Customer Reviews

By the Light of My Father's Smile: A Novel (Ballantine Reader's Circle)

5 star:		(24)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Alice Walker is one of those writers whose work has the power to reach out and touch you when you need it most. This and I believe many of her other works are meant to be read at certain critical points in a specific persons life. Points when it is necessary to come to terms with a particular complex of issues. I thought it was telling when one reviewer said that the pre-occupation by some of the characters in this book with their personal traumas was unrealistic. Trauma is by its very nature pre-occupying. And what becomes lodged in an individual persons psyche as a result of the trauma they have experienced is typically unique to that individual (no one can judge the magnitude of pain in anothers heart). As a person who has been hurt reading the words of Alice Walker not only lets me know that another is serving as a witness to my pain it also shows me that there is joy waiting behind a door that I hadn't even realized existed. And it is in those moments that I feel truly blessed my her writing. Perhaps this and her other works are not perfect, in truth they are not. But in that moment when she has captured the pain in ones heart and soul, given it voice and a means to move forward who cares if it isn't the perfect novel? I guess those who haven't felt the coldness of a heart alone and bereft. For my part I say thank you Alice and keep writing, at least for me!

By The Light of My Father's Smile explores the past, present, and future connection of the female characters in the novel to their father. Walker uses a multi-voiced approach in revealing the complexities of relationships both parental and romantic. The characters' speak from both life and deaths experiences revealing to the reader that issues not resolved in life must certainly be reconciled in death. Walker delivers insight and wisdom through the use of folklore, and the spiritual philosophy of an ancient Mexican/African tribe. She is able to demonstrate with clarity how male oppression of women, specifically a father's oppression of his daughter, effects a woman emotionally, sexually, and spiritually. A definite must read for the masses.

I knew Alice Walker's name, but had never read her, and thus it was on a whim that I plucked this book from the library shelf.

By the Light of My Father's Smile is easily the best reading I have ever enjoyed. Walker's words are beautiful, grotesque, gentle, raw, passionate,honest. Her lovemaking scenes are intensely physical and emotional; metaphors about life itself and not the characters individually, and deliciously loving. It was refreshing to see a male point of view from a female writer, a male point of view on sexuality, a deceased male point of view on his daughter's intimate lives and his impact therein.

I read this book with no preconceived notions about Walker's writing style, no idea what the context of the book would hold, no expectations of character development, description, or prose--and I'll repeat, this is the best book that I have ever enjoyed. I have returned it to the library, but plan to purchase it to add to my small collection of books that make me feel so good I read them over and over.

I love Alice Walker. She is an exceptional writer. "By the Light of My Father's Smile" is as easy to read as "The Color Purple" and as inspirational as The "Temple of My Familiar." Her ideas about the spirituality of sexuality are so beautiful.

"By the Light of My Father's Smile" gathers up so much of women's history and experience, all previously ignored or misrepresented and takes this history/experience as an important given, uses it to explain our human quest to seek sexual and spiritual fulfillment, to know ourselves. Speaking so honestly about female sexual hurt, female sexual maiming, female sexual shaming within the family, within the father/daughter relationship and imagining a way to heal this experience was powerfully brave of Walker. I felt like I was is a long darkened and forbidden room now amazingly and lovingly explored, revealed. I felt such relief to read this attempt at restoring female sexuality to an altar of acceptance, respect, love, social esteem. It seemed almost possible to live in a society, a family that really could anticipate female sexuality with joy, freedom and respect on an equal footing with male sexual importance. But my awe and gratitude for the subject and Walker's attempt is still tempered by my real sense, in the reading of it, that it was not entirely successful. I'm not sure why. Some of the sexual imagery, the dominating type sexual play in some scenes seemed artificial, unreal. If it were real, it wouldn't be so undisturbing to the participants, it would raise issues, and it would be unsettling, not just accepted as part of their sexual bliss identity.

But over all, the story reads like a fable, a fairy tale, really and that is fine with me. It would be truly a shame for anyone to ignore to gift that Alice has given us through her vision. This book is exquisite to say the very least and the fact that is told from the point of view of a father looking down on his daughter is brilliant. Highly recommend especially for Walker fans.

Alice Walker is truly one of the most gifted writers of our time - this story is no exception. Any woman with a father will relate to this book.

i was completely engrossed into this book. i've read most of Walker's work and this is among the best. she captures you from the first page and you can't put it down. she has a way of telling a story! the end gets sappy, but the perspectives are incredible. i definitely recommend it.

I have read this book several times. The events are startling, the characters are fascinating and unexpected. The story is told from multiple viewpoints, which creates the effect of a flower opening for the reader. The themes of the book are universal: cultural differences, father-daughter relationships, sisters, death, afterlife, sexuality. It's all there! This is not a book for the uptight! For the open-minded only!

Having only read "The Color Purple," I really felt like this was the first thing I'd read by Alice Walker. It took me a while to adjust to her indirect ways of indicating who is narrating, but eventually, I got the "sense" of it, and the story began to flow from there. This book is a great read not just for the story, which is interesting, but really for the deeper issues that the characters confront in a variety of ways.

I don't know why I thought this would be like her book of poetry, "Goodnight WillieLee I'll See You In The Morning." NOT! I was totally taken by the sensuality and depth of this work...and to think that the ancestors watch over us and seek to speak to us. An INCREDIBLE book. Spiritual tidbits sprinkled throughtout that make you stop and think. I LOVED IT!

There are gems in this book, hidden amongst the rather flat, bardo-like excursions through various realities before and after physical death. As contrasted to "The Colour Purple" and "Possessing the Secret of Joy", I found this story to have all the depth of a deflated balloon. Perhaps this is due to the perspective of several key characters -- they, celestial voyeurs, observe the carnal goings-on of those still alive, and comment on humanity's self-inflicted blessings and curses. I got the sense that no one in this story, despite all the sex, really *touched* (except, perhaps, Irene and Susannah, during their marvelous conversations). Brief gems include, "It takes only one lie to unravel the world" and " 'What does it mean to be saved?' 'I think it means becoming aware.' " What I'm left with is an awareness of a sad lack of passion and colour -- if anything, Walker has thoroughly brought home the alienation and loss of soul in both the novel's characters and in European, androcentric culture.