Fatheralong: A Meditation on Fathers and Sons, Race and Society

I am astounded by how many of the present reviews here state that this book dwells too long on race. They seem to miss the point. It is all about race and how that is interpreted within American society. Race as it relates to power, power of white over black. Its history continues to have huge resonance within the society to this day. Fatheralong dwells on the impact of racism felt within the fabric of African American families - particularly focusing on how it translates from father to son. A subject that is not happy or pretty, but is conveyed in a poetic, thoughtful, confrontational and heartfelt way. Nothing will change unless people grapple with the enormous fallout of racism. This book is essential reading for anyone who wishes to understand the dynamics of racism.

Being a South African i see the effects that the ideology of race has had every day. Yet Fatheralong took my breath away and left me feeling very sad and ashamed but not without hope for the future. Widemans' use of prose is both eloquent and angry, which is also reflected in the structure of the novel. Short bursts of anger are alternated with more lengthy contemplative passages. The flow in prose (and the lack of distinction between him and his father) creates the impression that now, once Wideman is a father himself, he and his father have become one. The seperation that once existed is now erased and the bond between father and son can be mended. But race is not the only issue that gets tackled here. Like Susan Faludi, Wideman is also talking about a generation of men who had fathers who weren't so much absent as silent.

When you look past the curse words, and incomplete sentences this book makes a little since. Wideman's book makes you look deep down into your soul, and makes you discover that you are a little raciest. The book also reinforces how important a strong family unit can be in the development of a person. In this time, when people are searching for the causes of why our society has so many problems this book brings answers. 412587