" remains one out of a limited selection of favorite reads. The tale that he bares, of his life is boldly intriguing and expresses details toward the most minor of life's practicalities with a hip and "present" nuance. I loved reading it, years ago, both in the context of my then independent urban studies and regarding my overall personal interest. For the...more
Library jail book club take 1. Wasn't sure at first. It grew on me. O said that the good thing about this being a book club book is that so many different people can get different things out of it. True.
What I got out of it was a sense that there are so many things that I do not know about the world and there are so many kinds of motivations in the world. I think that's why transformative justice models should probably exist, because what do I know about the streets of Harlem really? How could...more
What I got out of it was a sense that there are so many things that I do not know about the world and there are so many kinds of motivations in the world. I think that's why transformative justice models should probably exist, because what do I know about the streets of Harlem really? How could...more
I first read this as a teenager and wanted to reread and am glad I did. It is a remarkable book because of the insight it gives of the difficulties faced by black youths growing up in Harlem in the 1950s. It is mostly observational fiction overlapping with autobiography and not always easy reading as he describes his time in borstal, drug use, girls becoming prostitutes etc. This book manages to share a way of life without sugar coating and I have great admiration for what Claude Brown has achie...more
As my rating indicates, I deeply appreciated and it is fair to say, I loved reading this book. With a thank you to my sister for offering me a soft back of this masterpiece I reflect on the visceral impact that this narrative-heavy wonder had on me in my formative years. Soon I'll locate another copy and reread the marvel known as Manchild In The Promise Land. Recollecting the effect this book had on my conscience is no impossible task as it holds a firm grip on a plot of real estate in my memor...more
This is the book for a student who *can* read but has trouble finding a book to stick with. At just over 400 pages, this will be a challenging read for any reader with low stamina, though the vocabulary is accessible. Rife with swear words and violence, the author tells the story of his juvenile delinquency, up through his decision to go to college and escape Harlem. He paints a vivid picture of his confusion as a youngster, followed by the fear and eventual disillusionment that he experiences a...more
For having read this book the 2nd time, it was still a great read. The book is an autobiography of Claude Brown's childhood and his life growing up in Harlem, NY.
I really enjoyed reading this book, but I was often disappointed by Claude Brown's sometime defeatist attitude, and passive aggressive behavior. Even though he was saved from a life of jail and crime, as well as a rap sheet, but he allowed a lot of things to happen to people around him. For example, his brother became addicted to drugs...more
I really enjoyed reading this book, but I was often disappointed by Claude Brown's sometime defeatist attitude, and passive aggressive behavior. Even though he was saved from a life of jail and crime, as well as a rap sheet, but he allowed a lot of things to happen to people around him. For example, his brother became addicted to drugs...more
This autobiography is phenomenal. Takes the reader back to the earlier part of the 20th century, where blacks moved up North to try to have a better life (Promised Land), and the parents have such high hopes for their children. However, b/c the Promised Land wasn't, it was more like immigrants moving from into another country - didn't speak the language, know the culture, have the education, etc, and so many defaulted to mischief, and children didn't have a childhood (Manchild). This book is an...more
I read this book years ago (the cover didn't even look like that - LOL!) Although it was somewhat raw, to me it was very compelling. Although gritty and some might say chauvinistic (remember the timeframe he was referring to), I enjoyed it and found it to be inspiring. You'll have to read it to see what I mean because I don't want to divulge what it is about too much. I'll just say that it's a biography about the author's early life, from a a streetwise youngster to young adult. Check it out.
This is probably one of the most horrific books I've read. In stunning, unflinching prose, Brown describes in detail his aimless, crime-ridden childhood in the Harmlem of the 70s, as well as his arduous ascent to becoming a lawyer. It's not a book I would really recommend, as it contains way too much grit and violence to make for an enjoyable read, but it is honest, brutal and inspiring, and for that I give Brown a lot of credit.
Claude Brown asks a hard question in the foreword to this book: "For where does one run to when he's already in the promised land?" The narrative response is like a hand-held camera without the jerkiness, moving the reader through Claude's life as he makes his way on the streets of New York, trying on the different hats of his times. The magic of the book is that it is a coming-of-age story both of Brown and of Harlem.
