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3 out of 4 stars
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Going Postal by Willie R. Hargis is a Black man's book on his true life experiences. It is Hargis' recount of his work encounters and experiences. It talks about the stage-by-stage ordeals of his work portfolios and what it felt like working as a black man.
Willie Hargis' Going Postal is not a typical story, as the book is mainly about sharing his work/employment life with us. It starts with his young adult self deciding to become a high-profile soldier. A decision stemmed from his love and admiration for the special force's uniform - The Paratroopers.
He joined the soldiers and excelled in it while showing his colleagues how much of a strong Black man he was. He goes further to recount his adventures of working as a mailman and working with the post office. On this note, he shares the series of discrimination encountered by him and other Blacks working in the White man's environment. Follow Hargis on his postal journeys to learn how much of a willful Black man he could be.
The predominant themes in this book are adventure, racism, and identity. There are several positive aspects to this book. First, I feel the author put a lot of energy into writing this book. I say this because of how he goes back to cover all references possible. I'd say he left no stone unturned; I loved that. I liked most of his recounts and how they ended. I liked how much of a principled man Hargis was. He did not let himself get intimidated or downcasted. I also liked that he never failed to address his lapses and flaws. I loved how he gave a backup story to every new or initial scenario; it always gave me a better understanding of that particular ordeal. It made the story flow well.
Also, I liked the little humor introduced at different points. I'd say the author told his story well, as he made the "real" characters even more real; I could imagine every one of them. I got a clear picture of what working in a post office looked like, its perks, and its challenges, and I liked that. I liked his soldier days the most; I had fun reading that part, and I learned quite a lot too. Most importantly, I loved how detailed this book is.
There are just two things I disliked about this book. The first is the non-serialized mode of the book. In making references to past scenarios, the author often forgets to hint at the past scenario he wants to bring into the recent ordeal; he just jumps into the old story abruptly. This made me confused a lot of times and had me missing out on the storyline. The author should try to give a hint when he wants to flashback to enable the readers to understand where exactly he's coming from.
Another thing I dislike about this book is the excessive use of abbreviations. I believe the author can always state those abbreviated terms in full. The abbreviated terms are quite much, which makes it easy to forget. I come across them, and I don't remember what they mean. Stating the terms in full would help the readers know the exact one you're talking about.
I recommend this book to aspiring soldiers, postal workers, and all Black men looking to survive in the White man's land.
This book was adequately written and edited. Only a few errors were spotted while I read this book. I rate this book three out of four stars. I didn't give this book a higher rating because of the negative aspect mentioned above; it made my reading of this book less fun.
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Going Postal
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