Ishmael Reed, who was honored with the MacArthur genius award, is a Pulitzer Prize finalist and two-time nominee for the National Book Award. Mumbo Jumbo, a literary masterpiece, is an ironic and unconventional detective story infused with African-American cultural heritage. A strange psychic epidemic called Jes Grew is spreading through the country, affecting millions. PaPa LaBas, a HooDoo detective, is trying to find the origins of the Jes Grew - not because he wants to cure it, but because he's ready for a new kind of society.
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"While this book is definitely interesting and has a lot of interesting criticism of western civilization in comparison to non-western, primarily African civilization, i found it hard to get engaged. " — Navneet (4 out of 5 stars)
"While this book is definitely interesting and has a lot of interesting criticism of western civilization in comparison to non-western, primarily African civilization, i found it hard to get engaged. "
" I think this is a book that I would have really enjoyed when it came out; a work that would have been way more powerful in its time than it is now. "
" Hybrid-genre, hybrid-histories, hybrid-aesthetics--Mumbo Jumbo is a great, quick postmodern novel that reads like an optimistic David Lynch screenplay. "
" Rumored to be a classic and seemingly right up my literary alley, this book is unfortunately and impossible to read mess that offers the reader nothing of value. A near complete waste of time. "
" An intense and intricate novel that treats the jazz as an epidemic rather than a musical movement. I have never had to research so much for a novel in my entire life but it was 100% worth it. "
" Wonderful, but keep an encyclopedia/dictionary next to you...Reed uses information from a wide variety of earlier literature/music/cultures. "
" Very creative, thought provoking and rich in its evaluation on history and culture. "
" A dip into another culture for me, challenging read. Excellent energy. "
" the history of western civilization's power-mad conspirators and the overwhelming power of dance to resist their attacks... "
" re-read this last year; loved it all over. "
" A great social critique of the roots of the African Diaspora in America. An allegorical work with a bit of historical fiction. Truly one of the great novels of the 20th century. "
Ishmael Reed has taught at Harvard, Yale, and Dartmouth and has long been on the faculty at UC Berkeley. He is the award-winning author of more than twenty books—novels, essays, plays, and poetry—that have been translated into seven languages. Reed has been a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize and was twice nominated for the National Book Award. He lives in Oakland, California.
JD Jackson is a theater professor, aspiring stage director, and award-winning audiobook narrator. He is a classically trained actor, and his television and film credits include roles on House, ER, Law & Order, Hack, Sherrybaby, Diary of a City Priest, and Lucky Number Slevin. He is the recipient of more than a dozen Earphones Awards for narration and an Odyssey Honor for G. Neri’s Ghetto Cowboy, and he was also named one of AudioFile magazine’s Best Voices of the Year for 2012 and 2013. An adjunct professor at Los Angeles Southwest College, he has an MFA in theater from Temple University.
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