Play Book Tag discussion

The Message by Ta-Nehisi Coates - 4* - My Review

The Message is social commentary on writing, race, and politics. It explores how stories shape viewpoints. The book is structured around three geographic journeys. Coates recounts his first trip to Africa, specifically Dakar, Senegal, where he discusses the narratives of African heritage that shaped his upbringing, and his observations of how the ideal is not always replicated by reality. He takes readers to South Carolina, where he reports on his own book's banning and the still-present remnants of the Confederacy. In the longest essay, Coates discusses his ten-day visit to Israel and Palestine.

The author observes the occupied territories for himself and sees "with devastating clarity how easily we are misled by nationalist narratives, and the tragedy that lies in the clash between the stories we tell and the reality of life on the ground." He emphasizes the power of writing as a tool for social justice, and the responsibility of authors and journalists to challenge the status quo. The book is anti-censorship, anti-racist, anti-nationalist, and anti-colonialist. Coates’s essays tell of his own self-reflection and changes in his opinions based on what he witnessed. I found it worth reading.

Joy D wrote: "The Message by Ta-Nehisi Coates - 4* - My Review

The Message is social commentary on writing, race, and politics. It explores how stories shape viewpoints. The bo..."

I really liked this one as well - I've read a few books by Ta-Nehisi Coates, both fiction and non-fiction, and I really like his writing.

I have read two others which I enjoyed:
The Water Dancer and Between the World and Me.
I agree that he is very articulate.