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Glorious
Glorious is set against the backdrops of the Jim Crow South, the Harlem Renaissance, and the civil rights era. Blending the truth of American history with the fruits of Bernice L. McFadden’s rich imagination, this is the story of Easter Venetta Bartlett, a fictional Harlem Renaissance writer whose tumultuous path to success, ruin, and revival offers a candid portrait of the American experience in all its beauty and cruelty.
Glorious is ultimately an audacious exploration into the nature of self-hatred, love, possession, ego, betrayal, and, finally, redemption.
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. She is a two-time Hurston/Wright Legacy Award finalist, as well as the recipient of two fiction honors from the Black Caucus of the American Library Association (BCALA). McFadden lives in Brooklyn, New York, where she is working on her next novel.
192 pages, Paperback
First published May 1, 2010
62 people are currently reading
2,416 people want to read
About the author
Bernice L. McFadden
24books2,120followersBERNICE L. McFADDEN is the author of ten critically acclaimed novels including Praise Song for the Butterflies (Long listed for the 2019 Women's Prize in Fiction ) The Book of Harlan (winner of a 2017 American Book Award and the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Literary Work, Fiction) Sugar, Loving Donovan, Nowhere Is a Place, The Warmest December, Gathering of Waters (a New York Times Editors� Choice and one of the 100 Notable Books of 2012) and Glorious . She is a four-time Hurston/Wright Legacy Award finalist, as well as the recipient of four awards from the Black Caucus of the American Library Association (BCALA).
McFadden has also penned five novels under the pseudonym: Geneva Holliday
She is a visiting assistant professor of creative writing at Tulane University in New Orleans. She is at work on her sixteenth novel.
McFadden has also penned five novels under the pseudonym: Geneva Holliday
She is a visiting assistant professor of creative writing at Tulane University in New Orleans. She is at work on her sixteenth novel.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 217 reviews
April 11, 2010
I've suffered through some 20th Century Novel courses for college. Now don't get me wrong, I loved A Tree Grows In Brooklyn and Hurston's Their Eyes Were Watching God. But in all honesty I couldn't get through most of the other EIGHT books we had to read in the 8 week semester.
Had Bernice McFadden's book been in that course, I would have had a book that I could read in no time at all and would have honestly enjoyed.
When I started this book I will admit that I was a little taken aback by the "20th Century Novelishness" (yes, another made up word...love having my own blog) of it. I said to myself, "Self, I'll read for a minute and then put it down." Well I don't listen well, even to myself.
In about 5 minutes I was forty pages into the book and my fiance looked at me a little odd. (It must have been the look on my face of pure confusion and delight!)
"She didn't waste a word! Not one single word! Every word had meaning and carried this story forward. I didn't have a chance to get bored at all. I honestly thought I'd only read 10 pages!"
In my very humble (correct) opinion Glorious will be read as thoroughly and with as much reverence as Ms. Hurston's Their Eyes Were Watching God. This book had me running through every gamut of feelings known to man! Love, lust, sadness, despair, hate, desire, fear, happiness, and loneliness. I recommend anyone who enjoys realistic, heart-wrenching, perfectly written fiction stop now and order Glorious TODAY!
I would like to thank Bernice McFadden, in conjunction with BookBlogs, for her kindness in allowing me to review this wonderful book! This book will be donated to the Hepburn Library so that others may share in this wonderful reading experience.
Had Bernice McFadden's book been in that course, I would have had a book that I could read in no time at all and would have honestly enjoyed.
When I started this book I will admit that I was a little taken aback by the "20th Century Novelishness" (yes, another made up word...love having my own blog) of it. I said to myself, "Self, I'll read for a minute and then put it down." Well I don't listen well, even to myself.
In about 5 minutes I was forty pages into the book and my fiance looked at me a little odd. (It must have been the look on my face of pure confusion and delight!)
"She didn't waste a word! Not one single word! Every word had meaning and carried this story forward. I didn't have a chance to get bored at all. I honestly thought I'd only read 10 pages!"
In my very humble (correct) opinion Glorious will be read as thoroughly and with as much reverence as Ms. Hurston's Their Eyes Were Watching God. This book had me running through every gamut of feelings known to man! Love, lust, sadness, despair, hate, desire, fear, happiness, and loneliness. I recommend anyone who enjoys realistic, heart-wrenching, perfectly written fiction stop now and order Glorious TODAY!
I would like to thank Bernice McFadden, in conjunction with BookBlogs, for her kindness in allowing me to review this wonderful book! This book will be donated to the Hepburn Library so that others may share in this wonderful reading experience.
