Amiable with Big Teeth

by Claude McKay, Jean-Christophe Cloutier (Editor), Brent Hayes Edwards (Editor)

A monumental literary the newly discovered final novel by seminal Harlem Renaissance writer Claude McKay, a rich and multilayered portrayal of life in 1930s Harlem and a historical protest for black freedom
 
The unexpected discovery in 2009 of a completed manuscript of Claude McKay’s final novel was celebrated as one of the most significant literary events in recent years. Building on the already extraordinary legacy of McKay’s life and work, this colorful, dramatic novel centers on the efforts by Harlem intelligentsia to organize support for the liberation of fascist-controlled Ethiopia, a crucial but largely forgotten event in American history. At once a penetrating satire of political machinations in Depression-era Harlem and a far-reaching story of global intrigue and romance, Amiable with Big Teeth plunges into the concerns, anxieties, hopes, and dreams of African-Americans at a moment of crisis for the soul of Harlem—and America.
 
For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,800 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.

Genres: Fiction, Classics, Historical Fiction, Race, African American, Africa, American

368 pages, Paperback

First published February 7, 2017

About the author

Jamaican-born American writer Claude McKay figured prominently in the Harlem renaissance of the 1920s; his works include collections of poetry, such as Constab Ballads (1912), and novels, including Home to Harlem (1928).

Home to Harlem, a best-seller, won Festus Claudius McKay, a poet and a seminal figure, the Harmon gold award for literature.
He also wrote novels Banjo and Banana Bottom . People not yet published his manuscript, called Amiable with Big Teeth: A Novel of the Love Affair between the Communists and the Poor Black Sheep of Harlem , of 1941.
McKay also authored collections of poetry, a collection of short stories, Gingertown . He authored two autobiographical books, A Long Way from Home and My Green Hills of Jamaica , published posthumously. He entitled a non-fiction, socio-historical treatise Harlem: Negro Metropolis . People published his poetry collection, Harlem Shadows , in 1922 among the first books during the Harlem renaissance. Survivors published his Selected Poems posthumously in 1953.

Reviews

[♑︎♑︎♑︎ ♑︎♑︎♑︎ · Rating 5 out of 5]

I didn't really enjoy reading this book. But I loved it anyway. It felt more like a primary resource discovered in a dusty part of the smithsonian archive than it felt like a living novel. I can see why it stayed unpublished for many years. It's intellectually and ideologically complex, and it doesn't fit into any of the easy categories that were available to African American writers at the time (if they wanted to be published that is). I'm thinking for instance of Richard Wright's simplistic and polemical acceptance of communist thought in the last half of Native Son. This book in contrast is self-critical and questioning and not at all simple. It mocks the attractions of communism as a possible way toward racial equality, but it is equally skeptical of other -isms. Because it is so much more a 'head' story than a 'heart' story it reminds me far more of Lionel Trilling's novel The Middle of the Journey than of other Harlem Renaissance fiction--it's a novel of ideas, so much so that I could almost feel McKay debating between alternatives in his head as he wrote. Fascinating but not for the usual reasons.

[James F · Rating 4 out of 5]

After all the hoopla about Harper Lee's Go Set a Watchman, an uncorrected first draft which was rejected and never worked on again, it is amazing that the rediscovery of this completed and edited novel by a leading Black writer, which had been accepted for publication by Dutton in 1941 and then mysteriously was never published, has not made any splash at all. If I had not been specifically looking for books by McKay, I would never have even known it existed.

The novel is a satire, dealing in an exaggerated way with the movement in Harlem in support of Ethiopia against Mussolini's invasion in the mid-thirties, which was one of the first important Black political movements since the betrayal of Reconstruction. As the subtitle suggests, it is especially concerned with the activities of the Stalinists in subverting the independent movement and trying to subordinate it to the politics of the "Popular Front". The book is fiction; events do not exactly correspond to history, and the characters seem to have been constructed out of various different historical persons. For an author who is not himself a communist, it can be difficult to criticize Stalinism without falling into anti-communism, and McKay sometimes crosses the boundary. However, unlike the usual anti-communist author, he does not present the Stalinists as fanatical revolutionists, but more accurately as bureaucrats who are seeking to subordinate independent movements to alliances with liberals.

The novel opens with a mass meeting to greet the arrival of an Ethiopian envoy, Lij Alamaya, in which we are introduced to most of the major characters. The second chapter moves to a meeting of the executive committee of Hands for Ethiopia, an independent Black organization which organized the meeting, at the home of its chairman, Pablo Peixote. The meeting devolves into a debate over the role of the Soviet Union in the struggle against Fascism, with the Secretary, Newton Castle, insisting that Russia is the only hope of the world against Fascism, while another member, Dorsey Flagg, is critical of Stalin's policies. Castle then denounces Flagg as a Trotskyite Fascist agent and demands that he be expelled from the movement, which the rest of the committee refuses to do. Later we find out about another group, the White Friends of Ethiopia, controlled (unofficially) by Maxim Tasan, a representative apparently of the Comintern. Castle is in with this group, and favors uniting the two organizations under the umbrella of the Popular Front, while Peixote and the others feel that if they merge with the white group the whites will take over the leadership as usually happened in "integrated" groups at that time. The novel then follows the machinations of the various characters, some consciously, others being maneuvered without understanding what is going on. There are also some other subplots, a couple of love stories, etc. but they are all connected in some way to the political theme.

