The Blacker the Berry: A Novel of Negro Life

A Library of America eBook Classic

Fiction & Literature, African American, Coming of Age, Literary
Cover of the book The Blacker the Berry: A Novel of Negro Life by Wallace Thurman, Library of America
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Wallace Thurman ISBN: 9781598535761
Publisher: Library of America Publication: December 5, 2017
Imprint: Library of America Language: English
Author: Wallace Thurman
ISBN: 9781598535761
Publisher: Library of America
Publication: December 5, 2017
Imprint: Library of America
Language: English

Library of America presents a classic novel of the Harlem Renaissance: Wallace Thurman's anguished, provocative look at prejudice and exclusion in Jazz Age Harlem.

The Blacker the Berry (1929), Wallace Thurman’s debut novel, broke new ground as an exploration of issues of “colorism,” intra-racial prejudice, and internalized racism in African American life. Its protagonist, the young Emma Lou Morgan, is simply “too dark” for a world in which every kind of advancement seems to require a light complexion. Seeking acceptance and opportunity, she moves––much like the dark-skinned young Thurman had, four years before the novel’s publication––from Idaho to California to New York. Harlem, the “city of surprises,” is in many ways the novel’s true subject, its low-down, licentious streets, glittering cabarets, and variegated cast of characters offering a rich backdrop for Emma Lou’s ambivalent, picaresque progress.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

Library of America presents a classic novel of the Harlem Renaissance: Wallace Thurman's anguished, provocative look at prejudice and exclusion in Jazz Age Harlem.

The Blacker the Berry (1929), Wallace Thurman’s debut novel, broke new ground as an exploration of issues of “colorism,” intra-racial prejudice, and internalized racism in African American life. Its protagonist, the young Emma Lou Morgan, is simply “too dark” for a world in which every kind of advancement seems to require a light complexion. Seeking acceptance and opportunity, she moves––much like the dark-skinned young Thurman had, four years before the novel’s publication––from Idaho to California to New York. Harlem, the “city of surprises,” is in many ways the novel’s true subject, its low-down, licentious streets, glittering cabarets, and variegated cast of characters offering a rich backdrop for Emma Lou’s ambivalent, picaresque progress.

More books from Library of America

Cover of the book President Lincoln Assassinated!!: The Firsthand Story of the Murder, Manhunt, Tr by Wallace Thurman
Cover of the book The Member of the Wedding: A Play by Wallace Thurman
Cover of the book Leaves from the Notebook of a Tamed Cynic by Wallace Thurman
Cover of the book Shakespeare in America: An Anthology from the Revolution to Now (LOA #251) by Wallace Thurman
Cover of the book The Debate on the Constitution Part 2: Federalist and Antifederalist Speeches, Articles, and Letters During the Struggle over Ratification Vol. 2 (LOA #63) by Wallace Thurman
Cover of the book At the Fights: American Writers on Boxing by Wallace Thurman
Cover of the book Virgil Thomson: The State of Music & Other Writings (LOA #277) by Wallace Thurman
Cover of the book The Essential Debate on the Constitution by Wallace Thurman
Cover of the book James Fenimore Cooper: The Leatherstocking Tales Vol. 1 (LOA #26) by Wallace Thurman
Cover of the book Football: Great Writing About the National Sport by Wallace Thurman
Cover of the book Samuel Menashe: New and Selected Poems by Wallace Thurman
Cover of the book Abraham Lincoln: Speeches and Writings Vol. 1 1832-1858 (LOA #45) by Wallace Thurman
Cover of the book The Civil War: The Third Year Told by Those Who Lived It (LOA #234) by Wallace Thurman
Cover of the book Countee Cullen: Collected Poems by Wallace Thurman
Cover of the book The Future Is Female! 25 Classic Science Fiction Stories by Women, from Pulp Pioneers to Ursula K. Le Guin by Wallace Thurman
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy