Call number
BIO ANGELOU
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Publication
Bantam Books (1969), 246 pages
Description
Biography & Autobiography. African American Nonfiction. Nonfiction. HTML:Here is a book as joyous and painful, as mysterious and memorable, as childhood itself. I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings captures the longing of lonely children, the brute insult of bigotry, and the wonder of words that can make the world right. Maya Angelou’s debut memoir is a modern American classic beloved worldwide. Sent by their mother to live with their devout, self-sufficient grandmother in a small Southern town, Maya and her brother, Bailey, endure the ache of abandonment and the prejudice of the local “powhitetrash.” At eight years old and back at her mother’s side in St. Louis, Maya is attacked by a man many times her age—and has to live with the consequences for a lifetime. Years later, in San Francisco, Maya learns that love for herself, the kindness of others, her own strong spirit, and the ideas of great authors (“I met and fell in love with William Shakespeare”) will allow her to be free instead of imprisoned. Poetic and powerful, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings will touch hearts and change minds for as long as people read. “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings liberates the reader into life simply because Maya Angelou confronts her own life with such a moving wonder, such a luminous dignity.”—James Baldwin.… (more)
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User reviews
LibraryThing member baswood
This was a re-read for me and I enjoyed and appreciated it much more the second time round. Published in 1969 it is the first of a seven part autobiographical series. The book covers the first seventeen years of Maya’s life and has been described as autobiographical fiction, because there is far
Maya writes about her childhood in Stamps Arkansas, where segregation was a matter of course and then her later teen years in San Francisco, where racism was a little more subtle. She writes with painful honesty about a rape when she was eight years old, about her rose tinted vision of her father and to a certain extent her mother and about her own pregnancy at seventeen years old. Her naivety about sex is particularly well expressed and enables the reader to understand perfectly well how things happened to her the way they did. The book has important things to say about black female identity, racism, sex, religion, education and living conditions for black people in America in the 1930’s and these are assisted by the 40 year old authors reflections and story telling. This is an heartfelt autobiography dredged from the memories of an articulate and brave black woman written in a style that holds the readers attention. A deserved success and a book that feels as fresh to me as it did in the 1970’s. 4 stars.
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too much detail in the story telling (whole conversations are repeated verbatim) for it to be an accurate biography. She was over forty when she was encouraged to write her autobiography and while she based the story around the facts of her life she seems to have been more concerned about getting across what it felt like to be a black girl growing up in America before second world war and in this she has been very successful. My reading experience was one of looking over the shoulder of a person in an environment that I knew something about from other reading, but this biography filled out the picture. The book was a best seller in 1969 and garnered much critical acclaim. Maya writes about her childhood in Stamps Arkansas, where segregation was a matter of course and then her later teen years in San Francisco, where racism was a little more subtle. She writes with painful honesty about a rape when she was eight years old, about her rose tinted vision of her father and to a certain extent her mother and about her own pregnancy at seventeen years old. Her naivety about sex is particularly well expressed and enables the reader to understand perfectly well how things happened to her the way they did. The book has important things to say about black female identity, racism, sex, religion, education and living conditions for black people in America in the 1930’s and these are assisted by the 40 year old authors reflections and story telling. This is an heartfelt autobiography dredged from the memories of an articulate and brave black woman written in a style that holds the readers attention. A deserved success and a book that feels as fresh to me as it did in the 1970’s. 4 stars.
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LibraryThing member LisaMaria_C
This is a celebrated memoir of a major contemporary American poet, Maya Angelou. The book is often found on recommendation lists and is often assigned in American high schools. It's her coming of age story, detailing Angelou's life up to seventeen years old. Her childhood was spent mostly in the
Odd that the homeless children, the silt of the war frenzy, could initiate me into the brotherhood of man. After hunting down unbroken bottles with a white girl from Missouri, A Mexican girl from Los Angeles and a Black girl from Oklahoma, I was never again to sense myself so solidly outside the pale of the human race. The lack of criticism by our ad hoc community influenced me, and set a tone of tolerance for the rest of my life.
Note though how Angelou capitalized "Black" but put "white" in lowercase. That is used throughout the book--even after she claimed to have learned tolerance and respect for the whole human race.
It's not all that disturbed me about the book. There's a lot of frank sexual content, including a graphic description of her rape at eight years old. I think what caused disquiet there was how nonchalantly, even lyrically, Angelou described the assault. Part of the problem might be that although she would have been 41 at the time the book was published, she kept herself to the point of view of the young child who just didn't understand really what had been done to her. It made for unsettling reading.
Were there aspects of the book I liked, aspects of Angelou that I found admirable? Sure. I loved her story of how she persevered and became "hired as the first Negro on the San Francisco streetcars" as a teen not even yet out of high school. I loved the story of the grandmother who raised her, who managed to run a successful business and owned property during the Great Depression--in the segregated South despite being a black woman. And you certainly can see in the prose why Angelou is a celebrated poet. Much of the writing truly is beautiful. But no, I can't honestly say I liked this book--that's why my rating is so low.
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segregated South, the Arkansas of the 1930s. As you might expect of a black girl growing up in those days, Angelou had some bitter stories to tell. There's how when working as a domestic at ten-years-old, her elderly employer tried to change her name to suit her--as you would a dog or horse. The young Maya didn't simply quit or insist on her given name, she retaliated by deliberately breaking the objects she knew the old woman found the most precious, reducing her to tears--and racial epithets. At her elementary school graduation, Maya was provoked to a murderous rage by the insensitive comments of a white man addressing the graduating class. Athletic aspirations? Sure! Just don't strive to be a scientist or poet if you're black his words implied. And not much later, she had to endure terrible pain, because the only dentist for miles around told her and her grandmother that he would rather put his hands into the mouth of a dog than a black person. So yes, Angelou had reason for bitterness, even hatred. Nevertheless, I found how she regarded race troubling. She said of whites that as a child she "couldn't force myself to think of them as people." Later as a teen in California, when she spent a month homeless living with other runaways, she claimed to have had an epiphany:Odd that the homeless children, the silt of the war frenzy, could initiate me into the brotherhood of man. After hunting down unbroken bottles with a white girl from Missouri, A Mexican girl from Los Angeles and a Black girl from Oklahoma, I was never again to sense myself so solidly outside the pale of the human race. The lack of criticism by our ad hoc community influenced me, and set a tone of tolerance for the rest of my life.
Note though how Angelou capitalized "Black" but put "white" in lowercase. That is used throughout the book--even after she claimed to have learned tolerance and respect for the whole human race.
It's not all that disturbed me about the book. There's a lot of frank sexual content, including a graphic description of her rape at eight years old. I think what caused disquiet there was how nonchalantly, even lyrically, Angelou described the assault. Part of the problem might be that although she would have been 41 at the time the book was published, she kept herself to the point of view of the young child who just didn't understand really what had been done to her. It made for unsettling reading.
Were there aspects of the book I liked, aspects of Angelou that I found admirable? Sure. I loved her story of how she persevered and became "hired as the first Negro on the San Francisco streetcars" as a teen not even yet out of high school. I loved the story of the grandmother who raised her, who managed to run a successful business and owned property during the Great Depression--in the segregated South despite being a black woman. And you certainly can see in the prose why Angelou is a celebrated poet. Much of the writing truly is beautiful. But no, I can't honestly say I liked this book--that's why my rating is so low.
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LibraryThing member bcquinnsmom
A very well known book by a very well known author & poet. This is book one of a series in which Angelou sets down her autobiography. The writing is very well done.
When you read this book, you'll find that the autobiographical details carefully reveal several strategies that enabled
Now I know that people rave about the book, but to me it was just okay. The writing, as I noted, was very good, and I almost had the feeling that I was reading a novel. The major problem with reading any autobiography is that true memories are often filtered through the eyes of others -- and I often caught myself wondering things like "how could a kid that age actually remember what she felt at that particular time?"
Overall, just okay, but recommended.
When you read this book, you'll find that the autobiographical details carefully reveal several strategies that enabled
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African-Americans at the time to deal with white people who felt that they were superior to blacks. Angelou grew up mainly in Arkansas (although was shuttled back and forth to St. Louis & California) in the pre-Civil Rights era, so outward resistance was not really a safe and sane option for African-Americans at the time. How she and her family dealt with white people, and what she learned by watching the examples of others seems to be the major focus in the novel, as well as the story of her life up to the time she had a child. Now I know that people rave about the book, but to me it was just okay. The writing, as I noted, was very good, and I almost had the feeling that I was reading a novel. The major problem with reading any autobiography is that true memories are often filtered through the eyes of others -- and I often caught myself wondering things like "how could a kid that age actually remember what she felt at that particular time?"
Overall, just okay, but recommended.
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LibraryThing member greeniezona
One of those books I've been meaning to read FOREVER.
I think it would be fair to say that this is one of the most legendary autobiographies of all time, right? And if not, it certainly should be. It's definitely one of those books that so much has been said about that it's not as though I can add
As painful as this book sometimes was, it was impossible to put down. I'm so glad I finally picked this book up.
I think it would be fair to say that this is one of the most legendary autobiographies of all time, right? And if not, it certainly should be. It's definitely one of those books that so much has been said about that it's not as though I can add
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anything new to the conversation. But I will say that I found it fascinating how many worlds Angelou moves between here -- from her rural Southern upbringing to the cities she lived in during stays with her mother to the brief period she spent living in a junkyard with an enclave of other kids -- and she seems so remarkably self-possessed throughout. There is, of course, also the horrific rape she experiences as a child -- devastating both as the act itself, and then the heartbreaking bravery with which she tries to cover it up (as her rapist had threatened to kill her brother), even as she was bleeding and feverish and in incredible pain in the aftermath. It is, of course, an incredibly difficult section of the book to read. As are the following chapters, where it's clear that no one around her knows how to help her process what has happened to her, and in fact many lose patience with her for dwelling on it.As painful as this book sometimes was, it was impossible to put down. I'm so glad I finally picked this book up.
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LibraryThing member whitewavedarling
The beginning of her series of memoirs, this is a graceful and fascinating journey that serves as a story in itself, reading just so easily and completely (or nearly so) as a novel, if a slight bit more episodic. As a young girl growing up in stages between a small town and a city, immediate family
In conclusion, I have to say that this book is well worth the time for both young readers and adults, and should be entertaining for all. Without a doubt, women readers might relate more easily, but this is one of those few books that I could easily recommend to any reader at all, for varying reasons. I can't say whether the installments of her memoir that don't look back on her childhood will be quite so endearing or wonderful--specifically because the innocence and humor of her childhood are such wonderful hallmarks of this work--but I'll certainly try them.
Absolutely recommended.
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and extended, Angelou's story is both heartbreaking and humorous at turns, but never melo-dramatic or self-pitying. In fact, a story that might easily have been told as a melo-dramatic affair instead comes across as smart, historically telling, and smoothly literary. Here, Angelou paints the story of her childhood innocence and adventures, and every page is worth exploring.In conclusion, I have to say that this book is well worth the time for both young readers and adults, and should be entertaining for all. Without a doubt, women readers might relate more easily, but this is one of those few books that I could easily recommend to any reader at all, for varying reasons. I can't say whether the installments of her memoir that don't look back on her childhood will be quite so endearing or wonderful--specifically because the innocence and humor of her childhood are such wonderful hallmarks of this work--but I'll certainly try them.
Absolutely recommended.
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LibraryThing member StephLaymon
I quite appreciated getting to know the details of Maya Angelou's early life. The hardships endured in the time as a woman of color is something to be considered by those in this generation who know little about the real happenings of life and the necessity of one's power to endure.
This story was
This story was
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told in first person as experienced by young Maya Angelou herself, and adds nicely to even deeper understanding of how she perceived her life as a young girl. Show Less
LibraryThing member BookConcierge
Audiobook performed by the author
This is the first memoir in a series of six which together formed Angelou’s autobiography. In this work she chronicles her childhood from about age three to age 17. She begins when she and her brother, Bailey Jr (one year her senior) were sent to live with their
This is a wonderfully told first-hand account of a young woman’s awakening and coming of age, as well as of the changes brought about in the country. Angelou writes with brutal honesty about her experiences and recounts with poetic grace the pitfalls and triumphs of her young life. There are some sections that are difficult to read, and I can only imagine how difficult there were to live through. For the most part, however, it is a wonderful testament to the love and dedication of strong parents (or parental figures) and the power of education to lift us up. She was an extraordinary woman, and this is an extraordinary memoir.
I am not always a fan of authors who read their own works for audiobooks. Angelou’s voice is low pitched and her pace is slow and deliberate. But she is able to suffuse the performance with emotion in such a way that I cannot imagine anyone else doing a better job of it.
This is the first memoir in a series of six which together formed Angelou’s autobiography. In this work she chronicles her childhood from about age three to age 17. She begins when she and her brother, Bailey Jr (one year her senior) were sent to live with their
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paternal grandmother in Stamps, Arkansas after their parents divorced. In the home of Mrs Annie Henderson, Maya and Bailey learned their multiplication tables, their Bible studies, good manners, and proper English. They were also subjected to the Jim Crow laws of the Depression-era South, but witnessed the dignity and respect with which their grandmother and uncles conducted themselves in the town. World War II brings about changes in America and opportunities begin to open for women and minorities, but not without struggle. This is a wonderfully told first-hand account of a young woman’s awakening and coming of age, as well as of the changes brought about in the country. Angelou writes with brutal honesty about her experiences and recounts with poetic grace the pitfalls and triumphs of her young life. There are some sections that are difficult to read, and I can only imagine how difficult there were to live through. For the most part, however, it is a wonderful testament to the love and dedication of strong parents (or parental figures) and the power of education to lift us up. She was an extraordinary woman, and this is an extraordinary memoir.
I am not always a fan of authors who read their own works for audiobooks. Angelou’s voice is low pitched and her pace is slow and deliberate. But she is able to suffuse the performance with emotion in such a way that I cannot imagine anyone else doing a better job of it.
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LibraryThing member tloeffler
A fascinating autobiography by a very talented woman, Maya Angelou takes us back as far as she can to her youth, from growing up with her grandmother in Arkansas, to moving to San Francisco with her mother when she was 13. Besides getting a picture of her life, we also get a picture of America in
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the 1930's, and see a very interesting contrast between how blacks were treated in the South as opposed to how they were treated on the West Coast. Angelou has a way of recounting the incidents in her life, good and bad, in a way that seems both passionate and dispassionate, if that's possible, and it ends up being a book difficult to put down. Excellent. Show Less
LibraryThing member BrianDewey
Angelou, Maya. I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings. Bantam Books, New York, 1969. A quick read. I enjoyed the book, but it lacked emotional punch. It seemed too light and disconnected. Angelou's prose is wonderful, however.
LibraryThing member greathouse.28
As an autobiography, the chronicles of Maya Angelou's life story are heartbreaking. Following her journey, it is hard to believe a young girl could survive so many struggles and still remain unhardened. Her courage is inspiring.
LibraryThing member Greatrakes
I had this book on the shelf for ages, picked up through a book swap, but I put off reading it, fearing was a misery memoir, in fact it was a revelation. Maya Angelou is one of those rare writers who can remember what it's like to be a child and this is the world seen through the unsentimental eyes
The early life was more engaging and less rushed, the hardships of the world of Southern States blacks during the 1930s and 1940s is compellingly drawn, as is the attitude of young Maya Angelou to the world around her. Her world revolved around her Grandmother's store and her neighbours are acutely described. This is also a very intimate memoir of her family, and in particular of the older brother who meant everything to her. The sheer otherness of the whites, who rarely intruded into her early life, is beautifully described. This is a book about the triumph of the will.
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of a child, not the childhood world reinvented by an adult who wants give memories a varnish of grown-up sensibility.The early life was more engaging and less rushed, the hardships of the world of Southern States blacks during the 1930s and 1940s is compellingly drawn, as is the attitude of young Maya Angelou to the world around her. Her world revolved around her Grandmother's store and her neighbours are acutely described. This is also a very intimate memoir of her family, and in particular of the older brother who meant everything to her. The sheer otherness of the whites, who rarely intruded into her early life, is beautifully described. This is a book about the triumph of the will.
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LibraryThing member wendyrey
Very well written autobiography covering an African- American's early years. My usual problems with biographies continue - where is the evidence??!!. Perhaps I would do better with the genre if I engaged fiction brain not factual, historical and scientific brain. Very, very good of the genre.
LibraryThing member the_hag
The time frame for this part of her autobiography is the early 1930’s and 40’s. Angelou grew up in the segregated rural south, raised by her grandmother (along with her older brother). Most of her childhood was spent in a dirt-poor segregated town where her grandmother was a respected shop
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owner for the African-American community…though some of her youth was spent in St. Louis (with her mohter’s family) and even later California. As she gets older part of her “coming of age” were difficult, abusive and just pain hard to read. I read this in less than 24 hours…I laughed some, I cried some; for me, this was a very worthwhile read. This book like several others I’ve read lately is outside of my normal reading fare, but I’m working my way though the AMA’s 100 Most Frequently Challenged Books (very slowly I might add). I will read the other four or five volumes of her autobiography as I find her writing style highly engaging and I really do enjoy challenging myself to read outside of my comfort zone, especially when the books are as well written and engaging as Caged Bird. I found that while the subject matter is difficult to read (as a white person never really having dealt with racism in the blatant and stunningly cruelty way portrayed here). Caged Bird is a thoroughly engaging, poingient, and a very worthwhile read. I give it five stars. Show Less
LibraryThing member eargent
Beautifully written book that covers Maya Angelou's life at the beginning.