In addition to the material on the movement for Ethiopia, and the politics of the Popular Front, there is a lot of discussion of race and class relations in general and the way forward for the Blacks. Everything is in character, but it is fairly obvious which positions McKay takes, and most of his ideas have been borne out by later experience. At the very least, the questions are taken up and discussed seriously, despite the comic attributes of some of the plot.

[dianne b. · Rating 3 out of 5]

IMPORTANT: Do NOT read the Introduction first - as the entire plot (including the denouement) is revealed.
Why do they do that?

This is a new Harlem Renaissance writer for me. Claude McKay led a peripatetic life, doing most of his writing in Europe and North Africa before returning to the USA to write this. Written in 1940 and discovered in the notes of a friend in 2009, this was published in 2017.
Like Zora Neale Hurston, he died in abject poverty.

The plot circles about an episode in history - the Harlem attempt to support Ethiopia when Italy invaded in 1935 - a war of aggression that ended in 1937 - and the New York City (Soviet) Popular Front’s backhanded attempt to subvert the Black-run organization.

McKay writes from experience. He spoke as an unofficial representative of the “American Negro” at the 1922 Fourth Congress of the Communist International in Moscow under Lenin. This novel gives us his take - fictional of course - on the tumult of the 1930’s including the Stalinist Popular Front and the rise of fascism.
The Popular Front from 1934 claimed to be The Opposition to fascism, ending abruptly with Stalin’s pact with Hitler in 1939 - which, if it was necessary - revealed the truth about Stalin. Twin fascist sons of different mothers.

Much of the happenings in the novel reflect actual events in history - including separate white-run aid organizations, who didn’t see the need for Black initiatives. At one point in the book, white women supporters of Ethiopia propose to a group of the leading matrons of Harlem's Black society that they come cook for the glorious "downtown volunteers".

The creepy European leader of the Popular Front in New York, Tasan, uses quasi-Black leaders, those thoroughly convinced of the superiority of all things white, to undermine and betray the authentic leaders in Harlem.

Tasan posits, ridiculously (IMHO) “The Soviet state has abolished race and color.”

Prudhomme Bishop, Tasan’s lackey and the Black leader of an assimilationist, or even racist group (his belief in the supremacy of whites is so absolute) is completely under the dictate of the Popular Front. He announces his group’s goal:

“I propose to put a white person in every colored organization, great and small, as a symbol of the oneness of this wonderful nation.”

Yeah! That’ll fix it!

Peixota, a leader of the Harlem Black community replies with obvious irony:
“I want to say that I imagine your campaign might be of greater national significance and symbolic effect, if you made it a campaign to put a colored person in every white institution. You might take the government first. Begin with the cabinet and then switch to the Supreme Court, the federal judiciary, and the other government departments right down the line: Colleges and Schools, Libraries, Newspapers, Radio, Banking, Shipping, Railroad, Airplanes, Busses, Hotels, Cinemas, Theaters, Orchestras, Trade Unions. There are more I guess.”

Which Bishop dismisses as “Not feasible.”

We see the hypocrisy and ulterior motives of the Popular Front, including its complete disregard for the fate of Ethiopia, in its mendacious machinations to destroy and damage any and all organizations that refuse to submit to their rule.

A French Popular Front visitor, demonstrating the soul of the Stalinist group:
“The Nazis have sent us their emigres, besides swamping us with refugees. Now we are almost demoralized with emigres and pitiful refugees on our hands who are more of a hindrance to the operating of the Popular Front.”

Yeah, you wouldn’t want those poor people, victims of war and hatred, to get in the way of your “People’s Organization” that claims to lift up the quality of life for the poor and victimized.
Such a bother!

And of course the truth that, all the while:
“Soviet Russia...is sending Italy all the oil and other supplies she needs.”
Reminding me of the malicious betrayal of Soviet Russia - as well as the USA and Britain - of the Republicans in the Spanish Civil War.

McKay draws a fascinating picture of that stormy time, life in Harlem, and a look at an almost forgotten campaign of American Blacks to help Ethiopia, the first Christian country, in its completely doomed attempt, with spears and shields, to fight off Mussolini’s invasion with tanks and machine guns.

One of a kind story.

