Customer Reviews

Gorilla, My Love

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

The posted reviews make clear that students are being asked to read this book at too young an age. I teach the book to my college students, and they too struggle with the stories, which are sometimes puzzling. At a first go-through, the reader is in the position of the two Northerners in "Mississippi Ham Rider," who go down South to interview a famous blues singer and get tested by locals who won't make the task of locating the singer easy. In fact, the book teaches you how to read it as you move through it. Rarely has a collection of stories been more tightly unified and balanced. The stories vary point of view, and do not reflect the perspective of one person, although some characters come back in various stories.

Perhaps the hardest one in the book is the title story ("Gorilla, My Love"). Here the author uses a difficult stream-of-consciousness style to convey the mental condition of Hazel, a young girl heartbroken to learn that her uncle ("Hunca Bubba") is not going to marry her like he promised he would. Hazel innocently believed that that when you say something, you stick by it. The point of view initially obscures the problem Hazel has, but finally reveals it: she hasn't grown up yet. Bambara introduces difficult flows of thought and unclear words into the story to confuse the reader and make her feel like Hazel does. Thus the reader identifies with the character just by reading the story. (By the way, the film Hazel sees named "Gorilla, My Love" is about the crucifixion of Jesus, and it has no gorilla in it--which is exactly the point: you often don't get what you expect out of life, but must take what it gives and work with it.)

The strongest stories here are "My Man Bovanne," "Gorilla, My Love," "Raymond's Run," "The Hammer Man," "The Lesson" (my personal favorite), and the final story, "The Johnson Girls," which pulls the themes of the book together when Gail stands up and says that as a group, all the women can come up with "a sure-fire program" to help one of them win back the man she wants. That's the author's ultimate message: in isolation we lose out, but together there is nothing we can't accomplish. Of course, Bambara is right.

Bambara's short-story gems are invaluable for letting us look at the world from the view of someone who is more often seen ( and scorned) than heard. This all-too-often ignored narrator is that nameless, smart-ass lower-class girl who is intelligent but limited in her exposure to life.

Bambara seduces us into not only liking these annoying scamps but in seeing that their view of the world can teach us a lot about race, economic injustice, the hidden riches of the 'ghetto' and the sterility of money-obsessed bourgeois culture.

Her stories must be read by everyone--the haves and the have-nots --particularly young black kids who have never connected to school, to reading and are at risk of dropping out. She gives them characters to relate to.

There are beautiful stories in this highly recommended book. The title story and "My Man Bovanne" are two favorites. Poignant, funny, sad, inspiring, these stories are destined to be American classics. Buy this book!

BenB Gorilla, My Love In eighth grade this year each studentwas assigned to read a book by a black author, I chose Gorilla, MyLove by Toni Cade Bambara. While reading Gorilla, My Love , as a class we were reading To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee. From reading both books at the same time I could see that both books had similar themes and ideas. Both books are mainly about racism through the eyes of a young, teenage, girl. However, in To Kill A Mockingbird the main character is white and in Gorilla, My Love she is black. The main character/narrator in all fifteen short stories in Gorilla, My Love is a black girl living in a cramped apartment complex, in a rough and bitter neighborhood. Each story takes place between the thirties up to the fifties, in a place and time that was more racist towards African Americans. By using a young girl growing up in this setting the reader is able to understand what a black girl would go through in her life. The contrast between the two books was really interesting. In both books racism is a large issue but the perspectives are opposite. In To Kill A Mockingbird the view towards racism is told from an "innocent" white girl, who doesn't understand why people are racist. However, in Gorilla, My Love , racism is viewed by a black girl who is fully aware of racism because it has affected her life so much in the short time she has been alive. Most of To Kill A Mockingbird tells us about racism in some way and in Gorilla, My Love every story is about either racism or the way racism has impacted the lives of her family and friends. In The Lesson, which is on of the short stories, Bambara takes on deep moral issues about racism. The story describes a family who tries to shield their daughter from racism whenever possible. When her grandmother takes her to a fancy white toy store the girl wants to buy a toy but the cashier won't let her because she's black, even though the cashier could become more successful, he won't get past his racist beliefs. Bambara writes about many examples showing just how idiotic racism is. I thought Gorilla, My Love was an eight, from a one through ten scale. It has a lot of great ideas and is very easy to understand. At times the book became rather slow and repetitive but short stories like Hammer Manand My Man Bovanne which both were very good, make up for the uninteresting parts. It was intriguing to see how Bambara's writing differed from Lee's and how they have such similar themes and feelings.

