Wednesday, April 24, 2019

Haley Reading Group: reflections

[The Intuitionist (1999)]

We've now all read Colson Whitehead's The Intuitionist.
First prompt, 1 - 33
Second prompt, 33 - 65
Third prompt, 69 – 105
Fourth prompt, 105 – 140
Fifth prompt, 145 – 217
Sixth prompt, 221 – 255
What's something concerning Whitehead's word usage, phrasing, or style of writing that you found most memorable or challenging? How so?

8 comments:

Miles Wadlington said...

Throughout the book I found it challenging to dive into all of the meaning packed in each paragraph. After awhile it gave me a bit of a headache, but it also gave me a deeper apprecoation for writing and research. I want to apply Whitehead's attention to detail to subjects within my profession, music. I want to know the music so well that I can squeeze meaning out of every note, like how Whitehead does with his ambiguous deep statements. Overall I am very impressed with the years of dedication that it must have taken for Whitehead's writing to become what it is in this book.

Justin J said...

This book was memorable because it addressed problems in our culture that are usually too sensitive for authors to discuss. Whitehead used both formal and informal diction to communicate his themes and messages throughout the entirety of the novel. This book gave me the opportunity to learn more about the history and problems minorities faced in their lives every day. To conclude, Whitehead used his expert writing skills to create a book full of substance and give a new perspective for the readers of his novel.

Unknown said...

The book was far from average as his style seems filled with allusions and meanings that were not on the surface in most cases. It had a highly descriptive style as wee. I believe that Whitehead also covered the struggles and challenges of minorities in a way that challenges the mainstream, in which the mainstream usually does so in a way that is soft or sometimes sugarcoated. That's why I find it memorable
Andrew H.

Unknown said...

Colson Whitehead's The Intuitionist was a challenging read in that it was unlike any other book I have previously read. It took a while to get into the rhythm of understanding his word choice style and lengthy, descriptive sentences, but there was a sense of satisfaction and accomplishment I got from really understanding his writing. The most memorable thing from the book was his usage of words that I've never even seen or heard spoken before. In conclusion, I think it was worth the extra effort to detail it required to fully understand it.



- Courteney Wilson

Thomas Siganga said...

A lot of this book had layers and was definitely difficult to grasp at times with the word choice. It is interesting how Lila Mae tends to know everything....except learning about other races. This wound with complex words, some of which I have never seen before, in a detective story of all things, has brought out an interesting and memorable book.

Phoenix Johnson said...

It was hard to understand some of the themes and symbolism for me. As well the syntax and diction was hard too. Personally I would put it hard to read with books like "Uncle Tom's Cabin" because the way the words are ordered in the sentences as well his precise vocabulary when being very descriptive. It was great book though all around just a different type of reading.

Fontez McNeal said...

Throughout "The Intuitionist", I found Colson Whitehead's humor to be one of the most memorable aspects of the book. The way he would describe some scenes in a comical way and make serious events seem somewhat humorous or more lighthearted is one of the things that caught my attention.

Louis Stith said...

I would say throughout the book the most memorable thing to me would be how in every chapter it was not the same and it changed made it better to read because it wasn't like you were reading the same thing over and over. Also the word play was fantastic it really made you kind of think of what the author was saying.
-Louis S.