January 31, 2022
I love Bernice L. McFadden's stories so much. There is an ease to her storytelling that is unique. I always feel warmly invited to sit down by the fire and listen to her tale. She wants me to enjoy myself but she also has something to teach me. Her writing and rhythms always give me a sense that she is here telling me her story, rather than the sense that I'm alone with a book reading by myself. There are leaps, and gaps, and I always have the feeling that the storyteller wants to hurry me along, because she is so excited to share with me the next good part--no lingering, the fire is dying!--and I sit here, rapt, and drink it in.
November 25, 2017
This read was ok
April 9, 2015
Let me start by saying I thought I loved McFadden's Sugar, Loving Donovan, Nowhere is a Place, This Bitter Earth and oh, Camilla's Rose. But, I just loved Glorious. Thank you Bernice McFadden!
Glorious is told through the eyes of Easter, a young girl from Waycross, GA. Her life is marred in many ways: born in the South during the time of Jim Crow, witnessed her sister being violated, father could do nothing, forever picked up and moved--trusting and praying that where she was going would be better than where she was, witnessed lynching, had mixed emotions about her sexuality, worked various jobs, got pregnant by a student, underwent an abortion, married and lost a husband to death and later moved in with a woman who would commit plagiarism because Easter's writing was just that fantastic. Nevertheless, she never exhibited hate and continued to live her life out "gloriously." Her writing garnered the attention of W.E.B. DuBois, Langston Hughes as well and others. She had several articles to appear in the Crisis magazine.
After traveling to a number of states seeing better than what the South had to offer Easter returned home to live out her life. There she imparted into the lives of others. She retrieved a can that she buried years ago, near her family's home, with the word HATE written on it (and she burned it). Some may wonder why she would return to the South. I say " all roads lead to home." Of all degradations she had witnessed nothing compared to what happened in her home town. It has been said that " a caged bird doesn't sing because it has an answer....it sings because it has a song." Easter said she wrote "to keep a grip on life." As she aged...she ceased writing....her voice was no longer silent" and she had defeated the enemy. Fantastic piece of work!
Glorious is told through the eyes of Easter, a young girl from Waycross, GA. Her life is marred in many ways: born in the South during the time of Jim Crow, witnessed her sister being violated, father could do nothing, forever picked up and moved--trusting and praying that where she was going would be better than where she was, witnessed lynching, had mixed emotions about her sexuality, worked various jobs, got pregnant by a student, underwent an abortion, married and lost a husband to death and later moved in with a woman who would commit plagiarism because Easter's writing was just that fantastic. Nevertheless, she never exhibited hate and continued to live her life out "gloriously." Her writing garnered the attention of W.E.B. DuBois, Langston Hughes as well and others. She had several articles to appear in the Crisis magazine.
After traveling to a number of states seeing better than what the South had to offer Easter returned home to live out her life. There she imparted into the lives of others. She retrieved a can that she buried years ago, near her family's home, with the word HATE written on it (and she burned it). Some may wonder why she would return to the South. I say " all roads lead to home." Of all degradations she had witnessed nothing compared to what happened in her home town. It has been said that " a caged bird doesn't sing because it has an answer....it sings because it has a song." Easter said she wrote "to keep a grip on life." As she aged...she ceased writing....her voice was no longer silent" and she had defeated the enemy. Fantastic piece of work!
March 27, 2014
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. Read by Shirley Ann Grau instead. There the lines capture you; here they don't, they only shock you. You will have to choose some other book if you are primarily looking for historical details of the Harlem Renaissance though.
The audiobook narration by Alfre Woodard was fine, but not exceptional, as was Anna Fields' narration of Grau's audiobook.
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. Read by Shirley Ann Grau instead. There the lines capture you; here they don't, they only shock you. You will have to choose some other book if you are primarily looking for historical details of the Harlem Renaissance though.
The audiobook narration by Alfre Woodard was fine, but not exceptional, as was Anna Fields' narration of Grau's audiobook.
March 12, 2010
From the dirt roads of Waycross, Georgia to the busy streets of Harlem, Bernice McFadden once again delivers perfection in her latest novel, Glorious. With actual historical events playing in the background, we are introduced to Easter Bartlett and her family.
