Ring Shout by P. Djèlí Clark
The
cover is what really appealed to me. Although this is a poster for the film Clark references (Birth of a Nation), the image of the hooded klansman is somewhat similar. I didn’t know a lot about it, but it kept
coming up as a recommended book. I was glad that I followed that recommendation
and was able to get a copy through my library. This was a really entertaining
and interesting book. Much like Lovecraft Country but better, Clark
revises history and literature (in this case Birth of a Nation) to
explain the evil of racism. Also similar to Stephen Graham Jones’ Only the
Good Indians, Clark uses myth and history to challenge racism and
discriminatory practices. What’s even more apt is his portrayal of the KKK
terrorists as monsters. The monsters were well described and terrifying. It was interesting to see how Clark interrogates historical terror and racism as truly monstrous and horrible, and identifying early uses of film and popular media to reshape historical narratives, much the way it has continued for the past 100 years. I
enjoyed the battles, and the main characters were compelling. I loved how
Maryse and her crew used their sword and other magic and skills at their
disposal to fight the KKK. I’m looking forward to reading more from Clark.
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