鎳克爾男孩

Absolutely incredible and disturbing all in one.

4.5 stars rounded up.I can’t quite articulate what Colson Whitehead is doing, but I’ve noticed a pattern across his novels in the way he uses space, time, and movement to explore the concept of freedom. I’d need to revisit his work to elaborate further, but there’s something compelling about how these elements intertwine in his storytelling.I go back and forth on whether history like this should be fictionalized, but there are benefits to the way Colson Whitehead has chosen to tell this story. What stood out most to me is how effectively he portrays the many layers of gendered violence Black males face, as well as its long-lasting, devastating effects.I also couldn’t help but read this as a commentary on respectability politics and maybe even a critique of the shortcomings of the Civil Rights Movement and MLK’s philosophy of nonviolent resistance. I wonder if others interpreted it in the same way.