Glorious

By: Bernice L. McFadden

Narrated by: Alfre Woodard

Length: 5 hrs and 59 mins

Publisher's summary

Academy Award nominee Alfre Woodard narrates Glorious, by Bernice L. McFadden, a novel set against the backdrops of the Jim Crow South, the Harlem Renaissance, and the civil rights era. This is the story of Easter Venetta Bartlett, a fictional Harlem Renaissance writer whose tumultuous path out of Waycross, Georgia, to success, ruin, and revival offers a candid portrait of the American experience in all its beauty and cruelty. Woodard’s nuanced narration beautifully enhances McFadden’s imaginative blend of fictional and real events and people—such as Marcus Garvey, Langston Hughes, pianist Fats Waller, and shipping heiress Nancy Cunard.

Glorious poses the question that is the title of Langston Hughes’s famous poem: What happens to a dream deferred? It is an audacious exploration into the nature of self-hatred, love, possession, ego, betrayal, and, finally, redemption. Easter is not only a survivor, but also a creator, and a fearless blazer of trails.

Bernice L. McFadden is the author of six critically acclaimed novels, including the classic Sugar and Nowhere Is a Place, which was a Washington Post Best Fiction title for 2006.

©2010 Bernice L. McFadden (P)2010 Audible, Inc.

Critic reviews

• Audie Award Winner - Best Solo Narration - Female, 2011

"McFadden's lively and loving rendering of New York hews closely to the jazz-inflected city of myth.... McFadden has a wonderful ear for dialogue, and her entertaining prose equally accommodates humor and pathos." (New York Times Book Review)

"McFadden tells Easter's story with zest and affection." (All Things Considered, NPR)

"Easter's hope for love to overthrow hate—and her intense exposure to both—cogently stands for America's potential, and McFadden's novel is a triumphant portrayal of the ongoing quest." (Publishers Weekly)

Heart and Soul and a Dream Disrupted

Deep in the soul of a Black community is a lot of pain. This story follows a young female writer of great talent during those wonderful years of the Harlem Renaissance. Dramatic and wild and wonderful days turned to personal disaster by deceit. So poignantly told, it’s a story within a story told by a story writer. And it’s the story of many talented Black artists, I’m sure.

Not so Glorious

This premise had the potential of being a blockbuster, but there was just too much junk to wade through. I totally understand that this woman had so many problems in her life that no one would aspire to, but I just thought it was overdone, and I just didn't love reading/listening to it. I kept expecting it to get better, and although the ending sort of redeemed much of the not-so-glorious parts of the book, it just wasn't enough for me to get all excited about. It seems that Ms. McFadden tried to follow along the lines of the marvelous "Their Eyes Were Watching God" by Zora Neal Hurston, but in my opinion it did not even come close.

-stars

If I could leave a negative star review I would.... This has got to be one of the worst written books I've ever had the displeasure of listening/reading. This book jumped from one character to another to another while killing off others - who knows why or what happened after or anything pertinent to the actual story!? Throw a couple of facts from the time period in, put in a horrid scene that yes, most likely did take place back then and then call it a book. What a waste of time and a credit - to say nothing of the angst it has caused me once it called itself "the end." Boo.

Jim Crow South, Harlem Renaissance and Bizarre Sex

All descriptions of this book state that its themes are the Jim Crow South, the Harlem Renaissance writers and the civil rights movement. The book starts in 1910 and ends in the 60s.It follows one black woman, Easter, from her childhood in the South, her time up in Harlem, skims the intervening years and then ends up back in the South again. Yes, the book does cover those themes, but there is another central theme that is not mentioned. It must be mentioned – sex. If you are going to feel uncomfortable reading about various bizarre lesbian relationships, well then look elsewhere; this theme plays a very prominent role. I am fine with lesbian relationships that focus upon the loving relationship; it is a love like any other between two individuals. I think both the heterosexual and homosexual affairs are added to this story to pique the readers' interest, to shock, to add spice to the story. I checked internet to see if the sexual tidbits were in fact historical details that had to be there to portray the historical content correctly. No, pure fiction! From my point of view they detract from the story.

Too many parts of the fictional story were too bizarre and too revolting for my taste. I felt no empathy for any character. The book is short and covers the important events in Easter's life. You are not given her internal thoughts; you watch her actions.

The reader is given information about the writers of the Harlem Renaissance.

I think it all comes down to this: I didn't like how the author told her story.

Disappointing and disjointed

What would have made Glorious better?

I can't believe that Bernice McFadden wrote this book. The story is so fragmented and disjointed that I could not stand to listen to it. The only saving grace was Ms. Woodard's narration. This read like McFadden had several short stories that she gave to someone else to string together with bits of historical references. The end definitely made me ill!

What was most disappointing about Bernice L. McFadden’s story?

This read like McFadden had several short stories that she gave to someone else to string together with bits of historical references. The end definitely made me ill!

What reaction did this book spark in you? Anger, sadness, disappointment?

disappointment in the lack of continuity in the storyline and the unbelievable twists. I found myself wondering if I missed something when the story moved from chapter to chapter.

Any additional comments?

I've read and/or listened to some of Ms. McFadden's books; Sugar, This Bitter Earth, and was excited to listen to this one but I couldn't listen to this book again and that, to me, indicates a poor story!