Customer Reviews

The Glory Field

5 star:		(25)
4 star:		(25)
3 star:		(9)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I am not, and never have been, much of a history buff. In fact, it was my least favorite subject throughout school. Therefore, I never expected to enjoy reading The Glory Field.... but I did! Incredibly, I have to say, it is by far one of THE BEST books I've ever read. I immediately found myself drawn into the lives of the characters; wondering which of them would make it, and which ones would not. I'd sit down to read "a few pages", and find myself still reading an hour later. Myers paints a vivid picture of the black slaves' life: their commitment to family, their never-ending belief in God, and their struggle for freedom...and survival. He takes the reader on the journey of a lifetime...from the trip over from Africa on the crowded slave ship, through the days of back-breaking labor in the fields, through the civil rights movement, to the glorious days of owning their own land. The reader finds himself unable to put the book down, connected to this family's journey, and struggling along with them for what's right. My advice: READ this book! Teachers, read it to your students. Moms & Dads, read it to your children. Read it for yourself. You'll be glad you did, and a little more grateful for what you have.

I very much enjoy books that deal with ethnicity and self-discovery. And I'm beginning to enjoy American history at least a little (world history has always held my attention; the United States only has 200 years to work with, see what I mean?).

I could find, however, nothing incredible or amazing about this book. It is typical. Some scenes are mediocre, some are less than mediocre, very few truly caught my interest. Myers' gift (which probably isn't nonexistent, since "Fallen Angels" is quite popular) manifests in the areas of this book that are broad and well-known. I could have written a book of this ilk. All I would have needed to know would be something about slavery, something about the Great Depression. And that's all.

"The Glory Field" seemed to lack detail, and another element which I can't quite put my finger on, but must have something to do with making the novel fall together, into one cohesive tale (with many strands woven into it, characterized by the many family members). Ahhhh...characterized, huh? Well, I could not relate to any of the characters in this book -- I was forced to stretch the truth at school, when on a daily quiz the teacher asked, "Which character could you most relate to?"

I answered Lizzy. I lied.

My history teacher, a very well-read woman who makes everything fall into place, makes everything interesting, once showed us a video on American slavery. It truly was painful to watch. It showed slaves, men and women, scarred, children with faces mature beyond their years. If "The Glory Field" had handled some of these grisly elements -- perhaps not physically, since this is, after all an 8th grade book (and people seem to think my kind are stupid, immature, and can't take reality as it comes), but mentally (Lizzy was there, Lizzy did this, but did Lizzy really think much running away, besides, "I am afraid. But I am elated because I will be free" or about Lem's death and her subsequet marriage to Lem's brother Richard, or about Miss Julia's pampering -- (while Lizzy was thinking about flouncing about Johnson City in white gowns I kept thinking about her being slapped by Miss Julia on one occasion) -- , etc, etc).

Mohammad Bilal's role, also, was not expanded upon. This was somewhat of a relief (I still remember the incredibly boring 6th grade book "Amos Fortune: Free Man"), but later, a disappointment. Where were the people, behind the cardboard cuttout images of American cliches?

The slips in years would have been more tolerable if they characters were realistic, more poignant if the characters were likable (forget realism, then, let's go for liking 'em, Mr. Myers!).

All in all, a passable book... It makes me think, 'Well, if this book got published, I can publish one of my own books, right?' Now, you tell me, is that good or bad? <g>

It was my mom that suggested I read this and boy oh boy I'm glad she did!

Myers goes from generation to generation talking about this one black family--all the way from when they got off the slave ship in the south to living in New York in 1994.

When I first picked up the giant book, I just knew it would be boring. But once I read the first chapter, I just knew it would be interesting.

There area a lot of powerful things in this book and the language is strong (but not in a provocative way) so, I advise only mature readers to read this.

The Glory Field by Walter Dean Myers is an amazing book that tells about slavery and discrimination in the U.S. It takes place in five different generations and in a different situation each time. It starts out in the time of slavery when an ancestor of the family in the book is kidnapped from Africa and brought over as a slave. For two generations, they suffer in slavery. Then after that the family is still discriminated against just because of the color of their skin. In one of the generations, the teenager of the family is trying to get a scholarship from a big college in where he lives. However, after he stands up for his rights in a demonstration that scholarship never comes. This book is a very believable book that can helped to open my eyes to exactly how troubled of a past blacks have had in this country. This book I give four stars. I gave it that for four reasons. One, it is a very believable and detailed book. This book is over 300 pages and only has five main chapters. The detail in this book is great to help you to fully understand the character's situations and what was going on. In addition, it is very believable. The book is not "far-fetched" in anyway. Two, it helped to open my eyes to the aspects and the troubles of blacks' life in the past. They have not had an easy past by any means and what they did endure was for no reason other than their skin. It was not deserved in anyway. Three, this book was not the absolute greatest I have ever read, but it was very good. I enjoyed reading it and could not put it down. Yet, at times the length did seem a little much. This book was not interesting the entire time, and at times did drag on a little. However, for the most part I wanted to keep reading it and all in all, it was a great book.

I thought that this book was overall a good book. I thought at the beginning it was somewhat confusing when it suddenly switched to a different generation but I caught on. This book was not like many other that I, myself have read but it was very well.

The book follows five generations of the Lewis family. In each generation, it focuses on one teenager's life. It follows these generations over a 250-time period, from Africa to South Carolina. It shows that teenagers struggle at that time in the world and what they grow through being an African-American in America. It shows how much it was change since the generation before them.

I think that the thing that did not make this book a perfect five stars was that u did not really get to know each generations teenager. You did not get to know everything about them and their life's, but it was enough to understand what was happening. I think that the book was really well overall and that it was great book to read.
I think that this book is a great book for African-Americans trying to maybe get a little taste of what it was like before their generation. I also think it is a great book for those trying to learn more about the African-American culture. In my conclusion, I will also say that this is a great reading pick.

I read this book when I was in sixth grade. I'm a college freshman now, and I still tell people about this book. It had a real impact on me. It's extremely heart-wrenching, and completely worth a read.

"The Glory Field" is about the Lewis family from when they came over from Africa and started a family on Curry Island, South Carolina. The book tells the story of one person from each generation. The book spans almost 250 years. The book is an example of how the lifestyle of African Americans has changed over the years. Throughout the entire story part of the lewis family owns or works on the same piece of land.

WALTER DEAN MYERS REALLY MAKES YOU THINK IN THIS BOOK...IT SHOWS HOW SLAVERY AFFECTED A FAMILY FROM THE SHIP TO AMERICA TO THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT. IT TAKES YOU INTO THE LIVES OF THOSE OF DIFFERENT TIME PERIODS AND SHOWS HOW A PIECE OF LAND DIVIDED THEM FROM THE WHITE MAN BY BONDED THEIR FAMILY FOREVER.

The Glory Field is a captivating book about a family thats been in this country for nearly 250 years. They saw theie first ancestors captured and brought from Africa as slaves. This land that they have worked on for 250 years, the "Glory Field", hold them together through it all. It reminds them where they have come from. The story starts in 1753 in Sierra Leone, and ends in Harlem in 1994. Members of the Lewis family experience everything from slavery to segrgation in this saga of the Lewis family.

When I picked up the book, I groaned as, since it was a school assignment, it was probably uninteresting. Halfway through Lizzie's story, I couldn't put the book down. Now, in the last section, I wish it could go on. Starting with the escape of Lizzie, it only got better. A must read for ANYONE.