The historic "Fight of the Century" between Jack Johnson and James Jeffries sets in motion a series of events that eventually push Easter out of Georgia and eventually land her in Harlem. Much mention is made of Marcus Garvey and his Universal Negro Improvement Association. A story set in Harlem at such a time would be incomplete with referencing the Harlem Renaissance and Ms. McFadden deftly weaves in noted members of the Renaissance, including A'lelia Bundles, daughter of Madame CJ Walker and a patron of the arts, and Langston Hughes. Others such as Claude McKay and Carl Van Vechten are also mentioned.
With writing as rich and vivid as only she can do it, Ms. McFadden draws you into the life of Easter Bartlett and doesn't release you easily. I found myself yearning to read this while at the same time putting it down in order to savor it and prolong the inevitable end. While I usually give away books that I've already read, this is one that will have to stay in my library.
The historic "Fight of the Century" between Jack Johnson and James Jeffries sets in motion a series of events that eventually push Easter out of Georgia and eventually land her in Harlem. Much mention is made of Marcus Garvey and his Universal Negro Improvement Association. A story set in Harlem at such a time would be incomplete with referencing the Harlem Renaissance and Ms. McFadden deftly weaves in noted members of the Renaissance, including A'lelia Bundles, daughter of Madame CJ Walker and a patron of the arts, and Langston Hughes. Others such as Claude McKay and Carl Van Vechten are also mentioned.
With writing as rich and vivid as only she can do it, Ms. McFadden draws you into the life of Easter Bartlett and doesn't release you easily. I found myself yearning to read this while at the same time putting it down in order to savor it and prolong the inevitable end. While I usually give away books that I've already read, this is one that will have to stay in my library.
February 5, 2016
LISTEN! This was so good I listened to the entire thing in one day!! Alfre Woodward read the h*ll outta this book - do you hear me? And Bernice McFadden? Oh my goodness. SHE is a writer. This story is so incredibly rich with flawed characters trying to make it in a system that demeans them because of the race they were born into. Even as they 'come up' the struggle is real. Destiny fulfilled then lost then abandoned only to finally receive a form of recognition. The ugly truth of betrayal shines brightly and makes you want to look away but the idiom is true: what you sow you reap.
January 25, 2022
This book has a knockout first chapter and then settles down to explore one woman’s experiences of life as a Black woman in the Deep South, in an early 20th century carny show, as part of the Harlem Renaissance, and as an older woman back in Georgia. McFadden writes a beautiful sentence and keeps the story flowing smoothly while illustrating the profound impacts of white supremacy in each period.
February 18, 2015
I will never look at the harlem renaissance, hot combs, waycross, or bicycle spokes the same!!! talk about an awesome read. an enthralling story from the first paragraph until the last...love it! so many eccentricities, such must character and speculation about familiar faces. unia, the honorable marcus garvey, elite of harlem salons during the 1930s, one room school houses, racist white people raping and lynching, drugging and whoring. the last wave of the great migration to new york. becoming yourself. finding your voice. loosing your way in tragedies. finding comedy in the darkest situations. burlesque shows. west indians. being a cougar. find and running and chasing after things...love it!!!!
February 28, 2016
I was hooked from the first paragraph on. I didn't know what to expect and didn't know I wanted to read this book until I read it. When I read books I realized there are several types of writers. Some learn the skill, some follow their dreams and then there's Bernice, who was born to write. I haven't read a book of this caliber in so long and what a joy its been to spend a few hours devouring this book. This book have done what it was suppose to do, make me think and make me feel. There's still a peach in my throat.
July 16, 2021
I swear I tried NOT to inhale this book all in one day, but I just couldn't help it. She gets me wrapped up in her stories from page one, sentence one ever stinking time.
I will say though, reader beware those first 40 pages are a doozy.
I teared up reading this book, and by the end I too wanted to sit at Easters feet and just listen to the stories that she could tell me of her life.
I'd do the same for Ms. McFadden as well.
I will say though, reader beware those first 40 pages are a doozy.
I teared up reading this book, and by the end I too wanted to sit at Easters feet and just listen to the stories that she could tell me of her life.
I'd do the same for Ms. McFadden as well.
April 26, 2010
One thing I’ve learned from reading Bernice McFadden’s works � she doesn’t write about bunnies, rainbows or cotton candy: She takes you to the bottom of the well, lets you roll around in the muck, leaves you waiting for a life line, then brings you back up slowly, so at the end, you will be desperate for sunshine.
In Glorious, Easter Bartlett travels a similar journey � one full of racial hatred and brutality � all the while searching for sunshine. After surviving a brutal childhood and traversing the South and other transitory destinations, she arrives in Harlem at the dawn of the Harlem Renaissance, where her writing talent is discovered and revered by other literary giants of the times. Ultimately, her talent is used against her, and Easter’s future is forever altered. In the twilight of her life, she returns to the pre-Civil Rights South, in hopes that past injustices will be rectified.
