Let Us Descend by Jesmyn Ward: A Spoiler Free Book Review

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Jesmyn Ward's new novel, Let Us Descend, releases on October 24 but I was able to read it early. Here are my (spoiler-free) thoughts on the book, how it stacks up against Ward's previous novels, and its book awards odds. Expand for more information. 👇
Links 💻
Pre-Order Let Us Descend: bookshop.org/p...
Further Viewing 🎥
Deep Dive on Less (Featuring Sing, Unburied, Sing): • What Type of Book Dese...
Deep Dive on Beloved: • Can America Reckon Wit...
My Most Anticipated Books of 2023: • My Most Anticipated Bo...
My Best Reads of 2023 (So Far): • The Best Books of 2023...
Titles Mentioned 📚
Let Us Descend, Jesmyn Ward
Salvage the Bones, Jesmyn Ward
Sing, Unburied, Sing, Jesmyn Ward
Less, Andrew Sean Greer
Dante’s Inferno
Beloved, Toni Morrison
The Underground Railroad, Colson Whitehead
My husband made a cookbook! Check it out here:
www.blurb.com/...
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Email: supposedlyfungreg-at-gmail.com
Storygraph: app.thestorygr...
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Twitter: / supposedlyfun
Website: supposedlyfun....

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2 окт 2024

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Комментарии : 30

@Tensytheneedlesmith Год назад

Great review! Can't wait to read this novel since I love Jessmyn Ward. I like your reference to her ability to describe sensory experience. That's how I felt when reading Salvage the Bones. I just read a "meh" review in The Atlantic of Whitehead's new book. I am not a fan of his writing even though he is well respected, so maybe she'll have a chance.

@SupposedlyFun Год назад

I like and respect Whitehead’s writing but I haven’t had the same experience reading his work that I have reading Jesmyn Ward’s.

@HannahsBooks Год назад

I vaguely remember a discussion in booktube comments -perhaps here with you?-about future double-winners of the Pulitzer. I voted for Ward, even though she still hadn’t won a first yet. What a gifted writer! I have an advanced copy but have not started it yet in order to get through a few books with earlier release dates. We’ll see how long I can hold out…

@SupposedlyFun Год назад

That sounds like a familiar conversation and conclusion! Jesmyn Ward definitely feels like the likeliest candidate, but I am beginning to wonder about Paul Harding. He surprised the first time and has kept a low enough profile that he still feels like a fresh choice. With This Other Eden getting very strong reviews, he could be a stealth contender to join the two-timers club.

@annegibson6072 Год назад

Have you read The Covenant of Water? If it's eligible for the Booker Prize I think it is definitely a contender. My three predictions for the Booker are The Covenant of Water, Demon Copperhead and This Other Eden.

@SupposedlyFun Год назад

I have not read The Covenant of Water yet. I was thinking I would need to catch up to Cutting for Stone first, but now I'm not sure. I think your list of three sounds solid!

@lonesomedovecall822 Год назад

I just purchased (and already finished) "Sing, Unburied, Sing" which was fantastic. I also bought "Salvage the Bones" which I haven't started yet but I've heard it's amazing.... so, YOU BET, I'll be picking up a copy of "Let Us Descend" as well. Great review!!! 👍👍

@SupposedlyFun Год назад

Thank you! I'm glad you liked Sing, Unburied, Sing. I hope you enjoy Salvage the Bones and Let Us Descend as well.

@bobbykeniston7240 Год назад

Jesmyn Ward may be my favorite living writer (along with Kazuo Ishiguro), and I am very excited for her new book. A few months back, I finally read her nonfiction book, "Men We Reaped", and loved it as much as her fiction. My favorite is probably "Sing, Unburied, Sing," where I think she pretty much out-Faulkners Faulkner with her descriptive powers and varying POV narrators, but I also love "Salvage the Bones" for its raw power. As for the major book prizes this year, I am way behind. I do have "This Other Eden" by Paul Harding out from the library, but haven't started it yet (this weekend, hopefully). It's getting buzz as a notable book, though Harding won a surprising Pulitzer before, so who knows? I am also excited for the new James McBride. I loved "The Good Lord Bird" and really liked "Deacon King Kong".

