Book reviews

The Colour of Water
James McBride Book Review

Read a book review online (click here to search reviews)
Books Movies  
Sci-Fi/Fantasy Mystery/Thriller Literature Romance Biography Video
James McBride Books
New book search
James McBride Message Board
Get more information about this book
Plot Summary of The Colour of Water
"A wonderful story of triumph over adversity, which demonstrates that a committed mother can, against all odds, inspire the outstanding achievement of all twelve children she raised in a Brooklyn Housing Project. James McBride's story, in parallel to his mother's, offers a rich, rewarding and inspirational tapestry of cultural, racial, and religious diferences. "
Alison, Resident Scholar



Review Analysis of The Colour of Water
Our unique search engine provides a wealth of detail about books by breaking them down into many different literary elements, all of which are searchable (click here).
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot
Kids growing up/acting up? Yes
Kids: - trouble in high school - trouble in grade school - committing crimes - rebelling against parent's expectations
Gender/Class story? - immigrant story
Job/profession/poverty story Yes
Kind of living: - general poverty story
Family, love Yes
Special relationship with - mother
If this is a culture clash: - minority culture living in majority area
Ethnic/regional/gender Yes
Period of greatest activity? - 1950+

Subject of Biography
Gender - Male
Profession/status: - journalist
Age: - 40's-50's
Is this an ordinary person caught up in events? Yes
Biography of famous person? Yes
Ethnicity - Black
Nationality - American (!)
How sensitive is this person? - sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor - Strong but gentle sense of humor
Intelligence - Very much smarter than other people
Physique - average physique

Setting
How much descriptions of surroundings? - 5 ()
United States Yes
City? Yes
City: - New York
Small town? Yes
Small town people: - dumb Rednecks, like Gomer Pyle
Century: - 1960's-1970's

Style
Person - rotating 1st
Book makes you feel? - thoughtful
Is book humorous? Yes
If humorous, kind of humor - gentle
Commentary on society? Yes
Commentary on - race - decency - wicked men - wicked women - religion
Unusual Style: - a lot of flashback and forwards
Writer's slant towards subject: - neutral
Story of entire life, or part? - story of nearly entire life
Is this a biography of several people? Yes
Autobiography? Yes
Pictures/Illustrations? - More 6-10 B&W
How much dialogue in bio? - little dialog
How much of bio focuses on most famous period of life? - 0-25% of book
How much is philosophy rather than life story? - 0-25% of book
Most similar books to The Colour of Water
Sitting On Potatoes: A Lumpy Adventure from Manzanar to the Corporate World by Carl Nomura
Memoir of a Visionary: Antonia Pantoja by Antonia Pantoja
Glass Castle by Jeanette Walls
Run Baby Run by Nicky Cruz
Dirt Floor by Henry Custer


Click here for more information about this book


James McBride Resident Scholar Profiles

TOP SCHOLAR:
  
Alison  

SCHOLARS:


Note: the views expressed here are only those of the reviewer(s).
Three ways to search for Biography books!

1) One-click plot searches! Simply click on a plot or subplot below!

Animal story?

Big Business story?

Disaster Story

Ethnic/regional/gender

Family, hate

Family, ill

Family, love

Food

Job/profession/poverty story

Kids growing up/acting up?

Life in an institution

Outdoors story

Pal/friendship story

Phys disability/mental struggle?

Political/social rights fight

Road trip

Romance

Royalty bio

Sports story

Taboo Sex Story?

War/Spying



or 2) Simple lookup
(title or author)

or
3) Even more search options available with a Detailed Booksearch (click here)

Use our site!
17 FREE Sci-Fi Ebooks!
FREE "How to be happy" Ebook!
Feedback


Most recent discussions:

General Book Talk
Book writing discussion
Off-topic message board
Norah Lofts 12:50:53 AM
Suzanne Weyn 4:47:34 PM
Wilma Counts 1:23:32 PM
George W. Bush 5:33:46 PM
Kin Platt 12:58:29 AM
Anonymous 12:47:34 PM
Lilian Jackson Braun 10:05:52 PM
Jane Rubino 10:04:38 PM
LaVyrle Spencer 10:04:00 PM
G.A. McKevett 10:03:31 PM
David Williams 10:03:01 PM
Steven Pressfield 10:02:30 PM
Jeanette Walls 10:00:19 PM
Darryl Ponicsan 9:59:27 PM
Ann Rinaldi 9:58:30 PM
R.L. Stine 9:57:34 PM
Geoffrey Huntington 9:57:14 PM
Betty Mahmoody 9:56:38 PM
Deric Longden 9:56:11 PM
Mary Downing Hahn 9:55:48 PM

More message boards