Bernice McFadden is a beautiful writer. I was transported back to Harlem and could touch the brownstone buildings and smell the earthiness of the streets. Early in the book, her description of a lynching was so vivid, it brought tears to my eyes. However, I had a hard time connecting with some of the characters. Easter was never tangible to me. I understood her pain, but never felt it. Easter’s relationships with many of the other characters were equally distant. And the love triangle between Rain, Meredith and herself was uncomfortable for me. I just didn’t get it. Also, I loved Easter’s time in Harlem � I loved learning more about the leaders of that era. I just wish there had been more of it.
Finally, Bernice really hit stride at the close of the book. Easter’s final years, after her return to the South, are truly poetic.
Once again, white-literary revisionist history has been turned upside down, thanks to Bernice McFadden � and she does a Glorious job.
Sensitive reader: Contains graphic sexual and racial violence; homosexual situations as well.
Book source: received a copy from the author (was not paid or supplemented in any way for my review).
March 11, 2010
Back in 1910 a black man defeated a white man in a fair fight and the black people who’d laid bets on the result were understandably elated. Soon afterwards, a girl called Easter, who already had plenty of reasons for hatred in her life, wrote that one word HATE on a piece of paper, crumpled it up, and buried it.
Easter wrote many other words too as she grew older in a world of radical unfairness and unthinking cruelty. Glorious, by Bernice McFadden, is her tale. Reading how a pregnant black cook is murdered because a total stranger, unfortunately also black, has committed a crime, then watching the slaughter of her unborn child, leaves the reader sickened and saddened for all those others whose stories have not been, and surely should be told. But Easter buries her hate and herself and moves on.
The novel introduces a fascinating cast of characters, some larger than life, some smaller, some real and some imagined. But all the lives are gloriously genuine and so powerfully told. I even found myself searching for author E.V. Gibbs on the internet, to see if she really existed. But I’ve read Their Eyes were watching God, so I know Zora Neale Hurston was real.
The story progresses from Georgia to railroad tracks to Harlem and high-class apartments in New York. Through waves of powerful emotions, innocent errors and devastating betrayals, it all ends back where it began, in the small town of Waycross, Georgia. Years have passed and it’s now 1961. The world is changing, but hasn’t changed enough. And the reader learns where Easter’s wonderful mind and words have led her. It could be tragic, but instead it’s powerfully hopeful, beautiful and moving. And the quote from Zora Neale Hurston on the final page—“God balances the sheet in time”—rings gloriously true in the reader’s mind.
Easter wrote many other words too as she grew older in a world of radical unfairness and unthinking cruelty. Glorious, by Bernice McFadden, is her tale. Reading how a pregnant black cook is murdered because a total stranger, unfortunately also black, has committed a crime, then watching the slaughter of her unborn child, leaves the reader sickened and saddened for all those others whose stories have not been, and surely should be told. But Easter buries her hate and herself and moves on.
The novel introduces a fascinating cast of characters, some larger than life, some smaller, some real and some imagined. But all the lives are gloriously genuine and so powerfully told. I even found myself searching for author E.V. Gibbs on the internet, to see if she really existed. But I’ve read Their Eyes were watching God, so I know Zora Neale Hurston was real.
The story progresses from Georgia to railroad tracks to Harlem and high-class apartments in New York. Through waves of powerful emotions, innocent errors and devastating betrayals, it all ends back where it began, in the small town of Waycross, Georgia. Years have passed and it’s now 1961. The world is changing, but hasn’t changed enough. And the reader learns where Easter’s wonderful mind and words have led her. It could be tragic, but instead it’s powerfully hopeful, beautiful and moving. And the quote from Zora Neale Hurston on the final page—“God balances the sheet in time”—rings gloriously true in the reader’s mind.
August 12, 2011
A lot of books are categorized as fiction and within the pages is pure fiction so much so the readers are instantly aware that a lot of the things written therein are simply fairy tales. However, no one can say that Bernice McFadden's novel Glorious, can be misconstrued as a fairy tale. The main character, Easter Bartlett's life was far from a bed of roses. Her life started to deteriorate when her sister was raped by a gang of white boys/men who were never prosecuted for their crime and it all culminated when she was accused of plagarizing the writing of a woman whom she worked for, when it was the exact opposite. Easter was clearly a strong black woman, and her ability to constantly move on after others did her wrong or treated her like a dog, is the testament to that strength. Bernice McFadden certainly did a good job with this novel. Worth a read if you are interested in novels about African American struggle and the Harlem Renaissance.
