Lawd Today! (Northeastern Library of Black Literature) [Paperback]

Richard Wright (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 15, 1986 | Series: Northeastern Library of Black Literature

Back in its original unabridged form, a novel of Depression-era Chicago.

--This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Paperback: 230 pages
• Publisher: Northeastern; Northeastern University Press ed edition (November 15, 1986)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0930350995
• ISBN-13: 978-0930350994
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 5.1 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,679,883 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Richard T. Wright holds a Ph.D in biology from Harvard University and is professor emeritus of biology at Gordon College in Wenham, Massachusetts. He is the author of numerous scholarly articles and is widely sought as a lecturer in biology and ecology.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A style ahead of the author's time, December 30, 1999

By 

Tom Butler "draftleader" (tallahassee, FL USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Lawd Today! (Northeastern Library of Black Literature) (Paperback)

Publishers turned down "Lawd Today!" when Richard Wright was alive. Reading it shows that they didn't appreciate its style. "Lawd Today!" is a fast-flowing look at one day in the life of a black man living in 1930s Chicago who is undone by his vices. Wright (who always felt himself to be an outsider) showed his dismay with the way many black people lived, not only because of discrimination, but because of their manners and mores brought north with them from Southern roots. The tale of a black postal worker draws on Wright's experience working in a Chicago mail-sorting facility (and after reading this you may understand why some people "go postal"). Set on Lincoln's birthday, Wright contrasts the morning reading of the Emancipation Proclomation over the radio with the decline and fall of his character. You might be unable to put down this book without finishing it - not because it is gripping, but because it moves fast and sure.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Not Great, but Wright's Talent Shows..., May 3, 2005

By 

K.A.Goldberg (Chicago) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Lawd Today! (Northeastern Library of Black Literature) (Paperback)

This early novel by Richard Wright (1908-1960) went unpublished until after he died. This is far from Wright's best work, yet these pages show his stunning talent for descriptive prose. The story centers on a day in the life of a rather crude Chicago postal worker in the 1930's. He begins his morning by arguing with his wife. At work, he argues with his boss, then after work he gambles and drinks. Finally, he returns home drunk and beats his wife. That's hardly the best of tales. Still, Wright captures the sights and sounds of Chicago and its transplanted black community that had arrived up from the South with his gripping, readable prose.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An unforgettable novel, full of life, April 16, 2005

By 

L.O.A. Reader (Newtown PA, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Lawd Today! (Northeastern Library of Black Literature) (Paperback)

This novel, which traces a day in the life of an African-American postal service worker during the 1930's, is full of life, humor, irony, brutality, and looming tragedy. It is written vividly and clearly; it is a page-turner. Like all real life people at some level, Jake is a conflicted, paradoxical person. Those who would stand in judgment of Jake based on his brutal treatment of his wife at the outset of the novel may not be able to develop any interest in or sympathy with him as the novel progresses; they may despise him and perhaps then see the novel as pointless or repulsive. Most of the novel is about Jake's miserable postal service job and his close relationship with three close black friends who make his life bearable, two of whom also appear to be doomed. I found the novel mesmerizing, brilliantly written, and compelling for the most part. I particularly loved the portion that described what happened at Jake's monotonous, demanding job, and how he and his friends were able to somehow transcend the misery of it. But, naturally, because I cared about all of the characters (Jake's wife, Jake, his three friends) I hoped for them to find a way out of their dead-end, tragic situations -- knowing full well that such a happy resolution could not possibly be in store. I found a great deal of momentary joy and brilliant laugh-out-loud humor in the novel, as the characters found ways to transcend their unhappiness through close fellowship and "fun" -- even though some of these joyful activities were only hastening their doom. I would highly recommend this novel, but not for the judgmental or faint of heart. I couldn't give it five stars because of the grim beginning and end, but I also understand that these parts of the novel may have been realistic and necessary in Wright's conception and may create the ultimate meaning and impact of the novel. I don't know quite what it all means (it is just describing life as it is), but I'm glad I read it and feel I was enriched by the experience.