Zora Neale Hurston's Mules and Men (MAXnotes)

I don't know how this goes unnoticed but I bought this book as a required reading for a seminar and had me a great surprise when I got to the end of part 1. There were 3 critical chapters missing from part 2 of the book. That was a total of about 30 pgs. I still cant explain how this went unnoticed. This rating has nothing to do with the content of the book but rather more so to do with an issue of the missing chapters.

"Mules and Men" is an extremely interesting collection of African American Folklore, collected and assembled by a very notable African American author. It was published during the Great Depression in 1935. Thus this fine work is worthy of both reading and study on multiple levels.Zora Neale Hurston rose to prominence in the first half of the twentieth century as an African American author. She is a member of what is referred to as the "Harlem Renaissance". She wrote about African American Folklore. She also wrote short stories and novels. Eventually she slid into obscurity and when she died she ended up in an unmarked grave.This particular work is a collection of folklore and is referred to in Wikipedia as an "autoethnograhical" collection. I found it both fascinating and enjoyable. I feel it involves the important preservation of cultural heritage that could easily be lost. There is some criticism of her non fiction work. I feel the forward of this book by noted academic and author Arnold Rampersad needs to be read and is well worthy of contemplation. My personal viewpoint is that Zora Neale Hurston is both artist and academic and I enjoy this work on both levels.I purchased both the Kindle edition and an audiobook narrated by Ruby Dee. I love the audiobook and feel the narration is outstanding as far as it exists. However I need to mention that at least my copy of the audiobook is abridged. I cannot tell you how disappointed I am about that. Ruby Dee's performance is outstanding and I am dismayed that it is abridged.In summary I thoroughly enjoyed this fine work. I specifically study African American Literature, but not to the exclusion of any other literature. The reason I mention this is that I consider this fine work a "must read" for a student of African American Literature such as myself.

Enjoyed this story of folklore from the American South that was collected by the author almost a century ago.The first part of the book starts out with her traveling to Eatonville Florida and meeting some of her friends from her youth and listening to them tell a lot of the stories "lies" that they have passed back and forth throughout the generations. Some of those stories I've certainly evolved over the years. Some of those stories I have heard being told in the white community.The next half of the book she goes to Louisiana to learn about voodoo. Some of the voodoo rituals were quite odd but interesting to learn about as I knew nothing about Voodoo and I really didn't know that it was that common in America.

A very interesting book. Ms Hurston came from the poor rural African-American communities in central Florida, moved north and became well educated, studying anthropology with F. Boas, then returned to her native places with the intention of documenting their language and lifestyle. It's an uncommon situation -- can you be an objective observer and at the same time a member of the community you're studying? On the one hand you certainly lose objectivity; on the other you know your subject in a way a stranger never could. The result is a book unique in its genre, and one I personally recommend.

This is an amazing part of the historical fabric of the black south. And, being from Cuba, it was so cool to see the similarities between Hoodoo from NOLA and Santeria from Santiago. Just an amazing, provocative book. She was a master of anthropology, history and creative writing. A must-read

Zora Neale Hurston is an American master. This book documents her submersion into the voodoo/hoodoo scene in Florida and New Orleans providing unparalleled insight into the lives of post-slavery/pre-civil rights African Americans in the South. The inventiveness of the characters, the tragicomic tales, the vocabulary, the authenticity of Hurston's portrayals, and her high-risk investment in anthropological participant observation, combine to make this book a classic, not to mention a great read.

First I read their eyes were watching God which I highly recommend. Since eyes was so good I got this one while I love somethings about it like the personnalities and the day to day interactions of the characters. I also enjoyed the way Zora makes these characters so familiar that you feel like your in the setting with these guys as the walk and talk and clown amongst each other. This story is a bit hard to follow because she is bouncing from one character to another and most characters have one paragraph, some one sentence before she moves to another then another. It becomes annoying. I gave it four stars because its worth to be a part of this bouncy zig zaggy novel. But if you really want to witness a master piece you must read "thier eyes were watching God" by Zora. Guys it is a love story but its not mushy and its put together better than this one.

This audio tape recorded by Ruby Dee of Zora Neale Hurston's Mules and Men absolutely makes the case for audio-books because of Dee's extraordinary performance. I seriously doubt that Hurston could do better herself. It is so great that this is the third time I am buying it. The first two copies are owned by my Mom (artist Faith Ringgold) who is bi-coastal and keeps a copy loaded in the tape player ready to play, day or night, on each coast, and the third is for me because now from listening to my Mom's tapes I am as addicted to it as she is. This is becoming true of a lot of her friends. Whether you are doing something else or just listening, it fits in perfectly, and it is full of wisdom and laughs. It is absolutely the best, and I would buy anything else that Ruby Dee ever had anything to do with because she is the glue that makes it work.

Takes a lot of effort to read, as it is written in the southern language of the twenties. I couldn't read it, too exhausting to wade through the lingo.

Bought as a present for my Grandson.

good

One of her best books.

Great read and it is done from an anthropological lens that need to be included in all courses. We need to add her voice to the complexity of raciall relations.

Awesome book by a person who is in essence an anthropologist.