Charles W Chesnutt - Conjure Woman and Other Conjure Tales, The - 7

[StefanY]

Conjure Woman and Other Conjure Tales, The

The Conjure Woman and Other Tales is a collection of short stories tied together under the umbrella of a frame story in which a white northern couple has relocated to the South and has met a man on their property who they hire on as caretaker. The poor black southerner regales them with tales which they find entertaining but are actually pointing a finger directly at them. The book was first published in the late 1800's and the dialect is that of a poor southern black man and the stories themselves offer a glimpse into the rich cultural heritage of the people and the times in which they lived.

The tales presented in The Conjure Woman are entertaining and humorous on their own but the real value of this work is how the protagonist uses his tales in order to point out the flaws in the views and attitudes of the white couple and goad or guilt them into getting things done on the farm in the way that he wants them sometimes for his own benefit but usually for the benefit of everyone involved. I really did enjoy this book as both the individual stories and the ongoing tale as a whole teach the reader a lot about the views of society during that era whilst maintaining a lighter air so that the reader doesn't feel as if they are being scolded or sitting in a lecture.

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[laurie]

Thank you, StefanY, for reminding me about this book. I read it for an African-American Lit course in college (ca. 1975) and loved it. I'll have to dig out my copy!

[StefanY]

I had to read it for Intro to Literary Studies. It was one of the more entertaining books that I read in my classes.