Brothers and Keepers

by John Edgar Wideman

Book Overview

As John Wideman was building a reputation as one of our finest writers, his brother Robby went from the streets of Philadelphia to a life sentence in prison for murder. As it weighs their shared bonds of blood, tenderness, and guilt, Brothers and Keepers yields an unsparing analysis of America's racial contract.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0140082670
• ISBN13: 9780140082678
• Release Date: November 1985
• Publisher: Penguin Group
• Length: 256 Pages
• Weight: 0.40 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 5.0" x 7.7"

Customer Reviews

Decent Memoir

John Edgar Wideman has composed an interesting take of two lives gone wrong in his memoir, "Brothers and Keepers". In the memoir, Wideman explores the causes and consequences of his brother's life sentence in jail for murder. Wideman speaks his mind about the whole affair, but also lets his brother do his fair share of the talking through a series of interviews the two shared in the prison visiting room. Though the basic goal of the memoir is to determine how two brothers followed such radically different paths, it delves into the broader topic of African-American men and society. Even though it overall is a great experience, two problems I had with the novel was its lack of structure and Wideman's tendency to rant. It seems that Wideman tends to build up a subplot, but then just as suddenly dashes away to discuss something new. This makes the book difficult to read more than a few pages at a time. As for the ranting, it's like Wideman tries to use the text as a way to vent his frustrations about racism in America. His whining can get excruciatingly annoying. But, despite these problems, "Brothers and Keepers" is an excellent look into the lives of two African-American men, while reflecting on the role of the African-American race as a whole.

Brothers and Keepers

In Brothers and Keepers, John Edgar Wideman uses a range of narrative techniques to unravel the complicated relationship between he and his brother Robert Wideman. These different narrative techniques, such as letter writing, greatly assisted to the overall movement of the novel. Through letter writing, John effectively gives Robert a voice in the novel. The authentic voice of Robby allowed the reader a real portrayal of a man serving prison time as he, in confessions to his brother, reflects on their relationship growing up. Their struggle to discover is apparent through John Edgar Wideman's choice of narrative technique.Ironically, the most intriguing struggle doesn't occur between John and Robby. As the book moves, the reader becomes a confessional for John Wideman. This underlying theme was the most impressive part of the novel. The attempt to understand John kept me interested as a reader.

Nature/nurture

An extraordinary tale of two brothers. One convicted of murder, another an English professor. Two lives. Two paths taken. Each word has been crafted with honesty, poidnancy, compassion and love. Each word illuminating the tragedy of racism showing the flipside of the American dream.

A compelling biographic memoir

John Edgar Wideman's brilliant prose breaks through the humdrum of standard biographies and presents readers with a combination of family memoir, true crime narrative, and a scathing indictment of the "justice" system. His own learned, scholarly discourse and his brother's street dialect alternate throughout to give readers a dual perspective of family, culture, and society. Wideman neither lionizes nor blames his brother, Robert, but not so ironically, he recognizes in his little brother the true modern day romantic: the chance-taker, the rebel with a cause, and the convict who retains his dignity through loss and ordeal.Nevertheless, I would not undermine or degrade Wideman's book by calling it "uplifting" or "inspirational." There are enough canned chicken-soup books for those who prefer spoonfeeding to hard realism and true brotherly love.

read this book!

this is a devastating, complex work which fully explores the ambiguities surrounding issues of racism, crime, and family in America. Wideman never allows himself to over-simplify anything, and the book is heartbreaking as it raises questions of loyalty, personal responsibility, and institutional injustice. it is also notable for its skillful evocation of place and mood, and the depths of family history. an incredible book - one of the best i've ever read.