Customer Reviews

Break Any Woman Down

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

 

 

I appreciate the honesty and bravery of these stories. Dana Johnson's writing is sensual and realistic. She approaches issues and topics that are difficult: namely race, class and sex. She writes about straddling cultures in a poignant, nuanced manner. She does not stray from writing about sex.

Her range of characters is impressive. She gives voice to characters that we don't usually get to hear from, and her characters have dignity. The characters seemed real and I cared about what happened to them. I love that. "Melvin in the Sixth Grade", "Three Ladies Sipping Tea in a Persian Garden", and "Markers" are my favorite stories in this collection.

Dana Johnson is a brave, adept writer. I look forward to reading more from her.

Kudos to Dana Johnson for crafting an unforgettable read! The characters from "Break Any Woman Down: Stories" leapt from the pages and spent some time in my bedroom, entertaining me, challenging me, haunting me.

I look forward to reading subsequent works by Ms. Johnson.

Let me point out that you don't need to be Black to enjoy these stories, though clearly, Dana Johnson is a pro at depicting the black experience. She's also great at depicting other races. My favorite thing about this collection is the diversity. These stories are so refreshing in contrast to the in your face, street erotica, or the chick lit that is so popular now. Dana Johnson leaves you hungry for more. She wets the appetite for more stories that make you revisit your childhood. She warms the body when describing a sex scene. Her writing is both tasteful and beautiful. I look forward to a novel by this author.

Melvin in the Sixth Grade: I'm crazy about youthful stories and this one took on an odd turn by kids not only not liking both main characters, but a schoolgirl crush and race also factor in. Why he smokes so young is odd, but the story is realistic and touching.

Three Ladies Sipping Tea in a Persian Garden: This story is about the strength of women and friendship, regardless of different cultures. I didn't really care for this story in which women flashed each other for fun, called each other b**tches, and the two white women were so playfully jealous over the black woman's brown skin. I honestly don't understand the whole tanning procedure, but as a chocolate black woman, I may never understand why it's so important to roast in the sun.

Break Any Woman Down: As much as I hate erotica fiction, I really liked this story about a stripper and a porno actor. It made sense in the way that men view women in relationships and it sparked the sensual interests that erotica fiction fails.

Mouthful of Sorrow: It bothered me that the writer was telling me what to think and talking to me like I knew her. When I reached the scene about killing a cat, this story had already failed. I hated it because of the latter situation, and the ending was twisted too.

Hot Pepper: This was another strong story about how youth view grown-ups and mature topics like domestic violence. I could read this again without tiring.

Clay's Thinking: I am absolutely crazy about this story. I admire how authentic the author's voice is from a man's point of view. The story is about a man's take on being with a woman who has another man, and she hit it right on the head! Great story. I could read this over again.

Bars: This is another story whre the author tells me what to think, but it's so humorous and the author is such a CHARACTER that I forget about the manipulation. A woman goes to meet a man who's passing (literally) and realizes she's a walking contradiction as well (or maybe not?)

Something to Remember Me By: Although I like the author's versatility, the aggressiveness of one of the main characters bothers me. It seems like he loves to man handle her and that I cannot get into. I didn't like this story because I'm guessing I was supposed to feel sorry for the guy because he was sick but he was so rough that I felt more like "Can't wait till you're gone!"

Markers: This story is too familiar to me, like I've read it somewhere before. It's about an interracial couple who is having problems dealing with each others' family and friends, along with their own cultural differences. The story was okay, but I thought the main character was kinda spoiled.

Overall, I thought the author did a great job of weaving in taboo topiocs like gay relationships, AIDS, interracial relationships, domestic violence, and murder. It caught me offguard but I love the author's style of writing and I would recommend her short stories (especially "Clay's Thinking").

It's hard to believe that the nine stories in Break Any Woman Down were written by the same author. Not since Salinger or Carver have we seen an author adopt so many fresh and clear and imaginative voices in the same collection- they're permanently stuck with me- make me want to tear up the New Yorker and open the book again and again, dive into the powerful, often erotic, always realistic prose. Dana Johnson is a sincere young writer who deserves every bit of the Flannery O'Connor award for short fiction, a writer to be recognized.

Dana Johnson has great characterization and style. The work is entertaining (surprisingly erotic at times) and a good way to kill an hour or two. Throughly enjoyable stuff.

I loved this book - couldn't put it down as it had me from the first page, and I finished it in an after noon. I bought a few copies for some women friends as well, knowing how much they could relate to it. Ms. Johnson has the rarest gift of weaving stories that make us laugh, cry and even cringe when we recognize ourselves in so many of the characters.
I look forward to reading more from Dana Johnson. Truly a great read.

Dana Johnson's characters embody the cultural touchstones of many of us in our thirties and forties -- school integration, young women who must decide whether to be supported by and supportive of a man or strike out on their own, and, a society in which sex is easy to find and love elusive.

The stories in "Break Any Woman Down" occur in the new, multicultural America. A friend or lover might be from any ethnic background. Immigrant associates from Iran or Italy are as common as parents from down South. Some of the stories turn on the tensions inherent in straddling cultural lines. However, the commonalities that bind people are not overlooked. Friendship is a recurring theme, whether overtly or subtlely. For example, in "Melvin in the Sixth Grade," the schoolgirl protagonist must choose between her dream of acceptance by most of her new white classmates and loyalty to the one friend she actually has. In "Break Any Woman Down," an older, but not necessarily wiser, protagonist becomes the odd woman out in a threesome of friends bound by love -- and jealousy.

Another hallmark of Johnson's writing is an explicit approach to sexuality. I have rarely seen the topic written about with such unabashed directness in domestic realism.

This is not a perfect book. My major criticism is the characters often seem to lack substance. Their conversations tend to be too vacuous. One gets the feeling that much of what really matters to the characters is remaining unsaid, probably because the writer does not know how to express it in dialogue.

Still, Johnson has my interest and empathy. As someone from the same multicultural milieu she hails from, I can vouch for the authenticity of how she depicts our lives. I look forward to new and better works from this writer.

Unfortunately, I did not adequately research which book to choose for my Adolescent Literature class, and I chose "Break Any Woman Down" as my "Adult Best-Seller" that could be used in a high-school English class. This book is definitely not for children, not mine, at least.
The first story was beautiful, bringing me into the story of the young black girl in white suburbia. This story would be great for my class, especially since my school is predominately white, with a small percentage of black students. Past that, however, the subject matter was too adult. There is one story about a stripper and a pornographic film star that addresses the issue of jealousy very well; it would not be appropriate for minors.
I loved the book and was impressed by the variety of characters (many different ethnicities) and issues. It was a quick read and I would recommend it to my adult colleagues.