"See Now Then" but maybe not Hear

Rating: 4/10

Jamaica Kincaid's See Now Then is characterized by its distinctive poetic style. Think of Toni Morrison's lyrical way of expressing herself, and you'll be pretty close to the mark. This poetic format is so dramatic and pronounced that it will either appeal to you or cause you to tune out the plot. I personally found the poetic nature to be too present for my tastes. The writing structure was too repetitive for me to be engaged in it. It was apparent that the repetition was an intentional structural device (and my awareness of this fact helped me to appreciate its function), but I still found it too cumbersome. I recognized what this author was trying to do with her writing style and I give her credit for her ability to break the barriers of traditional writing; she experimented with time constructs and showed varying perspectives (although she did not utilize these techniques in a way that struck a chord with me).

Apart from the style, I did not appreciate how negative the book was. The text's back cover stated that the book would discuss the complexity of marriage. It suggested that we would read about both positive and negative aspects of marriage, but the storytelling was simply overwhelmingly negative. Throughout the story, the husband kept calling his wife a b*tch and saying how much he hated her. I found this kind of negativity very difficult to listen to.

Those of you who love audiobooks will want to strongly consider this next part of the review. This is a story that I listened to rather than read in the printed form. I wish that I had chosen to read the book instead. Although it is usually a treat to have the author read the story to his/her readers, in this case, it brought about more confusion than joy. The author is an Antiguan-American and has a very thick accent, which I found difficult to understand. When the words in a story are poetic, lilting, and repetitive, listening to the words spoken in a thick accent can make it very challenging to understand what is being said.

My final impression of the book is that it has its merits, but reading it was not an enjoyable experience. I will say that the story touched upon a soft spot for me because it takes place in Vermont (and as a Vermonter, I am all too aware that my state is not often represented in literature or films). But this sentimental connection was still not strong enough for me to be satisfied with this novel. I believe that the poetics served the author's purpose, but their effect on me was to take away my enjoyment of the plot.

#SeeNowThen #BookReview #JamaicaKincaid