PositiveForeword ReviewsHis historian’s firsthand long view of the changes in the black American experience is keen. The most intriguing parts of the memoir draw upon the shifts in how Black was treated as a black man in America over time ... He also tackles subjects that have received little exposure in historical discussion, such as the disproportionate number of black American soldiers who were falsely accused of rape by European locals during WWII ... Still, Black’s story was filtered through a second party, and that seems to have diminished his voice. The book relates events in a matter-of-fact tone, with only spotty use of illuminating details or emotional input.
Sarah Léon, Trans. by John Cullen
MixedForeword ReviewsIt’s not quite stream-of-consciousness, but it is evocative in conveying the viewpoint of the characters’ running thoughts. This is a deeply internal novel, with more thought and observed than said or done ... Some of these musings become repetitive. Hermin narrates multiple variations of wondering what happened to change Lenny so much; these seem to pad the short book. References to German Romanticism and classical music are underlined and feel inorganic. Various German phrases and terms are translated in footnotes and lose their mystery. The prose pays close attention to the particulars of the wintry setting and the subtleties of the action and dialogue between its characters. Wanderer is a subdued but emotional story.
