Customer Reviews

Men of Brewster Place

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(8)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(7)

 

 

I just finished THE MEN OF BREWSTER PLACE YESTERDAY and while I enjoyed some elements of the book, I was also left confused. 1st I saw the film THE WOMEN OF BREWSTER PLACE before I read the book. I seemed to me the film was set in the mid to late 1960s. The WOBP novel seemed to be set in that era as well. So with TMOBP I thought it would be set parallel to time of the prior novel, but it appears to be set in the future (mid 1980s w/some flashbacks) but sometimes it did not make sense. For ex. C.C. Baker appeared to be in his late teens in the first book and movie and he is still the same age in this book. If it was set in the 1980s he would be pushing forty years-old maybe. Also some references to crack,AIDS seem more contemporary and the name Hakim was very unusual if he was C.C.'s older stepbrother and the era was the 1960s. I just don't know. Overall the book was not great but it did not suck, I enjoyed TWOBP much,much more.

Was Gloria just trying to get a book out to compete with the barrage of fiction being released by black writers or what? She could not have been seriously thinking that this book was of any value.

The characters were week. The storylines were not in line with the way they were portrayed in the Women of Brewster Place.

I got this book when it first came out. I read it quickly and nearly tossed it down in disgust. I went to the post office and mailed it to my best friend because I wanted to see if I was crazy for thinking it was so bad (but I didn't want her to waste the money herself).

I was truly disappointed. I expected so much more from one of my favorite writers of the 80's. I know she can do better because she has on all previous attempts.

The Men of Brewster Place is in no way better than The Women of Brewster Place; but it is relevant for one reason: it satisfies the curiosity of those who wanted to know the fate of the men who had such serious effects on the women from Gloria Naylor's previous book.

Naylor does some backtracking to link the former novel to this one. For someone like myself who just got finished reading The Women of Brewster Place right before this one, the rehashing of dialogue and former events becomes tiresome. I guess it's necessary for those who choose to read this book before its sister novel.

The stories of the men are also not as compelling. Ben, the drunk, acts as our narrator. Being the former super, he has some comment about each of the men portrayed.

We find out what happened to Basil after he deserted his mother.

We find out what happened to Eugene after he deserted Ceil.

We find out what happened to Moreland Woods after he deserted Etta.

Well, you get the point. There was a lot of desertion going on, which is an all too realistic happening regarding the black family.

Each man's story is not necessarily on the same time line as the others. We're shown events that happened before the events in Women...,and some that happen 3 to 10 years after. I think The Women of Brewster was published in 1982 and took place during the same period. The Men...was published long after 1982, and you can tell. There's an awkward blending from the first book to this one that still feels disconnected.

I found Eugene's story the most interesting, which is fitting considering he was probably the most despicable character next to CC Baker. You'll find out why he acted the way he did.

Bottom line: An average book but necessary for those who wanted more closure after either reading or watching the events affecting the women who lived on Brewster.

Brewster Place has been the home of many ethnic groups who have come and gone. Now crumbling and decayed this street shares with its readers the stories of its Black inhabitants. You first heard the story about the women of Brewster Place but now the men tell their story.

Our narrator is Ben, the janitor, who takes us introduces the various men and their lives on the condemned street. The reader gets a glimpse of each man as they unfold before us the complicated circumstances of their lives. Gloria Naylor could have given the reader some great insights on the feelings and struggles of these Black men. What the reader is given are undeveloped characters who deserved more depth. The reader gets lost in attempting to figure out how and if these men relate to one another and to the street that they inhabit.

Unfortunately most of the men come across as negative characters. Mooreland Woods is your stereotypical black preacher hungry for power. Ben allows his crippled daughter to be sexually assaulted by a white man while he does nothing. C.C. Baker is your typical drug gang banger out to make a name for himself. In fact the only good man of the lot is Abshu who tries to fight for the young people in his community only to find himself against a brick wall.

As a reader you are so bombarded with these negative images that you wonder what is the message of hope, if any is given in this text? Is Naylor implying that Black men are unable to combat the physical, emotional and spiritual obstacles that come their way? If so, Black people are in trouble.

