The terrible threes

by Ishmael Reed

Book by Reed, Ishmael

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

180 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1989

About the author

Ishmael Scott Reed is an American poet, essayist, and novelist. A prominent African-American literary figure, Reed is known for his satirical works challenging American political culture, and highlighting political and cultural oppression.

Reed has been described as one of the most controversial writers. While his work has often sought to represent neglected African and African-American perspectives, his energy and advocacy have centered more broadly on neglected peoples and perspectives irrespective of their cultural origins.

Reviews

[MJ Nicholls · Rating 2 out of 5]

I loved Reckless Eyeballing but this novel is a mess. There are a dozen or so plots at large in this 180-page novel, most of which revolve around something that happened in a previous Reed book. Most of the characters speak in the same voice and the range of personnel involved makes it impossible to tell them apart, to pick up a narrative thread, to clear the fug—something. All that remains is Reed’s ironical prose, which is entertaining in spots. In Reckless Eyeballing there was a greater purpose, a more disciplined spume of bile, but here Reed seems to be chatting to himself. The satire has little purpose in this book, and despite a few hints at genius, I ended up flitting from page to page looking for engaging mini-stories.

[Cody · Rating 3 out of 5]

Our perennial Scottish Scrooge, you know him as MJ, tore this thing apart like some vicious, incredibly pale creature erupting from the mouth of a close (Glaswegianese, sorry). I can't say that he's wrong, that introducing the 522nd character 150-pages in isn't tiresome, but I was still sick. Consequently, it was a bit like revisiting with some old friends; granted, these old friends were people that I read just the day before. Hey, I'm shallow. Sue me.

[Jeffrey W. · Rating 2 out of 5]

What a mess!

[Maddie Heidari · Rating 4 out of 5]

What I saw mainly highlighted in Reed's sequel to the first volume of the Terribles was the allegorical algorithm used in the book to stand for the two races to signify the present tensions and further propose practical solutions for the given problem.

[Rod · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read this right on the heels of The Terrible Twos and I enjoyed it thoroughly. Reed gets even wilder here (e.g. at one point, a conversation between a mosquito, a turtle, and "one of the old ones," Bro Lobster). Much of the satire, though the names have changed, is dead on for our present circumstances. Learn a little about Black Peter and St. Nick. Find out what a "surp" is. Prepare yourself. Read Reed.

[Charles · Rating 4 out of 5]

Probably fits in mainstream fiction. Reed writes with a lot of humor, although his criticisms can be cutting. I don't always agree with him by any means, but he is certainly worth reading.

[Tim · Rating 4 out of 5]

The ending was not satisfying.

[Robert · Rating 3 out of 5]

Decent, but not as good as THE TERRIBLE TWOS.

[Michael Beblowski · Rating 5 out of 5]

I decided to re-read The Terrible Twos this holiday season on a long drive to Southern New Jersey for an early festive celebration with my in-laws. After finishing the first volume in the Satirical Xmas narrative of corporate greed, political conspiracy, Rastafarian cults, vodou zombie Santa Clauses and committing the President to a sanitarium for speaking out against Operation Two Birds, I was thrilled to find that a copy of the Terrible Threes was on my Kindle...with so many other unread volumes of forgotten lore. The Terrible Threes revisits some of the cast of rogues and renegades introduced in the previous novel, Nance Saturday has abandoned private investigation to drive a taxi limousine gifted posthumously by the pimp who hired him to find the assassin, Snow Man. His ex-wife Virginia has become a successful media personality, interviewing white Feminists and openly disparaging his lack of ambition. Her only competition is "Okra Hippo," a woman so enormous that she needs to be rolled out to her studio audience on a flatbed. Reed's hilariously vicious satire hits all targets. Black Peter seeks the usurper of his title, and performs miracles to divert attention from the pretender. But, that inspires St. Nick to visit corrupt politicians with visions of the American Hell of tormented elected officials led astray by experts, pundits, polls and manipulative administrations. Bob Krantz realizes that he is facing expulsion from the shadowy cabal that plotted Operation Two Birds and is on the run from a Teutonic automaton controlled by the fascist-loving televangelist. Will male modal, President Dean Clift be restored to power and exonerated? Are Black Peter dolls going to be the most coveted gifts of the never-ending Xmas season? Will Nance ever solve the disappearance of Snow Man? Will Tom Turkey get the respect of his peacock peers?

[Edward Champion · Rating 4 out of 5]

A vast improvement over the messy THE TERRIBLE TWOS, although it still suffers from the incoherent jazz feel that you get from books in this middle period of Reed's career.