March 6, 2016
This was my first Bernice McFadden book. Not sure where I've been over the years that this is my first, but it was. I enjoyed Glorious. At first I wasn't sure I was going to, but I kept going. I do love how she blended historical events into the story. That's what pulled me in. At times it is beautiful and there were a few times I skimmed because I was uncomfortable. But the fictional character Easter Venetta Bartlett had a wild life. And the crazy characters all around her make for some enjoyable reading. If you like out of the box stories, you will enjoy this one. It will make you think and possibly have you doing some research of your own after the book. It won't be my last Bernice McFadden novel that's for sure.
Bridget
Bridget
October 30, 2010
Ehh. I had high hopes for this book based on reviews I read, but this just didn't speak to me. The writing style was ineffective, and any response I had to things that happened to the main character was not due to the writing; in fact, most of the story felt like it was being told from a news reader. "Bermuda was hit with a hurricane. California experienced an earthquake." While this style conveys the news, it does nothing to capture the impact or feelings behind the news that would make a story interesting.
October 18, 2016
This book, like the others I've read by Bernice McFadden, grabbed me and wouldn't let me go. It wasn't always easy to read, but I couldn't put it down. Easter is a strong and powerful character who left the ugliness of the south and made her way to Harlem in the early 1920s. This is a book that will stick with me for a long time.
July 8, 2020
When a book leaves you thinking about it even when you are done with it, it's a book you should read. With all the struggles the main character goes through, there is a lot of depth and heartache but is also hopeful with the symbolic themes of redemption. Highly recommend!
November 18, 2014
This book made me hungry for more novels set in the Harlem renaissance.
January 7, 2016
After finishing I put the book down and started into space! Then I wanted to flip back to page one and start all over again.
Bernice McFadden does it to me again.
Bernice McFadden does it to me again.
December 14, 2015
short and sweet story...I just love her writing style
October 3, 2020
4.5 ⭐️'s. Yet another master piece by Bernice L McFadden.
April 28, 2010
If I hadn't lost my job last year, and if my fight with social anxiety disorder wasn't so severe, I would no doubt have found a replacement by now. And if I was currently working I would not have the free time that I do which in turn would have kept me away from the computer. If I had not spent so much of that free time at the computer I wouldn't have started entering sweepstakes and giveaways and reading the articles on the blogs and sites on which they were posted. In turn, I wouldn't have decided to start my own blog and, most certainly, I would never have embraced books that fell outside of my preferred genres. And if I had never explored those other genres I would never have entered, and won, a giveaway for 'Glorious' and I would have slept better these past few nights and not had the contents of this book haunt my waking hours. 'Glorious' really is that powerful.
As in the style of the paragraph above, although far more expertly crafted, the novel begins with a prologue that runs through a series of life changing events that lay the foundations for what will transpire in the life of the main character Easter Bartlett.
A few words if I may regarding the name of the main character. This is a very deep novel that, at first, seemed like it would be a very quick read as Ms McFadden's writing style was very fast paced. Yet there is so much depth within the story that I found myself purposely stopping at the end of each chapter and musing upon what I had just read. Think of reading this book as being on an train journey if you will...one can go from city A through city E directly and enjoy the commute. However, if the passenger takes the time to stop off at locations B, C and D along the way then that passenger will get far more out of the journey and learn a few things along the way. It's with this in mind that I get back to the main character, Easter. Easter, in terms of the religious holiday, is a day born out of the despair and anguish of the crucifixion of Jesus of Nazareth but culminating in the joy of His resurrection. His resurrection signified a new beginning and the washing away of sin. The character name of Easter then is no simple coincidence as her journey is one born of despair and anguish yet it ultimately leads to redemption in her life. It's a simple connection yet a connection that can be easily missed if one just hurtles through this novel like the proverbial express train to New York.
One thing you will either love or hate about this novel is the constant evolution of Easter signified by her constant upheaval from one location to the next. As she is moving from one geographical place to another the characters Easter interacts with come and go from the novel very quickly. In the case of the performer Rain (another name that is expertly chosen by McFadden) I found this disheartening as I was loving the character so much. In Rain the author has a character with history, depth and unique substance and I can only hope Ms McFadden has plans to reintroduce Rain, perhaps as a main character, in a future novel as I'm certain there are many stories to be told regarding that character.
