High Cotton

by Darryl Pinckney

High Cotton is an extraordinarily rich account of the dreams and inner turmoils of a new generation of the black upper middle class, capturing the essence of a part of American society that has mostly been ignored in literature. The novel's protagonist journeys from his childhood home in the midwest to college, a stint in New York publishing, and Europe, yet the issue of his "blackness" remains at the heart of his being.

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

320 pages, 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…