Along with "The Autobiography of Malcolm X" this is without a doubt the most compelling book I've read. Quite simply, it's incredibly entertaining and damn near impossible to put down. You may very well find yourself awake at three o'clock in the morning satisfying your urge to discover what memories of Harlem Mr. Brown has to share on the next page. This desire to read was contributed to, for me at least, by the simplicity of the writing. There is no need for a dictionary when reading this book...more
Best book I've ever read. I'm from Harlem, so I can really relate to a whole lot he wrote about, even tho he wrote about a Harlem 30 years before my time.
I give this to all my male friends who get locked up. Yeah, I kno that sounds funny, but I just want them to see that other people have gone thru they what they've gone thru, lived the life they've lived, and managed to get thru it to the other side.
This is a book that reminds you of just why reading is important. The messaging is subtle—really all you get is perspective—but super powerfully informative. I'd be scared of and scared for anyone that could read this book and not become a more understanding person...one that sees more clearly just how people are doing the best they can with what they've got at any given time.
Very good book. I bought it at Lehigh, when the bookstore was featuring books that had been banned at various times/places. This one caught my eye, and I loved it. Very good story about a black man who made his way out of the Harlem ghetto. Full of profanity and graphic descriptions of bad behavior, but nevertheless, a worthwhile read.
This book tells the story of one young man's life growing up in Harlem in the 50's, up to adulthood. Life was rough in the early years, but he eventually matures into making better decisions and choices that lead him out of a destructive past. This story has very vivid images of what life was like for a very difficult childhood in the inner city.
A harrowing autobiography about growing up in Harlem in the late 1950s. I had read this book back when I was in high school (recommended to me by my older brother) and it's amazing reading it now seeing how much of the book I couldn't possibly understand. It was also interesting reading about the gentrification of Harlem back then.
I read this at South Eugene High School and remember a bit of it. I remember thinking his early life sounding much more interesting than his later life. With that analysis, my career in literature went down the drain.
The rating reflects my defective memory and not anything regarding the literary merit of the book.
The rating reflects my defective memory and not anything regarding the literary merit of the book.
Manchild in the Promised Land (1965) is an autobiographical novel written by Claude Brown. It tells about the author's coming of age amidst poverty and violence in Harlem during the 1940s and 1950s and has frequently appeared on banned book lists.
I read this coming-of-age story when I was a kid growing up in a single family household living in the projects in the Bronx. It touched the core of my soul, and gave voice to a voiceless girl-child of color. This is a must read if one is to understand...more
I read this coming-of-age story when I was a kid growing up in a single family household living in the projects in the Bronx. It touched the core of my soul, and gave voice to a voiceless girl-child of color. This is a must read if one is to understand...more
First of all, my Thanks to Ropo (Rowan) for providing me with the book. Thanks man.
Once you start reading it, you can't stop. A black boy's life as a chaffer to a rich white man. The black boy somehow accidently kiss the white man's daughter and all of a sudden he had to feeling that all white will rise up to wipe off the blacks. True to his feeling, whites comes and traces him. On the run he kills his girl-friend and puts himself into even more trouble. The books makes you feel like as if you...more
Once you start reading it, you can't stop. A black boy's life as a chaffer to a rich white man. The black boy somehow accidently kiss the white man's daughter and all of a sudden he had to feeling that all white will rise up to wipe off the blacks. True to his feeling, whites comes and traces him. On the run he kills his girl-friend and puts himself into even more trouble. The books makes you feel like as if you...more
This is one of my favorite books. I always recommend this to my friends, especially my male friends who are looking for something to read w/ some substance. I was so caught up in the story; I was rooting for his success from beginning to end. I may have to read this again soon.
May 26, 2010
Jennifer
added it
Its all to familiar; that which we never experienced but know all too well. A novel that I will always hold dear to me because it speaks not only for me but those who came before me. The promiseland is our intercity that we have lost our way in.
Very powerful book that details the struggles of a young, black man growing up in Harlem and the obstacles he overcame being black in America. I've read it several times and have a different perspective each time I read it.
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Sep 15, 2011 05:55pm