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Linden Hills (novel)

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1985 novel by Gloria Naylor
Linden Hills
AuthorGloria Naylor
LanguageEnglish
Published1985
Publication placeUnited States
Media typePrint
ISBN0-14-008829-6
Preceded byThe Women of Brewster Place 
Followed byThe Meanings of a Word 

Linden Hills is a novel written by Gloria Naylor, originally published in 1985. Naylor bases her allegory on Dante's Inferno. The narrative is written from a third-person omniscient perspective, detailing different characters based on different traits that correspond with the different rings of Dante's interpretation of Hell. The novel is a revision of Naylor's Yale master’s thesis.

Plot summary

Naylor begins her narrative by detailing the family history of Luther Nedeed, real estate purveyor of the Linden Hills neighborhood. Naylor exposes the American dream as nightmare, through the lens of race and class, by unraveling the dark secrets of Tupelo Drive.

Reception

Critical reception has been positive. The New York Times wrote a mostly favorable review for the work, stating "Its flaws notwithstanding, the novel's ominous atmosphere and inspired set pieces - such as the minister's drunken fundamentalist sermon before an incredulous Hills congregation - make it a fascinating departure for Miss Naylor, as well as a provocative, iconoclastic novel about a seldom-addressed subject." Publishers Weekly was more critical, stating that the "narrative seems constructed and contrived rather than animated by the inner energy that distinguished Naylor's previous work. The novel as a whole is cold and preachy.''

References

  1. Engles, Tim (December 2009). "African American Review". 43 (4): 661. doi:10.1353/afa.2009.0079. S2CID 55447140. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  2. Ward, Catherine C.; Naylor, Gloria (1987-01-01). "Gloria Naylor's Linden Hills: A Modern Inferno". Contemporary Literature. 28 (1): 67–81. doi:10.2307/1208573. JSTOR 1208573.
  3. Bell, Bernard W. (2004). The Contemporary African American Novel: Its Folk Roots and Modern Literary Branches. University of Massachusetts Press. p. 277. ISBN 978-1-55849-473-2.
  4. "LINDEN HILLS by Gloria Naylor". Kirkus Reviews. 1984-02-01. Retrieved 2016-06-08.
  5. Cornish, Sam (1985-03-01). "Middle-class souls on ice". Christian Science Monitor. ISSN 0882-7729. Retrieved 2016-06-08.
  6. Present, Mel Watkins; Mel Watkins Is Finishing A. Book On Black American Humor From The 1920s To The (1985-03-03). "THE CIRCULAR DRIVEWAYS OF HELL". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2016-06-08.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  7. "Fiction Book Review: Linden Hills by Gloria Naylor". PublishersWeekly.com. Retrieved 2016-06-08.
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