[Emmeline · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

I really loved McKay's other posthumously published novel, Romance in Marseille but this one... I can see why this one was not published. It's barely a novel at all, more like a range of character sketches (and assassinations) and political intrigue and comedy hanging over the barest bones of a plot that the author seems to forget about half the time. Even in the last chapters he was still introducing new characters (back stories and all) at great length.

It's still really good in parts. A fascinating look at 1930s Harlem and the conflicts between the African American contingent trying to support Ethiopia in her fight against the fascists, and the communists who are also trying to support Ethiopia... with their own agenda. As a historical document, this is just wonderful.

The final scene is all kinds of wonderful too, and I just wish it had a more coherent book to hang on. Enjoyable but you really need to want to read about these things.

[Matthew · Rating 5 out of 5]

A socio-political time capsule of a novel involving the Harlem movement supporting Ethiopia during the mid-1930's Italian invasion, and international communist provocateurs who are trying to infiltrate this movement and use it for their own ends.

Unpublished and lost until a few years ago, this book was Claude McKay's last work of fiction. In reading this I learned about a period and setting I knew very little about, always a plus in my view.

A complicated but ultimately rewarding novel by a giant of the Harlem Renaissance.

[Amy]

Before winning this book in a Goodreads Giveaway, I knew little about the Harlem Renaissance and nothing about Claude McKay. The Harlem Renaissance was a cultural, social and artistic flourishing that took place in Harlem, NY in the 1920s. McKay, originally from Jamaica, came to the US to attend college. His observations of racism and segregation fueled his writing and he became politically active, spending time in London, Russia and Africa.

Amiable with Big Teeth is a recently found story, previously unpublished from an influential author of the Harlem Renaissance. The book is centered on the efforts of Harlem intelligentsia to organize support for the liberation of fascist-controlled Ethiopia. It is based on a true event, but the story is mainly satire.

The book was well written with an interesting cast of characters. Unfortunately, I'm just not the right audience for it. I'm not much of a fan of political stories. I often have a hard time remembering who is on which side of the issue and as the lines become greyer, I become completely lost. Add satire to a story that I'm already having trouble following and it becomes an exercise in forcing myself to read it. After 80 or so pages, I decided to stop reading.

I may, at some point, read one of McKay's more popular books, but for now, I will just have to be grateful that this book introduced me to a time in history that I did not know much about before.

[Peta · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is my second Claude Mckay novel and it was fascinating. watch my review here -> https://youtu.be/Pf_uhbtX0po

[Jenn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I won a copy of this book.

Black History Month and I just finished this book...how appropriate. Harlem intellectuals try to support Ethiopia as it is trying to liberate itself from Mussolini. With all the changes America is going through right now, it was interesting to read about what was happening back in the 20s and 30s in Harlem.

[Cheryl · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting satirical political novel that takes place mainly in Harlem in 1936. Since this novel does revolve around the political aspects of this time frame, the political aspects are more prominent and the characters not as developed. The historical element was good. I am not in any way disappointed that I read this novel. Overall, a decent novel.

[Matt · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one was a swing and a miss for me. I really like McKay's poetry but had never read his prose, and this seemed fun, the story of an Ethiopian ambassador trying to raise funds in Harlem to repel the fascist invasion of his country and in the process leading to lots of chaos, possible scams, etc. From the description, I was hoping for something madcap and slightly zany, like Cotton Comes to Harlem. only a couple decades earlier.

But McKay's novel lacks that cynical verve that Himes has in spades, and this book is filled with a lot of speeches. Most of them are actual speeches, because we are at fundraisers, rallies, etc, but boy are there a lot of them. The primary conflict concerns the efforts of the Popular Front of the Comintern tries to co-opt African-American culture in Harlem, and I suspect this is a really accurate portrait of that struggle, if that's your jam, kind of like Orwell's writing on the Spanish Civil War. But dramatically it's pretty inert, and even when it hints toward something of narrative interest, like the "real" background of Maxim Tasan or the true nature of the Ethiopian ambassador's provenance, nothing much comes of it. It's too bad, because you can feel like there's a really great, antic novel in here someplace, but McKay doesn't pull it off.

[Kevin · Rating 4 out of 5]

An amazing book and treasure from the Harlem Renaissance, and an unlikely meditation on how white utopian ideology conveniently ignores the realities of race and racism in America. Had this book been published, it may not have survived the scourge of the McCarthy era, but having been rediscovered on 2012, it has great lessons to teach all progressive Americans in the era of resurgent white American socialism and critical examination of the value of Black life and Black liberty.

[Adam Carrico · Rating 3 out of 5]

This novel is super nerdy and very interesting. I knew absolutely nothing about the historical context of Italy’s invasion of Ethiopia and certainly didn’t know the response among Harlemites during that time. The plot can be a bit dry; it’s hard to stay fully engaged with the intricacies of organizational conflicts. I still loved the environment painted by McKay; he’s so good at bringing this specific corner of Harlem / NYC alive. It would be hard for any author to make this subject matter worth reading, but I kept wanting to know what would happen next. The ending may have been a bit melodramatic, but it was incredibly satisfying. It might not be my favorite book, but I’m glad people finally uncovered this novel.

