Sign in with Facebook
Loading...
8th out of 24 books
—
115 voters
A Taste of Honey: Stories
by
Jabari Asim (Goodreads Author)
Poignant and powerful, this debut collection from preeminent writer and critic Jabari Asim heralds his arrival as an exciting new voice in African American fiction.
Through a series of fictional episodes set against the backdrop of one of the most turbulent years in modern history, Asim brings into pin-sharp focus how the tumultuous events of '68 affected real people's live...more
Through a series of fictional episodes set against the backdrop of one of the most turbulent years in modern history, Asim brings into pin-sharp focus how the tumultuous events of '68 affected real people's live...more
Paperback, 224 pages
Published
March 2nd 2010
by Broadway
(first published 2010)
Friend Reviews
To see what your friends thought of this book,
please sign up.
Community Reviews
(showing
1-30
of
898)
This past week I became a member of the fictional town of Gateway (located in one of the central Midwestern States "I think") during the Spring of 1968. A good book will do that for you: transport you to a time and place where reality is transcended by the strength of your imagination. But in order to pull it off, a writer has to deliver characters with such depth and power that they leap off the page to intrude upon your thoughts long after the book has been set aside. Jabari Asim does exactly...more
ter finishing this collection of short stories, I have definitely tasted pure honey. A Taste of Honey........by JABARI ASIM is truly awsome. Characters like Crisp and Shom are delightful. Chip and Shom have African American historical names. How long has it been since I've heard any one mention Crispus Attucks? He gave his life during the American Revolution massacre. Shom's name is an historial name too.
It's not just the recall of American History in the stories. There is also the moments of e...more
It's not just the recall of American History in the stories. There is also the moments of e...more
I love this book so far. A lot of times you can predict where a book is going. Not that this book is suspenseful, just that I don't know where the author will go next and haven't felt that in reading in a long time. Kind of an uncomfortable feeling, but in the best of ways. Good starting back up with your reading regimen book.
Tried hard to stretch this one out lest I couldn't find a good follow-up (suggestions welcome). Very sweet and encouraging. Just wonder if it was too encouraging. This book...more
Tried hard to stretch this one out lest I couldn't find a good follow-up (suggestions welcome). Very sweet and encouraging. Just wonder if it was too encouraging. This book...more
This work was a selection of my book club and I probably would not have read it on my own. Fortunately, book clubs lead one to new ways and this was a lovely discovery. “Taste of Honey” is supposedly a collection of sixteen connected short stories, but stands on its own as a fully developed novel. Set in fictitious Gateway City (St. Louis) on the Mississippi River during the sixties, it covers a few months in the lives of a middle class black family living in a segregated section of town. The st...more
I thoroughly enjoyed it: the characters, the neighborhood, the storytelling -- and especially the interweaving/inter-relationships of the characters and plotlines -- very well-done in all areas. It read more like a novel than short stories and I kinda hated to see it end. I hope he revisits the story to keep us updated on Crispus, Ed, and their families, friends, and neighbors.
I loved the compact elegance of this book -- the characters are so vividly drawn, and things come together in a way that tells you about the whole of that place and time. Which is pretty wild, for such a slim book. You learn a lot through Asim's skill at putting things together in a powerful way.
One of the things that struck me most about reading this was the memory of how scary youth can be. When you're a child, you're powerless in a lot of ways. I think that's why I liked the child characters...more
One of the things that struck me most about reading this was the memory of how scary youth can be. When you're a child, you're powerless in a lot of ways. I think that's why I liked the child characters...more
I was expecting a series of short stories with no connection and about completely different topics. What I found was a fantastically written book then weaves the lives of so many people together that I was dizzy trying to keep it straight but what fun I had trying. This touching, insightful, thoughtful, descriptive book had me running down back alleys, rooting for true love and cheering when the horribly racist cop finally gets his doo-wop whooped. While each chapter was a story unto itself, the...more
Because the author of Booktini's selected April book (Raised by the Mistress) failed to send our copies on time, we had to quickly choose a short book to read in the two week span before our April meeting. Jabari Asim's collection of short stories centered around a fictional community in the midwest was perfect length-wise. I don't think this was the perfect book for a book discussion, though.
Don't get me wrong. Asim is a great writer, with a fantastic imagination and a knack for storytelling, e...more
Don't get me wrong. Asim is a great writer, with a fantastic imagination and a knack for storytelling, e...more
view 1 comment
I'm a huge fan of short stories that relate so I was thrilled to find this book by an author unknown to be. The characters are written so well then come to life and fill the pages and the reader can feel a little bit of what they must have felt during such a chaotic time in history. Some of the stories were giving me a hard time, I just felt like they jumped around and made me lost for a paragraph or two. This could be my fault though and something that a second reading would prove valuable. Asi...more
I really liked this book. The stories all told the story of the members of a small black town during the civil rights era. The stories all center around a family and the people in their community. I loved this family. They made me laugh, cry and wish for the best for them. They were very well rounded without being too perfect. Definitely recommend it.
A novel told in the form of connected short stories about an African-American community on the verge of change in the late '60's. The Jones' family is the main focus: Reuben, the artistic father, Pristine, the mother who holds it all together, Schomburg, the oldest son who is flirting with the new radical Black nationalist movement, and Crispus, the youngest son who features prominently in most of the stories.
