Customer Reviews

Blanche among the Talented Tenth

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I liked this Blanche book a lot more than I liked the first one, Blanche On The Lam. Whereas I found the ending to the first book in the series a bit too much like a soap opera plot this mystery was far more satisfying. The Blanche books are extremely well-written and Ms. Neely consistently addresses class, social, gender and ethnic issues that I, as a gay white male, would never have considered based upon my own experiences, though I can often relate to what she says. For that reason alone the Blanche books are worth reading. However, for my tastes the Blanche books are a bit too tedious. I read mysteries for the fun of it and the first two Blanche books just didn't have the action I crave to keep me up past my bedtime rapidly turning pages. However, as I mentioned earlier, the "educational" factor alone was enough to interest me and Ms. Neely is a good writer who knows how to richly develop characters. I'm sure I'm hooked enough to continue with the series.

As a reader of three mystery novels a week (average), I know there isn't much new in the plotting of a book--the formula is pretty familiar to me. But this is one novel in which I didn't want the mysteries to be solved, because then the book would end. Blanch would take her adopted children and her all-too-normal middle-aged frustrations and go home from the posh resort--and I would lose a friend. Blanche and I don't share an ethnic or social background, but we sure do share a lot of frustrations with teenaged children, social climbers, middle-aged bodies, and fickle men.

And, it's Blanche's quick wit and humanity that enables her to solve the mystery at the same time she provides a valuable insight into her life and values, and into my own.

If you've ever been to Martha's Vineyard you will understand how thoroughly she described the African-American society in this book from your own personal experience. I enjoyed how she had trepidation about describing what she did for a living to the upper crust of the community. I enjoyed her personal intuitive tug-of-war regarding the pros & cons of dating a local man. Most importantly, as a woman, she was great at picking up clues and reading human nature. This was generally enjoyable nevertheless one may find it difficult as your personal pain resurfaces when she describes her personal experiences at being teased because she's dark skinned or the negative experiences or teasing of being light-skinned.

Blanche White is an extremely dark-skinned african american woman who goes through life without suffering fools well and not caring what others think. The talented tenth, as described by W.E.D Du Bois is " The talented Tenth of the Negro race must be made leaders of thougth and missionaries of culture among their people... The Negro race, like all other races, is going to be saved by its exceptional men." That has been interpreted over the years as the more people in the race who look, act, and entertain and an old southern republican the better. Blanche goes to Amber Cove to go on a little vacation and to spend time with her kids. Amber Cove is owened by the Talented Tenth. Bright -light-skinned black people who are probably more racist that most bigots. When Blanche gets there she feels madly out of place, she isnt light, she isnt rich, and she doesnt care. the day Blanche gets there she over hears people talking about a woman who died. Along her stay there she meets some wonderfu characters, Mattie, Tina, Hank, Carol , and Stu, her love interest. WHen Hank commits suicide out of the blue he leaves Carol, his wife, damn near catatonic. Mattie, his friend, awe struck and Blanche confused. Blnache among the talented tenth is the struggle that image-concious black people go through to keep themselves considered among the 'Talented Tenth.'

The characters in this book were very believeable. I fell in love with this book, and found myself not able to put it down I finished it in one day. The author did a good job of developing the characters and I had no idea how the book would end up, which I liked. There is nothing worse than a predictable ending in a book. Blanche is a loveable sleuth and overall person, and I love the way she sticks it to those uppity members of the talented tenth. This book is not only a thrilling mystery, but a great social commentary, about class prejudice. The talented tenth theory is a joke and this book and history proves that. Great writing!!!! Two thumbs up.

Blanche White is without peer in the detective mystery genre. She is a dedicated domestic worker who seems to meander into situations most us strive to avoid. In no small measure (being extremely inquisitive, make that downright nosy), is at the root of all her predicaments. In this outing, author Barbara Neely, through the thoughts of her heavyset heroine, takes intra-racial classicism to task.

Blanche is on a vacation/ research outing amongst upper class blacks in a small resort community on the coast of Maine. She is anxious to see what it is about peer influence that has resulted in perceptible attitudinal changes in her two wards, Taifa and Malik. Once she arrives on site, she is immediately confronted by the not so secret and yet existent stratification of the black community, color consciousness. As with first novel of the series, Blanche happens to fall into a mystery but equally as consistent, that aspect of the book takes a back seat to a wealth of commentary regarding economic disaffectedness and prejudice. The difference is, in this instance it is black against black, or more accurately, light denigration of dark.

This book is as formulaic as the first, and for that matter the third, only the enmity normally directed towards white antagonists has been redirected inwardly against segments of the black community. While much of what Blanche observes and encounters rings true, like the other stories, it is in balance where the book is lacking. As I have noted with the others in the series I have reviewed, fans looking for a well developed mystery may come away disappointed.

Read this book because it is well written and has interesting characters, not because of the "who done it" aspects as there are few.

i met barbara neely when she came to san francisco earlier this month to promote her new novel. she was warm, ebuillient, and was eager to explain the writing process and signed autographs, without a fuss....

i loved this novel. blanche is an uncommon sluth who proves that mother wit can carry you just as well as book learning. and blanche proves her point nicely as she deals with the vacationers at a maine resort. neely also touches on the issues of racism within the black race ( color consciouness ) and dillemmas between the rich and poor. blanche is not another woman fretting about not having a man, but neely shows blanche to be a desirable, witty and charming woman. neely also points out with uncompromising honesty how blacks do what they can to survive in white society. i also admire neely for the references she makes to the goddess religions and african=american culture. she shows black readers there are other alternatives to christianity....

I read this book after reading "...On the Lamb." Both books are good reading and hold your attention until the end. Neely keeps you coming back for more.

I love the character, Blanche White, an "accidental detective." I was mesmerized by the book. I read it in just a day. It was an excellent fiction novel on "black" social/culture society. (I lived the first 22 of my 45 years of the bourgeoisie class. Today, I am working middle-class.) But, the novel was weak on the mystery-side, as far as a "who done it?" Regardless, I will seek out Barbara Neely's earlier novel, Blanche on the Lam.