I mentioned at the beginning of this post that this novel has haunted me. Now bear in mind that I am an avid reader of horror and have been since I was a young teen more than twenty years ago. However, what constitutes real horror is the context in which the horrific action takes place. For instance, watching a horror movie where Jason decapitates an annoying college student does not hold the same power as a real life hostage being decapitated by his Al Qaeda captives. As such, when 'Glorious' deals with the rape of a child or the burning to death of a pregnant woman, for example, it hits a raw nerve due to having roots that are based in fact. And make no mistake, Ms McFadden, doesn't pull any punches in relation to the graphic elements of this novel. It does get the desired response though and I for one, as an Englishman living in America with little knowledge of black history, have felt compelled to spend some time researching slavery and the conditions and situations that the slaves had to endure. I have been educated by this book.
As solid and expertly written as 'Glorious' is there was one element of the story that had me at odds with Easter and how I was supposed to feel about her as a character. In chapter six of the book Easter is a teacher and she proceeds to have sexual relations with a male student who is fifteen years old. The text tells us she assumes him to be older and that is the solitary defense offered when her sexual relationship is ultimately exposed by the boy himself when he moves on to another female. Regardless of the male's cruel intention in my mind that made Easter a sexual predator as she committed statutory rape which, in turn, removed a lot of the sympathy I had for her up until that point. Perhaps that's just a modern day mentality viewing something that perhaps wasn't such a big deal in 1910 or so but it did ultimately change my feelings toward Easter and the immediate aftermath of what occurred.
There's so much more I could share about this novel as I feel I've barely scratched the surface of the content and it's depth but I don't wish my review to appear like an essay, if it hasn't done so already, and so I will leave you with the one word that describes the book and also happens to be its title...glorious.
As in the style of the paragraph above, although far more expertly crafted, the novel begins with a prologue that runs through a series of life changing events that lay the foundations for what will transpire in the life of the main character Easter Bartlett.
A few words if I may regarding the name of the main character. This is a very deep novel that, at first, seemed like it would be a very quick read as Ms McFadden's writing style was very fast paced. Yet there is so much depth within the story that I found myself purposely stopping at the end of each chapter and musing upon what I had just read. Think of reading this book as being on an train journey if you will...one can go from city A through city E directly and enjoy the commute. However, if the passenger takes the time to stop off at locations B, C and D along the way then that passenger will get far more out of the journey and learn a few things along the way. It's with this in mind that I get back to the main character, Easter. Easter, in terms of the religious holiday, is a day born out of the despair and anguish of the crucifixion of Jesus of Nazareth but culminating in the joy of His resurrection. His resurrection signified a new beginning and the washing away of sin. The character name of Easter then is no simple coincidence as her journey is one born of despair and anguish yet it ultimately leads to redemption in her life. It's a simple connection yet a connection that can be easily missed if one just hurtles through this novel like the proverbial express train to New York.
One thing you will either love or hate about this novel is the constant evolution of Easter signified by her constant upheaval from one location to the next. As she is moving from one geographical place to another the characters Easter interacts with come and go from the novel very quickly. In the case of the performer Rain (another name that is expertly chosen by McFadden) I found this disheartening as I was loving the character so much. In Rain the author has a character with history, depth and unique substance and I can only hope Ms McFadden has plans to reintroduce Rain, perhaps as a main character, in a future novel as I'm certain there are many stories to be told regarding that character.
I mentioned at the beginning of this post that this novel has haunted me. Now bear in mind that I am an avid reader of horror and have been since I was a young teen more than twenty years ago. However, what constitutes real horror is the context in which the horrific action takes place. For instance, watching a horror movie where Jason decapitates an annoying college student does not hold the same power as a real life hostage being decapitated by his Al Qaeda captives. As such, when 'Glorious' deals with the rape of a child or the burning to death of a pregnant woman, for example, it hits a raw nerve due to having roots that are based in fact. And make no mistake, Ms McFadden, doesn't pull any punches in relation to the graphic elements of this novel. It does get the desired response though and I for one, as an Englishman living in America with little knowledge of black history, have felt compelled to spend some time researching slavery and the conditions and situations that the slaves had to endure. I have been educated by this book.
As solid and expertly written as 'Glorious' is there was one element of the story that had me at odds with Easter and how I was supposed to feel about her as a character. In chapter six of the book Easter is a teacher and she proceeds to have sexual relations with a male student who is fifteen years old. The text tells us she assumes him to be older and that is the solitary defense offered when her sexual relationship is ultimately exposed by the boy himself when he moves on to another female. Regardless of the male's cruel intention in my mind that made Easter a sexual predator as she committed statutory rape which, in turn, removed a lot of the sympathy I had for her up until that point. Perhaps that's just a modern day mentality viewing something that perhaps wasn't such a big deal in 1910 or so but it did ultimately change my feelings toward Easter and the immediate aftermath of what occurred.
