“These were our bedtime stories. Tales that haunted our parents and made them laugh at the same time. We never understood them until we were fully grown and they became our sole inheritance.”- Edwidge Danticat, “Krik? Krak!”This selection of short stories was absolutely amazing. Heartbreaking, but brilliant. We see Haiti through different eyes, each pair experiencing a lot of pain and loss. Even with the knowledge that I have of Haiti’s horrific history, what Danticat wrote (using vignettes told from the point of view of various characters) still managed to shock me. In that way, I feel Danticat illuminates Haiti’s painful history the way Toni Morrison highlights slavery in “Beloved.”The stories were separate yet created a larger picture spread over decades. There’s a lot of heartbreak in these tales. The one that touched me the most was “Children of the Sea”, which featured a story about Haitian refugees trying to make it to Miami in boats. It’s obvious that this is a difficult and risky feat but have we considered the psychological issues and the everyday constraints that the migrants have to deal with? I hadn’t, Danticat obviously had. That’s one of the many things l like about fiction; being given the opportunity to think about something that would probably have never crossed my mind otherwise.That scene really created a lot more empathy in me:“Sometimes, I forget where I am. If I keep daydreaming like I have been doing, I will walk off the boat to go for a stroll.”The whole book was very much alive for me due to Danticat’s superior writing. Her narrative just flows and manages to incorporate so much; history, relationships, superstition, culture, and so on with such honesty and clarity.This is a complex book that made me think of how it is that one can love their homeland so much, yet at the same time realize there is so much ugliness present, embarrassing stuff at that.Judging from Danticat’s writing, that doesn’t mean one loves their country any less.Definitely a rewarding read. Hopefully more books like this are read so people can have more empathy for migrants.
"The Groom's Still Waiting at the Alter" is one of my favorite Bob Dylan songs, but it's on one of his worst albums. So I rarely recommend it. Nevertheless, it's a great single and it can exist independently of the album (Shot of Love) on greatest hits albums, live albums, and even as a single song downloaded from iTunes, Amazon, or a Torrent. You could probably find it on youtube.If only short stories had it so easy. They don't even get radio play, for one thing, and few make it to anthologies, let alone "greatest hits" collections.Danticat could use a model like that. In Krik? Krak!, she tells stories centered around life in Haiti and life for Haitians that live in America. There's a lack of consistency that we can complain about in this collection, but there are some amazing singles.The best story is almost certainly the opening, "Children of the Sea." The voice alone is enough for readers to drown in, and the story is even better. There are two perspectives. The first is a man on a ship that we later learn is sinking. The second is his lover, left behind to face violent civil unrest in Haiti. This is compelling reading.In another story, a man realizes that there is no hope for his life. He will never do anything in Haiti other than waiting in line for a job cleaning toilets. However, he thinks that he could fly a hot air balloon. Sadly, it's easier to take off than it is to land and his solution makes for a powerful ending.Unfortunately, I was otherwise disappointed with many of these stories. Perhaps Danticat should have arranged the story order differently. I found that my expectations were set incredibly high after reading "Children of the Sea" and the rest of the collection just couldn't keep up.But as a single, what a success "Children of the Sea" would have been.
What do You think about Krik? Krak! (1996)?
The recent earthquake in Haiti has started to draw some much needed attention to the region, but before the earthquake struck there were many tragedies facing the Haitian people. Edwidge Danticat does a beautiful job of expressing the unending suffering the Haitian people have had to endure in her novel, Krik? Krak!. If you cannot empathize with the characters that come to life in this novel, then you are not fully engaging your senses as you read. Danticat's writing style is so smooth that it should not be difficult for you to get swept up by this novel, between the crashing waves at sea or the storm of bullets that fire down on the characters you come to love. The following passages is just one of many passages that made me pause: "'You know that question I asked you....how a man is remembered after he's gone?....I know because I remember my father, who was a very poor struggling man all his life. I remember him as a man that I would never want to be" (75). Guy makes the preceding claim to his wife right before he decides to take his life. As the reader, I was drawn into Guy's character because of the great love he expressed for his family, so when he decided to take his life I found it devastating. My one main piece of advice is to not stop reading due to the emotions you may experience throughout this novel, but rather pause.....and embrace them.
—Jasmine
Krik? Krak! is a great novel written by a Haitian writer named Edwidge Danticat. She moved to the United States when she was twelve years old and experienced a process of cultural assimilation. Edwidge Danticat, as she has stated in various books and interviews, has the need to be the voice of her people. By belonging to a country that “had suffered too much […] they have endured slavery, hunger, disease, oppression, corruption, violence… all in excess” (Claudine Michel) Danticat has such a strong voice that the audience cries, suffers and reflects with every turn of a page. This novel, rich in imagery and dialogue, transports the reader to Haiti and forces them to witness the injustice and the violence within the region. Danticat refers to those “faceless individuals” (Claudine Michel) who are never taken into consideration, and transforms the pages of her book into a story of their lives, a story of their everyday painful experiences.
—Sofia
Why don't I read more short story collections? If there are collections that are similar to 'Krik? Krak!', then I WILL READ THEM! Danticat's writing is beautiful, lyrical, sentimental, yet sympathetically raw. Her stories portray the struggles and history of the Haitian people. She lends a tender voice especially to the Haitian women, understanding their superstitions and their centuries-old traditions as they are passed on from mother to daughter. Each story can stand on its own merit, but there is a common thread woven into them so that a character in one story may appear again as a memory in another. It's a cohesive collection. For me, a great story has two essential qualities. First, I must be drawn into the plot and the characters on an emotional level. And second, I must enjoy and appreciate the actual reading of it; the way the words, sentences and paragraphs are strung together. This collection meets both criteria. I will read more of Danticat's work, for sure!
—Doreen