WHAT I LIKED:
The writing is beautiful and captures accurately the voices, actions, and...more
WHAT I LIKED:
The writing is beautiful and captures accurately the voices, actions, and...more
1 like · like · see review
A Taste of Honey reads like the title implies; to the point and sweet. The pages are filled with easy prose and vivid characters who are all, as Crispus Jones' mother would say, "going through changes." If you happen upon this book, don't hesitate to pick it up. You won't regret it.
very enjoyable book of connected short stories. They describe the different characters in an African-American community and how they all interact - knowingly and unknowingly at times. Lots of warmth on a personal level against a back ground of the unrest and tension of the late 1960's. I strongly recommend this book!
This is a book of sixteen connected stories that read like one novella. It is like wandering through a neighborhood and getting to know a few people, thus getting a surface idea of what is happening in that neighborhood. I liked it a lot and I plan to read more of this author.
"The Lord loves a cheerful giver, but I guess I'm just not in the mood." -Aunt Georgia
I'm sorry, but this book is absolutely amazing. I could NOT put it down. I laughed, I commiserated, I clucked my tongue, I snapped my fingers, and I just enjoyed the sheer pleasure of reading this book. It's painful to read at times, and then it'll have you laughing out loud at other times. I related to these characters and felt a sense of enlightenment and sadness for my people. I don't know, it was just nice...more
I'm sorry, but this book is absolutely amazing. I could NOT put it down. I laughed, I commiserated, I clucked my tongue, I snapped my fingers, and I just enjoyed the sheer pleasure of reading this book. It's painful to read at times, and then it'll have you laughing out loud at other times. I related to these characters and felt a sense of enlightenment and sadness for my people. I don't know, it was just nice...more
Great book. Magnificent how Asim weaved together a community of stories and different perspectives. The many characters drew you in and caused you to become invested in their lives and ideologies. I'll definitely look for more by this author.
Apr 18, 2011
Mary
rated it
3 of 5 stars
Recommended to Mary by:
Not New But Worth a View at the library
Shelves:
short-stories
Good stories, linked together. Gives a flavor of black life in America in 1968. While reading about troubled lives can be, well, troubling, I did find the ending a little too easy and pat and maybe not realistic enough.
Fun, light evocation of growing up in the 60s as the Black Power movement emerged. But it also features young men coming of age in a dangerous time, and how closely danger, corruption and death are intertwined with sweetness and community. Great beach read, esp if you are 40something and the references to hairstyles and commercial products evoke strong memories of your own childhood.
Loved the characters and their development, these short stories are all related and I appreciated the cohesion (its more like one novel than a collection of stories). Interesting historical fiction and fun to read!
Great writing,interesting characters, interesting historical time and place. Quick read that I wished lasted longer.
Jul 13, 2010
Lena Carter
added it
I loved reading the short stories. The author did a good job of interweaving the stories and characters.
Mar 11, 2010
Melissa
marked it as to-read
Chris Bohjalian reviewed this book and said "it is a gem". That's good enough for me !
Jul 31, 2011
Angela
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Everyone
Recommended to Angela by:
Go On Girl Book Club
This has to be one of my favorite books from the Go On Girl Book list. The setting invoked memories from my childhood, although I was just born around the time frame of the book. It reminded me of some of my neighbors on my block. I fell in love with the characters. This was a great book. I am glad I purchased it on the Kindle. I don't have to share it with others and worry about what condition my book will come back in. This is definitely a keeper and one I would read again. I generally do not...more
Awesome, Awesome, Awesome stories. I love the authors use of the back-story technique. The characters were well thought-out and compelling. I agree with Chris Bohjalian. This book is a gem! Thumbs up to Jabari Asim
I so enjoyed this connected collection of short stories - it really read like a novel. Once I started reading I could not put down and wondered what took me so look to pick up this book. Takes place in a small to mid-sized town in the midwest right before MLK is killed. Great character voices, community and family oriented storyline, used the background of the story to inform us about the political issues of the time. I would love to see these characters again. I surely hope Asim writes more fic...more
Truly one of the best books I have read all year.
Enjoyable quick read. Loved the story plot and character names. There was a nice flow and rhythm to story even with telling end and then back story.
Expect to read more from Mr. Asim.
Expect to read more from Mr. Asim.
This was a wonderful book! I loved all of the historical references, the strong family community and reading this story put a smile on my face. I loved how all the stories fit together so perfectly that it did not feel like a series of short stories it just felt like one great story.
This book reminds me of The Known World by Edward P. Jones which holds a very soft spot in my heart. I enjoyed the work and like books and authors that can give you individual information while steadily painting a picture of the entire community.
There are no discussion topics on this book yet.
Be the first to start one »
Praise for A Taste Of Honey
"A Taste of Honey has the power of memoir and the poetry of fiction. Suddenly, it is 1968 once more, with all of the hope and violence and seismic change that rocked the cities that summer. It's all here and it's all beautifully rendered. This books is a gem."
—Chris Bohjalian, author of Secrets of Eden
"Jabari Asim has written a brilliant coming-of-age tale filled with c...more
More about Jabari Asim...
"A Taste of Honey has the power of memoir and the poetry of fiction. Suddenly, it is 1968 once more, with all of the hope and violence and seismic change that rocked the cities that summer. It's all here and it's all beautifully rendered. This books is a gem."
—Chris Bohjalian, author of Secrets of Eden
"Jabari Asim has written a brilliant coming-of-age tale filled with c...more
Share This Book
No trivia or quizzes yet. Add some now »
