Symptomatic

BZ-Bravo Zulu means "Well Done" in Navy speak. I can't anymore than the previous reviews.So I will just say Bravo Zulu! Hutch

Getting the knowledge of THIS book into your hands IS THE PLOT of this "fictional" tale. One gets the impression that this is only classified as fiction out of courtesy (to whom?). Sure, there are villains and heroes, and even a little chase scene, but most of this book is monologue by Wise Ones, explaining their knowledge to the layperson who is about to release it to the world, and why he shouldn't do so. So, by virtue of the fact that you get to read their explanations, you are privy to their knowledge, and that you're reading is its announcement to the world. Full of interesting facts, quotes, & suppositions, that is great reading for anyone interested in religious history, the military-industrial complex, the dysfunctional society, and ancient arts & sciences. Now that you have the knowledge, what's the next step?

The narrator is purposefully nameless throughout. Other characters call her by pet names and unwelcomed nicknames. It is her stunted sense of self-identity, as much if not more than the perils of being bi-racial, that make her so sympathetic. Because she lacks true sense of self, she is vulnerable to those around her who resort to insinuating their own image of who she is in often very hurtful, self-serving ways. She allows it to happen, because she has become desensitized to common questions about her ambiguous racial identity, but moreover, she lacks the ability to confront those who insinuate their own hang-ups into her sphere. Her ex lovers, her new friend Greta seek to drag her into their own abyss of pain, and do so successfully. Her reactions to those that violate her smack of someone who is emotionally repressed. She laughs when she should cry. She hides when she should confront, she is silent when she should protest. This novel was a compelling and tragic look at not only dual racism, but how free-spirited, structureless parenting can result in an adult who simply can't so no, and can't stand up for herself. Like others, I read the book in a day. My only disappointment was the plot device used to close the story. In a story so rich with meaningful commentary, resorting to a popular mystery/thriller Hollywood ending was not really needed. Entertaining, I'll admit, but it left me scratching my head as to why the author, who took such care in presenting the perils of being bi-racial, resorted to it.

Ambiguity of identity and self-presentation colors the narrative thread of Danzy Senna's disturbing second novel, Symptomatic. The protagonist (and first-person narrator) of this highly readable, psychologically astute fiction is genetically/culturally Black but easily mistaken by others to be White. This disjuncture is highly problematic socially, or so we are led to believe. Although it would be easy enough to interpret the unnamed narrator's existential malaise as arising by virtue of the racial limbo she finds herself in, a deeper reading of the text suggests that the young woman at the center of this story of unfulfilled longing is misinterpreted by others precisely because she has never defined herself adequately beyond the issue of race. So even though race provides a screen upon which to assign blame for feelings of alienation and otherness, a basic, and more complete lack of self-understanding is what actually creates the undertow which wreaks havoc and confounds. Symptomatic lays out the structure of an illness of the soul in an individual who confuses the surface of a dilemma with its root cause. All the data for a proper diagnosis is contained in the keenly observed details of the experience of the narrator, but her conclusions are off the mark. Race is simply not always a sufficient explanation for forms of distress which beg larger questions not so facilely answered. Senna never directs the reader's attention to this level of comprehension of her protagonist's plight, but her skill as a writer fashions the subtext with exquisite subtlety and power. We feel for the nameless woman not because she is divided between the experience of being Black but seeming White. But because she is victim to the societally contrived convenience of going no further with her analysis of her situation. This failure constitutes both the tragedy of her life and the central developmental pivot of this novel. Ideally, I might have wished that the ending of the book took explicit notice of the task ahead for the narrator rather than wrapping up the story line with an action plot device. Nonetheless, this is a very well-written novel which reveals a voice I was unready to let go of as I turned the last page.

I loved this book, and I knew that Senna could write the excellent "Caucasia", then I would not be disappointed with "Symptomatic". I read the book in one day. It's good to see a new perspective on biracial identity. Plus it was exciting to read a thriller that didn't involve drugs or guns. I highly recommend it!