3 out of 4 stars
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Strangers in Another Country by Lawrence G. Taylor is a historical fiction compilation containing two short stories and two novellas. These stories all have a similar thread about being a foreigner, racism, and relationships.
In the first story, “A Day in the Life of Mr. Charlie Cheddar”, Charlie is a man from the West Indies living in London. For three years he has kept to himself, but after being befriended by a man named Julian, he has given up his solitude. Now Julian is setting him up on a date and he is beyond anxious.
In “Betty and the Black Puppy”, Betty is a young Scottish woman living in England with her boyfriend, David. One day she rescues a puppy from danger and brings it home. Anxiously, she awaits David’s return for she knows he is not fond of animals.
In the novella “Binky’s Reverie”, Binky Brown is a man from the West Indies visiting his friends, Linda and Kerstin, in a small Swedish town. His plan is to win the heart of Linda while he is there, even though she has made it clear in the past that she has no romantic interest in him.
In “Strangers in Another Country”, Moby is a West Indian living in Sweden. He is out walking when he spies another Black man coming his way. They stop to talk for a moment which turns into a lengthy conversation about their life, racism in different countries, and more.
The storylines of each of these are quite simple and the focus is largely on style and philosophy. The author captures his characters’ personality and thoughts in an eloquent manner. The writing style is along the same lines as older classics which may be a positive for some and a negative for others. Personally, I both like and dislike the writing style. I find it interesting and amusing in a way, yet it also causes me to lose interest more quickly.
With the exception of “Binky’s Reverie”, I am disappointed with the way the stories end. They feel incomplete even for being short stories and I wish there was more to them. A lot of time is spent on the back history of characters or describing their thoughts on life, but there is not much in the way of a plot.
The stories take place in the 1960’s when there was a lot of discrimination toward black people in many countries. I found the parts about Sweden especially interesting since it is not a country I have read much about. This book has left me with the desire to learn more about what life is like for foreigners in other countries now.
My rating for Strangers in Another Country is 3 out of 4 stars. I enjoyed reading it and felt like I learned something, but the stories are not without flaws. In addition to some typographical errors, there are slow parts due to heavy wording and unsatisfying endings. I recommend these stories to people who love philosophical writing about racism, relationships, or life in general.
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Strangers In Another Country
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