[Abigail · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good novel with beautiful turns of phrase. The plot twists around a political movement, but the book has more going on then just political commentary. The characters are well developed and nuanced--well, the males are. It's an enjoyable read.

The introduction and heavy annotations enriched my reading experience. Going in, I knew only the slimmest of facts regarding Italy's invasion of Ethiopia. The editors provided a solid historical context without disrupting the story. And, the novel stands alone as a literary work; the political and historical information are added gravy.

[Lou Corn · Rating 4 out of 5]

There's an air of intrigue to this novel's publication that resembles a bit the crossings of NYC characters and correspondences that make up the plot itself. McKay's last novel, Amiable with Big Teeth, was rejected by the publisher under a different name and then unheard of for decades until 2009 when it was picked out of the papers of Samuel Roth, a bookseller specializing in modernist lit with smut on the side who was involved in a landmark supreme court case and died in 1974. It's interesting for all this backstory and the introduction also illuminates some of the historical gossip that makes its way into the book. I would definitely read the introduction last.

As for the novel itself, it was a biting and ridiculous at times political parody of the reactions and movements sparked by the Italian invasion of Ethiopia, the effects of this on Black politics in the US, and the contentious engagement with Soviet communism, and also a read of a complex social set extending between Harlem and Greenwich Village. The ending was uproarious. But I was disappointed that Seraphine drops away into an almost equally ridiculous fate.

[Mark · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book. McKay's postumously published novel was written under contract to E.P. Dutton in 1941, but rejected by the publisher. The MSS sat in a drawer for decades until it was discovered a few years ago nestled in the papers of another author. Fascinating novel that covers the period around the fall of Ethiopia to the Italians and the exile of Haile Selassie. Wonderful snapshot of "Aframerican" life in 1930s Harlem.

[Katie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Amiable with Big Teeth, by Claude McKay (2017, Penguin, 352, hardcover). I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for a fair review. One of my two bachelor degrees is in African American Studies, so I was beyond pleased when I found out I was selected to win the new novel based on the manuscript by Claude McKay found in 2012. McKay was instrumental in the Harlem Renaissance, one of the greatest periods of creativity this country has ever had the joy to behold. That's not to say a lot of the pieces produced during that time were joyful in nature; many focused on the need for African Americans to rise up, become financially mobile, break free from the tyranny of social injustice, both here and abroad. Amiable is the story of the Harlemites in-the-know working to help liberate Ethiopia, after Mussolini has invaded. The book is a satire and fun is poked at the political machinations of the different factions, fighting over a piece of the pie, and arguing loudly over the "right" way to fight for it. If you like The Sellout by Paul Beatty, or pieces from the post-Reconstruction era, this is what you want. 3 of 5.

[Colin · Rating 4 out of 5]

The fascists lost World War 2 and the Soviet Union is gone since McKay wrote this book, but community organizing in the USA hasn't changed as much since then as you'd think.

I'd been trying to figure out how you'd write a novel about people who spend a lot of time in boring meetings that's as funny as that is in real life and this here's the blueprint for how to do it.

[Anders Holbæk · Rating 3 out of 5]

[NO SERIOUS SPOILERS]
The Harlem Renaissance has to be one of my favourite periods of literary history. The fast-talking, innovative, booming, slightly intoxicated feel of the movement, the self-discovery and the reflection of this unto an unfair society – all of this clearly and brilliantly employs many of the best parts of literature. Claude Mckay was a seminal figure in the HR, but this is not the 20’s, Amiable with Big Teeth takes place in the 30’s and the Great Depression has slowed down the energy and spirit of the renaissance. As someone who picked up this book, perhaps naïvely, hoping to get a swig of that energy, the opening, a “grandly tumultuous parade”, was very promising.

“Get busy and do your stuff, brothers and sisters. Begin today, start right now, put your hands in your pockets and not for nothing, bring it up, bring it out, get under your pillow, open the jars in your cupboards, open up the old family Bible where you have some bills pressed down like faded flowers, pennies and nickels and dimes, bring them in for the defense of Ethiopia. The Emperor has honored us here in America, sending to us his personal personable representative.”

Booming voices, “[…] confetti flutter[ing] in the air like colored moths”, light, fraternity, colour – this is why I picked up this book! It quickly comes to a halt however, and the colourful Harlem Intelligentsia and the support groups are being pulled in all directions by foreign ideology that is difficult to understand for the public. McKay describes the public as good-natured, energetic, and empathetic though perhaps a bit naïve. The public is, however, mostly presented through the support it gives to the organisations and individuals – something to ‘lose’ (when scandals are made public) and to ‘gain’ (through powerful speeches and cultural appeal).