There's so much more I could share about this novel as I feel I've barely scratched the surface of the content and it's depth but I don't wish my review to appear like an essay, if it hasn't done so already, and so I will leave you with the one word that describes the book and also happens to be its title...glorious.
January 30, 2022
I always get drawn in on Jim Crow South, the Civil Rights, and the Harlem Renaissance era. These three things can pull me into reading a book and Bernice L. McFadden's writing of this book was able to flow easily. Ms. McFadden grabs you from the powerful prologue, and I couldn't stop reading. There are some heart-wrenching moments and some angry moments. I wanted a little more from some of the characters towards the end. But other than that, well done, Ms. Bernice L. McFadden.
June 6, 2014
There is something that Bernice McFadden does with her main characters that just clenches at every emotion I cycle through while reading her novels. She lets them live on the page, and by live, I mean she lets them experience all the grit, grime and gore the beautifully flawed world she paints offers. Her characters are honest while allowing their truths to expose the reality real life has set out before them.
In Glorious, McFadden's Protagonist Easter cycles through life battered, worn, and often broken, but always getting up, and standing even more erect than before. One might question the appeal of such characters and stories, but those that would question fail to understand the resilience that continues to nourish those who face injustice and inequality on a daily basis. We need McFadden's stories to remind us of a past too easily swept under the rug of fear and complacency. McFadden won't let us forget the untold stories, the invisible people and a world cloaked in forgivable shame.
Easter, a fully realized character, is also a representation of a creative soul longing to have its voice, not only heard, but, remembered, long after it's put to rest. Easter's story is familiar to anyone who has ever wondered what happened to a vanished heroine. Spanning a lifetime, Glorious tells the story of one woman's search for a place to belong. Who does she belong to, where does she belong to and when does she belong to? Time and place are explored so vividly from the south to the north.
McFadden's research is extensive, as well as extremely informative. For those who are fans of Zora Neale Hurston, Langston Hughes, and the Harlem Renaissance, this is a must read.
In Glorious, McFadden's Protagonist Easter cycles through life battered, worn, and often broken, but always getting up, and standing even more erect than before. One might question the appeal of such characters and stories, but those that would question fail to understand the resilience that continues to nourish those who face injustice and inequality on a daily basis. We need McFadden's stories to remind us of a past too easily swept under the rug of fear and complacency. McFadden won't let us forget the untold stories, the invisible people and a world cloaked in forgivable shame.
Easter, a fully realized character, is also a representation of a creative soul longing to have its voice, not only heard, but, remembered, long after it's put to rest. Easter's story is familiar to anyone who has ever wondered what happened to a vanished heroine. Spanning a lifetime, Glorious tells the story of one woman's search for a place to belong. Who does she belong to, where does she belong to and when does she belong to? Time and place are explored so vividly from the south to the north.
McFadden's research is extensive, as well as extremely informative. For those who are fans of Zora Neale Hurston, Langston Hughes, and the Harlem Renaissance, this is a must read.
February 28, 2016
This starts out as a rich, tragic, and almost allegorical story, and while I feel it lost momentum about two-thirds through (which also might have been my fault because I put it down for a couple of days), it's a terrific story and an excellent read.
Easter is such an interesting character, and she walks through this story with an anger, sadness, and resignation that could be seen as emblematic of her generation; but it is also so specific to her as a woman, which is the only way a story like this can work. It can't only be a representation, and McFadden knows this, so she gives us a woman who is full and deep and unique, but who also carries the burden of Black womanhood during a time when being neither was easy (not that it's easy now...).
In the first third of the book, I drew some comparisons to Jerzy Kosinski's The Painted Bird, primarily because of the way the narrator watched Easter experience horror, and because of the graphic nature of the horrors themselves. The story moves away from this a bit as Easter becomes a more specific character, a real woman within the world of the story. I'm glad of this turn, though it would have also been interesting to see her as a figurehead for the horrors of the time.
If I could wholeheartedly recommend anything about this book, it's the narration by Alfre Woodard. I don't think I'd even need to say anything more than it's narrated by Alfre Woodard, because she's pretty amazing, but I'll tell you that whatever amazing narration you're imagining her doing, it's even better. Her voice is low and strong, melodious, and perfect. And her white-woman voice reading Meredith is per-fect-ion.