@SupposedlyFun Год назад

I'm planning to read This Other Eden later this month, and I may follow it up by finally reading Tinkers. His career trajectory has been fascinating. I am also looking forward to the new McBride. I was more muted on Deacon King Kong but my adoration of The Good Lord Bird knows no bounds, so I will always be rooting for him. The raw power of Salvage the Bones is why it tops my list for Jesmyn Ward's books. The last sentence has stayed with me ever since I read it.

@dqan7372 Год назад

You have me hooked. I'm trying not to start anymore books right now, so it might take me a while to get to it, but Let us Descend does sound interesting. Since I haven't read many new books this year, I can't say which is best, but Biography of X sounds the most interesting to me personally.

@SupposedlyFun Год назад

The good news is you have until October to make room for Let Us Descend. The bad news is you have until October to make room for Let Us Descend.

@sarahwallace2585 Год назад

I enjoyed 'Less', but Sing, Unburied, Sing' was so much better. I'm really looking forward to reading 'Let Us Descend'.

@SupposedlyFun Год назад

I hope you like it when you can read it!

@mickyboymick8219 Год назад

Hi,Greg. I’m 6 mins 30 seconds into your video and I’ve just pre-ordered my copy of the book from Blackwell’s. I hear you saying “Why did it take you so long?” The 24th October cannot come quick enough. On with the video.

@SupposedlyFun Год назад

😂 Honestly, I'm just pleased to have helped inspire you to make the pre-order happen. I hope you like it when you get your copy!

@ht6743 Год назад

Very excited about new Jesmyn Ward! It's been a long time, and I'm also eagerly awaiting how it will all play out during awards season. If she somehow wins the National Book Award for the third time, I could see that derailing her Pulitzer chances again. I'm of the view that both of her past wins did just that, not to mention the seeming aversion to black females writing in the contemporary literature space by multiple juries. Besides The Nickel Boys, the last three black Pulitzer winners have all been for slave narratives, and Ward would be the fourth. Spotty track record. Let's amplify writers like Raven Leilani, Tayari Jones, Honorée Fanonne Jeffers, Brit Bennett, Gayl Jones, Yaa Gyasi, etc. There's certainly not a lack of compelling options.

@SupposedlyFun Год назад

I would definitely like to see more contemporary novels from black authors recognized as well. And I agree that the National Book Award could have been a roadblock to Ward winning a Pulitzer in the past. It will be interesting to see how it all plays out in the coming months.

@JustJJr Год назад

Where The Line Bleeds is probably my favorite my Jesmyn Ward book of them all.

@SupposedlyFun Год назад

I need to catch up to that one because Jen the Librarian also really loved it.

@user-yg6ft1iu1i Год назад

For the Booker I’m going with The House Of Doors Twan Tan Eng

@SupposedlyFun Год назад

I've heard good things about that book.

@Elizabeth-Reads Год назад

I was so excited when I saw on The Millions that this was coming. She's one of the most powerful authors living today--like you said, her writing feels so visceral, and her stories are so heartbreaking. (I'm sad to hear you don't love it quite as much as her others, but gosh, that's a hard standard to live up to. A not-as-great Jesmyn Ward is still great.)

@SupposedlyFun Год назад

It is definitely a very high standard to live up to--and the fact that she keeps getting up there is quite impressive.

@jeanninethompson6243 Год назад

Great video.

@SupposedlyFun Год назад

Thanks!

@LeoniRea Год назад

Thank you for another great video! I’m catching up on Jesmyn Wards two other novels so I’m set up for this one in October. Would you recommend starting with Sing, Unburied, Sing or Salvage the Bones?

@SupposedlyFun Год назад

If you’re committed to all three, I recommend starting with Salvage the Bones and going chronologically. They’re not linked but it’s an interesting progression.

@LeoniRea Год назад

@@SupposedlyFun Yes, I’m committed to all three, but was a bit nervous about starting with Salvage the Bones because I read some reviews that mentioned animal cruelty. But if you as a dog lover got through it, then I hope I’ll be able to stomach it as well.

@SupposedlyFun Год назад

@@LeoniRea To be honest, I read it when it was first published--which was a few years before I had dogs myself. So I was able to read it but I was also not as sensitive to that type of thing as I would be now. So maybe Sing, Unburied, Sing would be a lot easier.