The political discussion were interesting, though it is obvious that McKay himself was harshly critical of the communists, describing them as vicious, shady, either driven by self-interest or narrow-minded to the point of wearing ideological blinders. It is interesting, reading this in the current day and age, to see how ‘the Left’ also faced serious problems as a result of being so divided back then. When I read a sentence like: “The Ethiopians stand in need of your united help. If we are divided the Fascists who are united will win. Then let us all work together”, I cannot help but feel that you could replace ‘Ethiopians’ with any marginalized group, and the sentence would ring true throughout most of history.

One serious problem I have with this book is that very few of the characters seem properly fleshed out and multi-dimensional. One reviewer wrote, “The characters were not humans, they were mouthpieces […]”, and to some degree, I have to agree. The characters always act how you expect them to act and say what you expect them to say. On the plus side, this at least makes every character’s goals obvious and motivations clear. On the other side, however, this means that much of the ‘conversation’ reads like a listing of facts or a paragraph from a (charming) history book.

Besides this, I have several other problems with the book, such as sexism, racism, slutshaming etcetera, all things to be expected from a book almost 100 years old. The love story (or perhaps love stories) seems unnecessary, forced, and unexplained and this really shows in how they end just as sudden as they begin. Many of the narrative turns the book takes seem sudden to the point of being random. The ending, which I did enjoy despite of this, is a good example of this. The reasons for the big dramatic ending are presented and set up in the very last chapter of the book, with none of the factors having any previous mention.

Do not get me wrong - Amiable with Big Teeth has numerous moments of brilliancy; moments where you are drawn into a captivating, powerful monologue or a heated debate. However, overall, I was disappointed. Most of the characters were one-dimensional, the narrative seems spontaneous and chaotic while simultaneously being predictable and boring (you can expect a lot of what will happen, but it is often just presented with very little detail as to why), and many of the issues this book ‘discusses’ are merely presented and commented upon without any interesting conclusions being drawn. If, however, you want a glimpse of this time period - important, charismatic, eloquent men (and only men) discussing politics, race, and ideology, this book is definitely still worth reading.

[Inem · Rating 2 out of 5]

While I liked Amiable with Big Teeth for its representation of Black Internationalism and Pan-Africanism during this era of the Italian invasion of Ethiopia, I feel like Mckay misrepresents Black radicalism in a couple of potentially harmful ways.

Newton Castle is an offensive depiction of Black communists during this era. Obviously there were issues and tension between the Black left and the white left during this time, as there are today. There are some white socialists and communists that have a terrible understanding of white supremacy and are class reductionists. The Black left has never ever in any moment of US history adopted that view. For decades Black communists have addressed the race versus class question in a way that centers the liberation of working-class Black people and other oppressed groups. Claudia Jones theorized the relationship between gender, race and class as a Black Marxist, The Alabama Communist Party that Robin D.G. Kelley writes about were working through this question in the 1930s. The African Blood Brotherhood and the Black people who participated in the ComIntern all had a sharp analysis of the relationship between capitalism and white supremacy. Newton Castle, on the other hand, listens to Maxim Tasan say blatantly racist things and he does nothing to defend his people. Even worse, there are moments in this book that he himself admits that he is ashamed of his race and his people. At one point I thought that the presence of his character could be justified if he had a foil, such as a character similar to a Claudia Jones or a Louise Thompson Patterson, but in the end I think there is still no justification for his character since it’s such a wildly inaccurate depiction of what Black communist leaders of this era (and any era since) were actually like. I would not consider Alamaya to be this foil because even though Alamaya joined the communist party in France, he was never a communist and he admits that he only did it because liberals were doing that at the time.

The second problem I have with this book is the fact that the book tries to equate fascism and communism being equal because they are both seen as ideological extremes. The book concludes that neither are viable solutions for Ethiopia, for Black people as a whole, or really for humanity. In the context of Ethiopia the problem with fascism is presented as an ideological problem without any named material or physical consequences. It is obvious the Maxim Tasan and the Friends of Ethiopia do not really care about the Ethiopian people. Tasan admits this several times. However, as I continued reading this, I began to wonder if Hands to Ethiopia or even Alamaya himself really cares about the Ethiopian people. The colonization of Ethiopia is presented as bad simply because it is embarrassing for Black people and brings shame. There is no mention of what life is or would be like for regular Ethiopian people under the colonial rule of fascist Italy. None of the organizers seem concerned with this, nor does Alamaya. The only thing that really seems to be at stake for Black characters is the reputation of Black people. There are a few moments when the oppressiveness of colonial rule is hinted at or suggested such as when Peixota says, "It excites me to think how closely the problem of Ethiopia and Europe parallels the Aframericans in America" (254), but this is not elaborated upon. I know very little about life under Italian colonization in the Horn of Africa, but I know that Angola, Mozambique, Cabo Verde, Sao Tome e Principe, and Guinea Bissau experienced a reign of absolute horror under Portuguese fascism. People were enslaved and forced to work in labor camps; they were whipped and beaten for not paying taxes that were impossible to pay with the miniscule wages they were paid. So much more could be said, but the point is, there is no consciousness presented in this book as to why Ethiopians might not want to be colonized, other than that it might bruise the Emperor's ego and make Black people look bad. This is why everyone stops being concerned with Ethiopia the minute Italy succeeds. It was never about the Ethiopian people.