These stories moved, entertained and enlightened me more than almost anything else I've ever read. Each story describes different aspects of African-American life. The characters are so vivid and strong that I felt I could see them and, eventually, understand them.

Many of the stories feature young adults and are narrated by them. "Raymond's Run" is read in schools throughout America and the world, but many other of her stories are just as good. Although some of the language is strong, I think Gorilla My Love is suitable for children and will help them grow and understand the world they live in.

I wish Toni Cade Bambara had continued to write stories like these. Her later writing was much more overtly political and maybe not as accessible to most audiences. She died too young, but Gorilla My Love will still be read 100 years from now.

I find it interesting that some reviewers think that this book is too mature for kids to read. This has been one of my favorite books since I was 14. The rhythm and flow of each story are flawless. The voice and language are unique and beautiful . While some stories definitely take the cake (Raymond's Run, The Lesson, Gorilla, My Love), the entire body of work is really quite something. It's just unfortunate that more people don't know about Bambara. While I agree that it may be somewhat unreasonable for 13-year-olds to read this, I don't think it's as far a stretch as some may predict. Sometimes, things make more since when you're younger. Sometimes, you learn something different when you read it at different ages. Either way, this collection does not disappoint, and I'd recommend it to everyone.

I bought this collection of short stories based on "The Lesson," which is a tremendously good short story...one that is at the top of my list of many. However, the rest of the stories, with the exception of "The Hammer Man" fell short for me. Some seemed a little off track and nonsensical, and some, I am sorry to say, seemed a bit banal. Perhaps the problem lies with me and I am simply not making the connections necessary to feel "close" to the literature...
I will always love "The Lesson," and the fact that Bambara's storytelling in authentic black vernacular is raw and unparalleled... but there were stories here, in my opinion, that simply did not move me. When I finish reading something...anything... I expect it to have taught me something new (like a "lesson") or to have made me think differently in one way or another. For the majority of these stories, this just simply did not occur.
Nevertheless, the collection is worth purchasing if only for "The Lesson" and "The Hammer Man."

In 8th grade this year, we were assigned to read the book, To Kill A Mockingbird, by Harper Lee. When reading this book, we were asked to choose another book to read independently. I chose Gorilla My Love, by Toni Bambara. I found that Gorilla My Love and To Kill A Mockingbird share a lot of the same themes, in particular, racism. In this collection of short stories, Bambara writes every story through the eyes of a poor black girl, growing up during a difficult time and in a rough urban neighborhood. Through every story, we are able to understand how an African American girl feels, during different times of her life. In both of these two books, racism is a large issue. However, it is told from two very different perspectives. To Kill A Mockingbird is told by a young white girl, and Gorilla My Love is narrated by a young black girl. Both the characters in these two books are very aware of racism, however, the narrator in Gorilla My Love, takes the issue more personally. Bambara relates to the issue much more than a character like Scout. A White person can easily say "racism is wrong," but they could never understand how a Black person feels, for they have to live with the feeling that someone hates them, everyday if their lives. Every story in Gorilla My Love, is a clip of the narrators point of view on the subject. In the story "My Man Bovanne", Bambara mocks the Black community by portraying a mother as "a b**** in heat" while she dances. However, in the story, "The Hammerhead", Bambara takes the issue of racism very seriously, when her brother is sent to a mental hospital for playing basketball on a court that the white officers claimed as theirs. Bambara makes the reader aware of how a Black person would handle a situation. Reading these two books at the same time was very beneficial. Reading about the issue of racism and hearing it from two very different points of view, helps me better understand it. Hearing how both sides of the situation helps me create an educated opinion of my own. I really enjoyed reading these two stories.

Bambara makes you feel the characters. It was very hard to struggle through, because there aren't really and noticable plots in the majority of her stories.

One question--was there ever a film "Gorilla, My Love"? If not, where did the title come from and what does it mean?