LibraryThing member LauraR8
This book is about a little girl's point of view in her life. She has an older brother named Bailey. They both ended up in Arkansas together alone. This is like another version of Cinderella also. If you enjoyed this book, you should read "Jane Eyre" whichis like another version of Cinderella also!
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This book is slow, so you have to pull yourself through it. Some parts won't make sense, but you will still get the concept. Enjoy! Show Less
LibraryThing member t1bnotown
This autobiography is unquestionably well-written, and fairly captivating. Angelou's life isn't the most dramatic imaginable, but it is definitely unique. This is a sort of coming of age story- every time she thinks she's a woman, she's not quite there yet, until the end when she gets the final
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piece. Show Less
LibraryThing member Angelic55blonde
I really liked this book. It's well written by a great other. It is definitely inspirational, especially to victims of abuse in any way. I really enjoyed reading the book.
LibraryThing member veronicab
One of the best books I have ever read. A book of hope, courage, determination and overcoming adversity. Maya Angelou's honesty and insights were amazing. I couldn't put it down until I finished it.
LibraryThing member Ambrosia4
This book was so touching, but I could not describe quite why. It was beautiful, but again it's hard to give a specific reason. It puts in our faces the lives of those around is, it's so real. While some novels and memoirs have believable characters, Maya Angelou's description of her childhood is
She's such a rare woman, a rare human being, that her words leap off the page and straight into your brain. This book must be read to truly understand her struggles and triumphs, her life and her decisions. While many parts are difficult to read in this 21st century atmosphere, it's important to remember things like she describes happened and still happen everywhere, in every country, in every town. This is the type of book you can't forget after you read it. She's the type of person you can't forget after you've seen her.
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so sensory driven and lyrical, that it's hard to imagine it NOT existing.She's such a rare woman, a rare human being, that her words leap off the page and straight into your brain. This book must be read to truly understand her struggles and triumphs, her life and her decisions. While many parts are difficult to read in this 21st century atmosphere, it's important to remember things like she describes happened and still happen everywhere, in every country, in every town. This is the type of book you can't forget after you read it. She's the type of person you can't forget after you've seen her.
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LibraryThing member garrity
I heard Maya Angelo speak at my all-girls, Catholic high school a few years ago. They highlight women who have made a difference. I had not read any of her books before hearing her speak, but afterward, I picked up I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings and it was like hearing her all over again. Maya's
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account of growing up in the South is honest and courageous. Show Less
LibraryThing member MoiraStirling
Excellent memoir. At times gut-wrenching. At others, laugh-out-loud funny. Couldn't stop reading, though the ending was a bit brusque.
LibraryThing member jasusc
Very well written with the integrity and heartfelt emotions needed to inspire a generation of writers.
LibraryThing member jchancel
I was tasked with reading this book for one of my lit. classes last year. When it comes to biographies and autobiographies, I find that I either love them or hate them. In this case it was the latter. Many people tell me about how they found this account life-changing or enlightening, but I found
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it a struggle to finish this book. Although Angelou has certainly experienced more difficulties than I have, I found her voice throughout the book to be somewhat complaining and apathetic. I was utterly relieved when I finally finished this book. If you are the kind of person who likes to dig deep into other people's business, then you might like this book. For me, I had to learn way more than I cared to know about someone who interested me little in the first place. Show Less
LibraryThing member bell7
This is not an easy book to read. It does not describe an idyllic childhood. That being said, this is a great book. Maya Angelou's prose describes her childhood with deft lyricism, humor, and beauty. She took the sometimes awful circumstances of growing up as a black child in the south and made
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something lovely and real. This book doesn't shy away from injustice, hatred, or betrayal which makes it an often painful read. I can't say that I liked it. But it made me think, made me feel, it's going to haunt me for a long time, and I would definitely consider rereading it someday. For these reason, I'm giving it five stars. Show Less
LibraryThing member kristinbell
"I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings" is Maya Angelou's memoir of her life up until about her early twenties. Mostly set in the South, she tells of a semi-impoverished childhood in an early 20th century America that is still reeling from the legacy of slavery. Perhaps what is most striking about this
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memoir is that it was written in the 20th century, but the life she describes is very different than what people experienced even a mere 50 years later. The story is engrossing and at times horrifying, but always interesting. The only reason why I give this book four stars instead of five is that I felt the ending was a bit of a let down--perhaps because I wanted to read more. This book is well worth your time and effort and is an example of why Maya Angelou is so renowned. Show Less
Awards
Pages
246
ISBN
0553279378 / 9780553279375