The reasons why I am giving this book two stars instead of one star is because I still appreciate that he is writing about Black Internationalism which is a subject that is near and dear to me and because he writes about Harlem, a neighborhood I love, and I buy into his descriptions of the neighborhood during this era.

[MaryCatherine · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Amiable with Big Teeth" is a treasure, written by Harlem Renaissance author Claude McKay, near the end of his career in 1941, but about a time after 1935, when Mussolini's Fascist forces were invading Ethiopia, and the African-American (McKay quite progressively liked the term "Aframerican," which is a bit more streamlined, but similar to our modern term) community leaders of Harlem had determined to build support among their communities in this country. They felt that it was important, both for the Ethiopian people and for building community pride and sense of connection with Africans across the ocean (an extension of the Pan-African movement,) to organize a campaign that would be educational and help both their causes. An Ethiopian prince arrived to represent the King Haile Selassie, while ladies' organizations and men's fraternal orders, as well as other community political, business, educational, and religious leaders joined in a parade and gathering at the African Methodist Episcopal Church of Harlem to welcome the envoy from Ethiopia. The campaign begins on a high, celebratory note, but is soon interrupted and derailed by outside interests that seek to influence and take over its direction, assisted by divisive community conflicts and personalities.

The book is a fascinating look at the vibrant social scene of 1930's Harlem that is refreshingly unlike any I've encountered in previous writing. The author is exceptionally insightful about the interplay of social structures and attitudes in that time period, capturing enthusiasm, naïveté, family and community discord, customs, beliefs, and prejudices, through a carefully-focused lens of honesty, respect, understanding, and hope. The book's plot navigates among the different individuals and groups within the Harlem community, and the efforts of outside influences, represented by well-meaning, but clueless, white socialists and communist sympathizers, as well as ruthless international communist organizers who have no interest in either the Aframerican community or the Ethiopian nation but, rather, in the promotion and consolidation of support for the Soviet Russian Communist regime.

The author's grasp of issues and motives is still seems surprisingly modern and nuanced today, as in 1941. In addition, the characters are smart, funny, and drawn with artistry, thoughtfulness, kindness, and intelligence. This book is a gem, and I just want everyone to read it. I would like to learn and read more about this author, whose voice was an absolute pleasure to discover. Oh, and if that isn't enough, just read it for the fabulous title!

[Britta · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was drawn to Amiable with Big Teeth, because I read McKay in college. I was excited to read a recently discovered novel by one of the Harlem Renaissance's most well-known writers. Amiable with Big Teeth is an intelligent, thought provoking-novel. While written by a Harlem Renaissance writer, it is not a Harlem Renaissance novel; it was written in 1940 and takes place during the mid-1930's. It is by no means an easy read, and, even though the footnotes are quite extensive, a basic understanding of the political landscape of the 1930's is useful to have prior to reading.

I found many ideas of the book's in-depth politics challenging to fully understand--I tend towards being a big picture person, and, thus, political details went over my head. Though a political satire, I struggled to follow the satire in certain parts of the book. While the satire was blatantly obvious in some parts, I felt McKay was being much more straightforward in his political criticism at other parts. He was grappling with a lot of big ideas here, and it's possible he was grappling internally with his own opinions while writing the book--it would make sense given how wishy washy the book is at some points.

While a challenging book to read, I did enjoy Amiable with Big Teeth. I learned a lot more about the state of politics and culture during the 1930s, and I enjoyed considering the multiple strings of thought McKay brings up throughout the book. While a novel of incredible political detail, it is also a novel of many big ideas--and, while grappling with political detail is not my strong suit, considering big ideas certainly is.

Though a challenge, it was a pleasure to read Amiable with Big Teeth after multiple decades of it being lost to history. That this book has only been recently available to the public to excites me and boggles my mind. I only wonder what McKay would have to say about it, though his thoughts are lost to time.

[Cool_guy]

As a novel, this is a failure. McKay is interested in events, rather than the human lives caught up in them. The characters are flat, the action melodramatic. It's a case study in everything that is often wrong with political art.

