High Cotton

by Darryl Pinckney

An elegant, insightful novel that evokes the world of upper-middle-class blacks, following an unnamed narrator from a safe childhood in conservative Indianapolis, to a brief tenure as minister of information for a local radical organization, to the life of an expatriate in Paris. Through it all, his imagination is increasingly dominated by his elderly relations and the lessons of their experiences in the "Old Country" of the South.

Genres: Fiction, Queer, Literature, 20th Century, Novels, African American Literature

Paperback

First published February 1, 1992

About the author

Darryl Pinckney is an American novelist, playwright, and essayist.

Pinckney grew up in a middle-class African-American family in Indianapolis, Indiana, where he attended local public schools. He was educated at Columbia University in New York.

Reviews

[Brenna · Rating 1 out of 5]

Interesting idea for a novel... but not an interesting read. While I understand that the disjointed memories and lack of continuity was a storytelling device supposedly intended to reflect the confusion and vagueness of the narrator's life, it made for a choppy read. Hard to get through without many "gems" to make the journey worthwhile.

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found the writing style hard to follow (characters appeared and disappeared sometimes without any closure to their role), but the topic was fascinating and I feel I gained from the perspective of a young man growing up in Indianapolis in the 1960s dealing with learning to become himself, race issues, and changing times. I picked it up originally because much of it took place locally, but I found I have not been here long enough to remember the places and events that are in the book. If you can handle the slightly disjointed writing style, this book contains a lot of wisdom.

[Ken · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very well written but meandering.

[Jennifer Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great read, on the life of a young lad captured well free and enslaved but rises above everything. I could reminder of what we are striving for and equality.

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Beautifully written. Don't know why I could not seem to finish it.

[David · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another book that would have gotten 3.5*'s...a very interesting and easy read...

[Brandan Radford · Rating 3 out of 5]

Like the concept and the story/message: hate the writing style. (2.75 out of 5)

[phil nerestan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not my style of writing .. I had to come back to it a few times but in the end I enjoyed it…