Promising ... This is an ambitious first book and, perhaps to his credit, Franklin never lets a single theme or narrative element overwhelm it ... The story is ostensibly told in a close third-person voice, a blurry synthesis of Smith’s perceptions and Franklin’s editorializing ... Third-person smudging distances the reader from Smith, rendering his plight less involving ... Nevertheless, Franklin has plenty to say, and he articulates it forcefully.
It’s fine for a character with means to be a little low-energy, but he veers close to bland ... At its most gripping, Great Black Hope investigates these ideas head-on rather than gesturing at them ... Franklin is certainly a beautiful stylist, but often his sentences feel like they’re trying very hard to make you think so ... The momentum Great Black Hope starts with, the idea that Smith is usually protected because of his family, but not because of his race, and the far-reaching corners of addiction, all but fizzles out in its last few pages.
A novel stuffed with witty, keen observations about the intersection of race, class, gender, and sexuality, imbued with a sharp wit that places Franklin in the company of such astute social observers as Edith Wharton and Henry James, and a must for readers of contemporary literary fiction.