As a historical document, however, the book is fascinating. McKay was a former Communist sympathizer who soured on the Soviets in the early 30s. He paints attempts by Communists and fellow travelers to organize Harlem against the Italian invasion of Ethiopia as a Soviet controlled scheme to penetrate the Black community. White leftists are depicted indolent bourgeoisie, only interested in the cause of Ethiopia as a means of satisfying their curiosities, or as a way to make loose social connections with African Americans in order to prove something about themselves. Black Communists are treated with contempt. In McKay's view, these men are dupes, in thrall to Soviet machinations.

Many of the same issues still dog the left today, albeit in a totally different context. The Communists are depicted as class reductionists, ultimately uninterested in the specifically racial struggles of black people in America. Anyway, an interesting historical artifact. Not a great novel.

[Dana · Rating 4 out of 5]

This fantastical story keeps the reader entertained with unique characters fighting for life and liberty, each in their own way, while hitting the nail on the head about the black experience not only in America but in the global society as well. The liveliness of the Harlem Renaissance helps to balance the bleakness of the struggles faced by black people. Claude McKay's storytelling is like a camera lense zooming in and out on each character, on Harlem, and on the world.

This book makes the reader contemplate society and makes us question our perceptions. Is what we see the truth or a facade? Is the wool being pulled over our eyes? Are we pawns, fallen susceptible to propaganda? Or can we see the truth of what is happening? Unity, organization, dedication and pure intentions are the key to overthrowing oppression. The oppressed must never give up until true freedom is obtained. Amiable with Big Teeth is an inspirational think-piece that is as relevant today as it was when it was written and because it is well written and interesting it will always be a good read.

[Elliot Ratzman · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a tremendous time-capsule, capturing characters—some actual, some hybrid inventions—ideological positions, and organizational politics in Harlem during the mid-1930s. Fascist Italy has invaded Ethiopia. Admirable bougie philanthropists and political schoolteachers have joined together to raise awareness and money. A delegate from Ethiopia is at the center of the story as he has to negotiate the politics of Blacks in Harlem, including those fanatically aligned with the white interlopers of the Communist Party. The long-lost novel isn’t fantastic as art, but the stilted set-speeches about the politics of the left, the black nationalists, the Hotep Afrocentrists, and the light-skinned Harlem entrepreneurs are fantastic! We also get a glimpse into the workings of Communist Popular Front organizations trying to manipulate or take over Black-led organizations. McKay, a former Communist, is sympathetic to the Afrocentrists, the amateur historians, the philanthropists, and the Church.

[Prooost Davis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Amiable with Big Teeth is a novel concerning ill-fated plans in Harlem to raise money for Ethiopia when that country was invaded by Italy in the 1930s.

There are rival organizations attempting to provide the support, and one of those organizations is affiliated with the communist Popular Front, which is really exploiting the Ethiopian situation to pursue its own ends. At every opportunity, their leader, Maxim Tasan (an anagram of Satan, it should be noted), sabotages the sincere efforts of the organization Hands to Ethiopia to provide aid.

The book is not as dry as my description makes it sound. A novel of ideas, it is also a gentle comedy of manners, allowing the reader a peek into the lives of well-to-do Harlemites. There are many memorable characters: the spoiled, shallow, easily-led teenage daughter of a prominent Harlem family, Seraphine Peixhota; a hard-drinking Black professor (who is really the moral center of the novel), Dorsey Flagg; and a very flamboyant, somewhat mysterious scholar of Africa, Professor Koazhy.

Lots of fun and skullduggery.

[Moravian1297 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well, that was FANTASTIC! I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It really was just like a little snapshot in time. A photograph into a moment of history, that truly seemed to capture my imagination and thrust it joyfully back in time and into a few months of the bustling hive of 1930's Harlem.

What a wonderful few days I’ve spent reading this terrific lost novel.
Until I’d read a certain book last year (see my review of 'Insurgent Empire: Anticolonial Resistance and British Dissent'), to my shame, I'd never heard of Claude McKay or even the Harlem Renaissance. However, just like listening to music on YouTube, when I discover new and exciting music and bands, because of suggestions that come up, in and around the genre's I listen to, as do authors and books, that are namechecked in works that I'm currently reading at any given time, it can all be somewhat haphazard and random, but it does sometimes throw up some brilliant untapped results, unmitigated pleasurable gems and unexpected bonanzas! With 'Amiable with Big Teeth', being a particular boon. Thank you Priyamvada Gopal haha! Fantastic!

Claude McKay really brings his characters to life, they were rich, vibrant and he really seemed to capture the bounce of their purpose. Situationalism, before the Situationist International was even a thing! Every character held their own, with the book being like a little window to their souls and although I loved them all, I felt particular affinities for, Dorsey Flagg, Newton Castle and Seraphine Peixota, the latter, I'll admit to falling a little bit in love with haha!
The interactions between Flagg (accused of being a Trotskyist, fascist by Castle, even although that’s a contradictive Stalinist absurdity and he wasn't) and Castle, were brilliant and perfectly captured the mood of how Stalin's paranoia was passed down the chain to the lowest of his adherents and disciples in the Stalinist/communist hierarchy, and used as a tool of manipulation.
The character of Maxim Tasam is a proper old school, Machiavellian, manipulative schemer and intriguer, and when Alamaya finally gave him a punch on his chin and floored him, I cheered very loudly and very happily, as it was a long time coming! Writing that induces that kind of emotion is at the very top of the class! Fantastic!