It would be unfair to compare this work with its predecessor but Naylor could have done a better job in her characterizations in this work. The Men of Brewster Place is a weak work due to its failure to offer one the stories of men who should have more depth. I recommend this book for those who are Naylor fans and wish to see her development through the course of her writing. The book has its possibilities but comes up short. Purchase it for a quick read. It is not the best of Naylor's works but should be examined for its weaknesses and strengths (if they can be found).

Forget the fact that it was a woman who wrote the book. Granted, I am not a big fan of Ms. Naylor's books, but it was something about this one that made me think twice. I found it to be a quick and enjoyable read. The best part was that it wasn't a complete story so much as updates of a few of the men who inhabited Brewster Place, even if it was for a short time. The highlights were bringing back Basil, who ran out on his mother after she paid his bail and stayed on the run for years, finally coming home after her death and wanting to atone for his misdeeds by trying to reform a young mother of two, who has no parenting skill at all. Next, CeCe Baker is captured and interrogated by the police for a murder done for the loyality of his gang. Eugene makes a return to explain why his marriage to Ceil was off and on, until the day came he could no longer return to her and be the husband she deserved. Ben also makes an apperance for a couple of stories, even though he was killed in THE WOMEN OF BREWSTER PLACE. Among these gems are short stories of new characters that are as varied in personality and lifestyles, yet all are a part of the neighborhood that will soon be destroyed as part of campaign for renovations. The short story format may put off some readers, others will find it a necessary evil to keep up updated on those familar stomping grounds that became so famous years ago.

I felt that Gloria Naylor dropped the ball for this book. There were brief glimpses of her remarkable writing style that had you captivated in The Women of Brewster Place and Linden Hills. But, somehow the flame never caught fire with "Men" and I felt as if I were reading detailed charcterizations. Nothing tied in together -- and the ending left you dangling dangerously. I think that the book would be a good example on how not to write a sequel.

I love Gloria Naylor's literary style and her characters are always fascinating. I enjoyed the individual stories of the men but felt at the end that I couldn't really see a connection in their lives. I haven't read "Women of Brewster Place" yet but will pick that one up soon and see how it compares.

Men of Brewster's Place seemed very flat to me. I had a very hard time getting involved with the story or even caring about the characters. I thought Mama Day by Naylor was a phenominal book! When I read that book, I fell in love with Naylor's writing style, and I even enjoyed Bailey's Cafe and Women of Brewster's Place. When I compare Men of Brewster's Place with Mama Day, the two books seem to have been written by two different authors. Men of Brewster's Place does in no way show the wonderful writing talents of Naylor.

This book is the worst book I have ever read. First I was confused why Basils mother died before he set things right, This was one of the main men I wanted to see set thing right with his mom. It gets worse, The book is very hard to read she jumps around alot from Ben, to other charcters. I had to force myself to read it and trust me my head still hurts. And the book is only 173 pages long. I wish I have never brought it this book goes off into space and I dont know what the she is talking about. Well trust me dont get this book,if you are looking for a good book to read.

Great things do come in small packages. "The Men of Brewster Place" is a look into the lives on the male side of the street. The novel is narrated, in part, by Ben, a building janitor who is the eyes and ears of the neighborhood. Each chapter portrays the life of a specific character - his beginnings, middle and end. Brother Jerome is cursed with the limitations of mental retardation but is blessed with musical abilities that soothe and comfort the community. Basil devotes himself to an honorable cause in order to assuage the guilt of running away from a problem that destroys his mother's life. Eugene searches for himself and an escape from his wife. He finds both but pays a hefty price. Reverend Woods builds a legacy with the help of his congregation only to have it destroyed by the conscious of the community. C.C. sells his soul to the street in a stupor of confusion about what it is to be a man. Abshu fights to keep Brewster Place alive in the face of political desires to raze the neighborhood and rebuild it for middle income residents.

Naylor has delivered a powerful rendition of these men's existence on Brewster Place. The novel is introspective, layered and succinct. It is a significant achievement on Naylor's part that she is able to accomplish so much in so few pages. Each of the primary characters are fully developed and intricately portrayed. The writing is crisp, imagistic and emotive. Although the lives of the men in this novel may not always end on a happy note, there are powerful lessons that can be learned from each of the men's lives. You simply have to read the other side of the sentence, or hear the quieter voice speaking from the page. The novel closes on the wings of possibility and the certainty of a promise. While this is the first novel that I've read by Gloria Naylor I'm sure it won't be the last. Enjoy!