Easter is such an interesting character, and she walks through this story with an anger, sadness, and resignation that could be seen as emblematic of her generation; but it is also so specific to her as a woman, which is the only way a story like this can work. It can't only be a representation, and McFadden knows this, so she gives us a woman who is full and deep and unique, but who also carries the burden of Black womanhood during a time when being neither was easy (not that it's easy now...).
In the first third of the book, I drew some comparisons to Jerzy Kosinski's The Painted Bird, primarily because of the way the narrator watched Easter experience horror, and because of the graphic nature of the horrors themselves. The story moves away from this a bit as Easter becomes a more specific character, a real woman within the world of the story. I'm glad of this turn, though it would have also been interesting to see her as a figurehead for the horrors of the time.
If I could wholeheartedly recommend anything about this book, it's the narration by Alfre Woodard. I don't think I'd even need to say anything more than it's narrated by Alfre Woodard, because she's pretty amazing, but I'll tell you that whatever amazing narration you're imagining her doing, it's even better. Her voice is low and strong, melodious, and perfect. And her white-woman voice reading Meredith is per-fect-ion.
January 7, 2014
Call me greedy. I want more.
The prologue of this novel is one of the best I have ever read. It is brilliant, heartwrenching, and eloquent. It reminded me why McFadden in one of my favorite authors. Easter Bartlett quickly etched herself into my mind and I wanted to follow her on her journey through life.
Easter starts in the harsh and hate-filled south and after much heartbreak and some indiscretion eventually works her way to Harlem. She is a writer in the right place and the right time, or so it would seem.
McFadden weaves in historic figures such as Marcus Garvey, A'lelia Walker, and Langston Hughes. They add depth and detail to Easter's story but are not the main focus in any way. Glorious is all about Easter, and for the first half of the novel, I couldn't get enough of her tale.
Problem is that by the time I finished the book, I still didn't have enough of her story. Some of the story lines seemed abandoned or rushed through and that is a shame.
Overall, this was still a good read. McFadden provided a glimpse into a unique literary period and I am grateful to have read it. I will read more of her work in the near future I am sure.
The prologue of this novel is one of the best I have ever read. It is brilliant, heartwrenching, and eloquent. It reminded me why McFadden in one of my favorite authors. Easter Bartlett quickly etched herself into my mind and I wanted to follow her on her journey through life.
Easter starts in the harsh and hate-filled south and after much heartbreak and some indiscretion eventually works her way to Harlem. She is a writer in the right place and the right time, or so it would seem.
McFadden weaves in historic figures such as Marcus Garvey, A'lelia Walker, and Langston Hughes. They add depth and detail to Easter's story but are not the main focus in any way. Glorious is all about Easter, and for the first half of the novel, I couldn't get enough of her tale.
Problem is that by the time I finished the book, I still didn't have enough of her story. Some of the story lines seemed abandoned or rushed through and that is a shame.
Overall, this was still a good read. McFadden provided a glimpse into a unique literary period and I am grateful to have read it. I will read more of her work in the near future I am sure.
June 4, 2010
This was a decent read though I kept asking myself whose story is this? Easter's, Rain's, Meredith's, Nancy's, Horace's ...whose? I ask because I never did quite believe that Easter's story was strong enough to carry the book. I never did get invested in the plot nor did I find a strong main theme/plot. I purchased this book based on the strength of McFadden's previous works. I am a fan of her writing and will continue to support her work I just didn't feel the fire and passion that she usually has pouring out of this story.
September 22, 2015
Bernice McFadden writes the kind of fiction I enjoy--stories full of love, loss, and life. I found this book impossible to put down and felt the words on the pages come to life as I read. I am adding this book to my list of favorites and am so glad I spent a few hours with Easter and company. This book, for me, was more than a good read, it was an experience, an event. Highly recommend!
Adrienne Thompson
Author of Summertime (A Novella)
Adrienne Thompson
Author of Summertime (A Novella)
December 24, 2021
Bernice McFadden's story telling and Alfre Woodard's reading voice made this story "exceptional". I loved it!
12/23/2021- (4.5 Stars)- Reread. I think I enjoyed it even more the second time. Like someone else stated, “I wanted more.�
Bernice McFadden is an terrific writer and Alfre Woodard’s voice was a lovely bonus.
12/23/2021- (4.5 Stars)- Reread. I think I enjoyed it even more the second time. Like someone else stated, “I wanted more.�
Bernice McFadden is an terrific writer and Alfre Woodard’s voice was a lovely bonus.
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