The author also manages to capture the mood of the era, sometimes with as little as a few lines, like how people of colour were betrayed by the reconstruction after the American Civil War, through to the beginning of The Spanish Civil War which only features in the last chapter.
Racism in America is generally associated with the South, but with one sentence, the author shows how racist segregation was every bit as evilly prevalent in the North and cities like New York, as it ever was in the Southern States. Where Newton Castle and Maxim Tasan enter a bar on Broadway, so they could be served together without causing an incident. Tearful injustice indeed. Fantastic! (The writing that is, not the tearful injustice!)

I also very much enjoyed the line, where Professor Koazhy (pronounced, kwa-zee. I wish more books would show you how to pronounce names, as it aided tremendously and didn’t detract from the story, in any way, shape or form) states, "To them African history is just an unimportant chip off European hstory."
I know exactly how he feels, as we're (Scottish) constantly bombarded by charlatan, pseudohistorians like David Starkey egregiously claiming Scottish history is non-existent except in the context of how it relates to and is subservient of English history, it's f*cking annoying and designed to keep us in our place, under the heels of our oppressors and greatly endearing me to Claude McKay’s characters. Fantastic!

I also got a new favourite word from the novel. When Pablo Peixota calls Maxim Tasan an ’abominable bashibazouk!’ I'll leave it up to you to ’Google’ the word of the week, ’bashibazouk’, but I’m loving it! Fantastic!

So, to sum up, this piece of work from the Harlem Renaissance was absolutely superb, art at its joyous best, and sitting at the very apex of refined creativity! It's work like this, that really makes me want to learn more about creative writing myself, as I'd love to turn this into a screenplay, because if you want something done properly, and in true Situationist style, you have to do it yourself haha!
Fantastic, simply fantastic!

[Kyle · Rating 3 out of 5]

More interesting as a historical peak at the lives of Harlem's movers and shakers before the outbreak of World War II then as a character driven novel, Amiable with Big Teeth is slow but enjoyable. It follows the intertwining of local Harlem politics with the international scenes of the days most notably the Soviet Union's Nation Front. Trotskyism and Stalinism and all kinds of Facism pop up but most of the characters have only a cursory interest in them and are more than perplexed as to why their efforts to help the people of Ethiopa should be so complicated by these isms.

The prose doesn't exactly sing but some scene do stand out more than others. Admittedly you might find yourself having to sludge through the back half with the stakes become kind of muddle and weirdly low. Still, if you're interested in life in pre-war Harlem for the African American elite this is a great portrait of that.

[Dan Nuxoll · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am back and forth on this book. The plot revolves around efforts to aid Ethiopia after the Italian invasion in 1935. There are two groups organizing aid in Harlem, a group of blacks and a group led by whites with a few blacks members. The white dominated group is part of the Popular Front whose major purpose it to support the Soviet Union. The action revolves around that group's efforts to undermine the black group. The author is definitely anti-Stalinist. The introduction explains that the general plot is consistent with events of that period, notably with what was happening in Harlem in the 1930s.

I am not a big fan of the plot possibly because I don't find all the political moves and counter-moves all that intriguing. However, the book is successful in evoking a time and place that I find very interesting. I swing back and forth between three and four stars.

[Road Worrier · Rating 3 out of 5]

Toward the end of the book things get interesting. Or maybe that was when I went from listening to Prentice Onayemi reading the book, to listening to the emotionless computer reading the book. So it is possible I just couldn't connect with Onayemi's version. In any case the politics and innuendos just got more incisive, and the characters mean something instead of just being props to represent a certain philosophy. And things start to happen, though I guess that's where we're definitely moving into the fictional realm.

While things were still boring -- about half way through -- I was thinking this might be the sort if book I could write regarding my own experience with various left-leaning organization, and if I wrote such a book, I was seeing how it simply wouldn't be interesting to anyone.

[Skylar · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting picture of 1930s Harlem and a specific political moment. This book is proof that New York never changes! The author uses a really fun stylized tone and lots of colorful metaphors. It’s an easy book to get into!

Half the scenes in the book have women sitting and politely listening while the men discuss important political matters that the women are too dumb and sex-focused to comprehend. Having just read Left of Karl Marx, it’s sort of funny to read a perspective that so degrades the intelligence of women and black communists of the 1930s. I do think this parable has some value, but there’s a lot of boasting about the power of American individualist to triumph over communism. Also a fat woman is introduced and then she immediately dies of a heart attack.