A few weeks ago I read The Book of Night Women, by Marlon James.
The story follows Lilith, at the end of the eighteenth century, a slave girl born on a sugar plantation in Jamaica. This is her story, but it is also the story of the women around her.
From birth, these women recognize something in Lilith, something that sets her apart from others, something powerful.
Set against the backdrop of a potential slave revolt, Lilith is seen as the key to these plans, but this is at times at war with her own sense of identity and feelings. She pushes at boundaries, questions roles, and potentially risks the strides and plans of the Night Women - the group of women who meet in secret at Lilith's plantation to plan the revolt.
This has been quite the year so far for my reading. Earlier, with 13 Ways of Looking at a Fat Girl, I said I'd never been so conflicted about a story.
Now, I'm not conflicted, but it is... complicated.
The Book of Night Women is probably the most difficult book I've ever read.
It is written entirely in dialect, which can be challenging (but which adds so much to the voice and characters!). And, if you are at all squeamish about violence or profanity, this will also prove very difficult.
Scenes are described in absolute detail. Whippings, beatings, rapes, death, torture - nothing is spared. It isn't glorified, just presented as a way of life, a reality for the slaves.
And that's what is so upsetting.
It took me a few sittings to read this. I usually am stopped only by time when reading (silly real life, getting in the way!), but with this one, I had to take breaks.
If you are at all sensitive, you need to avoid this. It is not a happy book. It isn't pleasant. It isn't comfortable.
But it isn't really dismal, either.
It's presented, in tone and detail, the same. It says: This is life. This is reality.
And I say: This is important.
I highly recommend this book, unless you are unable to read things like this subject matter.
Reading a few comments and reviews, I was upset by the amount of people complaining about the swearing. Yes, there is a lot of swearing, and if you are bothered by that, don't read this book. But you know what's worse? The horrible atrocities inflicted. If you're bothered by the use of vulgarities when discussing genitalia, but you don't comment on the beatings, or the hangings, or the rapes and tortures... Well, I would say I'd have some choice words of my own for you, but really I think I'd probably just stand there looking at you in shock, with my mouth hanging open in disgust and disbelief.
This book is supposed to hurt. It's supposed to make us uncomfortable. It's supposed to look us in the eye and not blink. I was able to close the book and walk away, but that was not an option for the people who lived the life Marlon James describes through Lilith. They didn't get to walk away. The only hope for so many was for a quick death.
I felt guilty walking away, closing those words, taking breaks.
I should feel guilty about it.
I've been to Jamaica twice now. The first time we visited an old home that is supposedly haunted. The guide talked to us about the lives of some of the slaves, and the fires and the slave revolts. They didn't give a lot of detail. I do remember one story, about how the slaves in the house always had to whistle to prove they weren't stealing food (you can't whistle very well with food in your mouth). I remember how crazy that sounded. Just a little detail, that stuck out because of the silliness, the absurdity, the ridiculousness of the whole thing.
That's nothing.
There wasn't a lot of detail about that aspect of history when I was on these tours. I wonder why not. Honestly, probably so they don't make the fragile tourists uncomfortable.
But if we avoid history, if we close the book and set it down, we are turning a blind eye to the atrocities committed. And that's way worse than any minor discomfort on our part.
This book is wonderful and horrible. It's beautiful and grotesque. And it's important. So, so important.
What's the most difficult, upsetting book you've ever read? Comment below, or through my contact page.