Book Review: Colored Television by Danzy Senna

photo of kathleen haagenson holding book colored television by danzy senna standing in front of bookshelf

I discovered Colored Television by Danzy Senna on Goodreads in a new September release list. I found the premise so interesting and put it on hold at my library. Just this past month my hold came through and I was eager to dive into the pages and try out Senna’s writing and storytelling ability to see if it aligned with my taste. I wasn’t prepared for how this novel dug deep into my brain challenging my perspectives and triggering some introspective and thought-provoking moments that I couldn’t wait to journal about and unpack. I’m excited to share my experience with this book.

details about colored television by danzy senna

Colored Television by Danzy Senna

Synopsis

Jane a writer is on a year-long sabbatical from her work in hopes that she can finally complete her follow-up to her debut novel released ten years ago. While she, her husband Lenny, and their kids are house-sitting for her friend Brett she hunkers down to focus on completing her novel eager for success and to improve her family’s financial standing. Only things do not work out the way she hoped desperate she pursues an ambitious plan to secure the future that she feels is within her grasp.

ADD TO GOODREADS

Review

Upon finishing Colored Television I had to take a couple of days to truly digest and comprehend what I read. There were so many emotions and thoughts swirling through my head that I couldn’t decipher how I felt about this book and whether I even liked it or not. I’m so glad I allowed myself to truly contemplate this book because after reflecting for a bit I realized that I truly loved and appreciated this book. Even though it was a challenging read due to its unnerving ability to challenge my perspectives and beliefs and expose me to an opposing reality and lived experience. And in my opinion, only a good book written by a talented author can do that.

Content 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

Colored Television is a complex book that utilizes dark humor to highlight issues regarding the unique struggles experienced by biracial people in America as it pertains to their racial identity. This quote shares the internal struggle Biracial Americans undergo regarding identity.

“The mulato in America,” Cavendish wrote, “remains a ghostly apparition in most history books. He does not easily fit into any of the stories we’ve told ourselves about America. And indeed, he does not easily fit into his own mind. What a tortured figure we find in the American mulatto! His proximity to whiteness, you see, sparks ambition in him-an insatiable desire to have all that the white man possesses. Pride and shame, love and hatred, vanity and self-loathing mingle together uneasily in the mulatto’s psyche, leading to a state of perpetual ambivalence, and undefinable malaise.”

 

It also explores themes regarding who is qualified to tell stories about Biracial Americans and how can they be told not to pander to the White gaze while also not relying on stereotypes and tropes that aren’t true. But to authentically reflect their experience and struggle to find their place in a divided society. 

 

Additionally, we see the cost of ambition and the never-ending struggle to have your voice heard in a world that finds you’re “too Black” or in some instances “not Black enough” and how you have to strike the balance of being palatable and acceptable essentially selling your soul to get your piece of the pie. We also explore class, opportunity and the yearning one develops to achieve the societal version of success. This novel is an endless fount of themes and explorations making it a cerebral reading experience.

Writing Style 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

Senna’s prose comes off as witty, introspective, and thought-provoking inviting the reader to sit with the deeper themes and elements of this novel.

“Jane’s father once told her that white people believed, deep in their hearts, that Black people would all choose to become white if they could. But Black people didn’t want to be white, he had told her. They only wanted to have what white people had.”

This quote resonated with me because as a Black American woman, I’ve been told countless times by peers some white and some Black that due to my personality, hobbies, and interests, I wanted to be white and was ashamed of being black. In reality, I never aspired to be white I just wanted the privilege and freedom that my white counterparts had to explore and pursue their hobbies and interests and not be locked into a box limiting their potential to be who they wanted to be because my race and ethnicity meant I could only be a certain type of way. Reading this passage did funny things to my psyche. I felt seen and validated. It was a profound moment.

The tone of this novel is slick and to the point. At times it could come across as pretentious especially when it comes to the debate regarding literary success and writers being heralded as superior to to film industry and screenwriters. But this just added a layer to the story.

Readability 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

This book is an experience and should be treated as such. Despite its fast pace, it’s not something I recommend flying through. Rather try to sit with the story as it unfolds and dig into the thoughts and ideas presented on the page. There are endless themes and profound statements to explore and I believe this guarantees a better reading experience.

For example, the following quote highlights the importance of younger generations and their innovative approach and optimistic outlook toward building and creating a world with a future that’s better than the last. And how older generations should learn and listen and not become stuck and stagnant with old ways and approaches to doing things.

“And the point of young people was to be annoying about the truth they saw until it became evident to people like herself. Every generation must leave an impression. And it had to keep pressing into the group ahead of it until the impression was made permanent. Then a fresh generation would be born and look around, bewildered, at their elders and assert some newfangled idea that years from now would make perfect sense.”

 

Plot Development 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

The plotting was clever and well-done as this story took twists and turns that I wasn’t expecting. And there was a lot of tension and buildup leading to the climactic moment that turned everything in this novel on its head. The irony of the situation isn’t lost on me but I was still shocked as it went in a direction I didn’t expect.

Characters: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

Jane and Lenny and many of the side characters in this story were deeply flawed and problematic in their way. They weren’t but developed to realistically reflect their backgrounds, morals, ethos, and beliefs and how this impacted their ability to show up and interact in the world. Additionally, the side characters added a darkly humorous element to the story.

One of my favorite quotes from Jane is her speaking about the struggles of being a lower-middle-class woman pursuing a career while caring for a family comes at a great cost as the woman is left doing double the work with little support to pursue her passions and goals.

“The thing about being a woman, a mother, a wife, was that if you wanted to be any more than those things you had to hire another wife. Somebody had to be the wife in a family. Rich women got to pay somebody else to be them-a stunt double to make it look like they were doing everything well when, in fact, they were doing only the fun parts. Money would grant her the help and the home she needed to raise her children and to do what she wanted to do, which was to tell stores and age richly. That too.”

In the end, we see a massive and beautiful character arc that isn’t necessarily the happy redemptive conclusion you’d expect but is appropriate for the story and the character’s growth.

 

While I enjoyed this book I can understand how it’s not the ideal cup of tea for everyone. It covers some complex and uncomfortable topics and Senna isn’t afraid to not be politically correct. She tells the truth as she sees it.

However, if you enjoy thought-provoking reads that don’t hold their punches when discussing themes such as racial identity, the experiences of Biracial Americans, true art versus selling out for a check, ambition, and the dogged pursuit of a better life with more opportunities you will enjoy this book.

ratings for book colored television by danzy senna

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