The structure of No Telephone to Heaven combines naturalism and lyricism, and traverses space and time, dream and reality, myth and history, reflecting the fragmentation of the protagonist, who nonetheless seeks wholeness and connection. In this deply poetic novel there exist several levels: the world Clare encounters, and a world of which she only gradually becomes aware – a world of extreme poverty, the real Jamaica, not the Jamaica of the middle class, not the Jamaica of the tourist. And Jamaica – almost a character in the book – is described in terms of extraordinary beauty, coexisting with deep human tragedy.
The violence that rises out of extreme oppression, the divided loyalties of a colonized person, sexual dividedness, and the dividedness of a person neither white nor black – all of these are truths that Clare must face. Overarching all the themes in this exceptionally fine novel is the need to become whole, and the decisions and the courage demanded to achieve that wholeness.
"synopsis" may belong to another edition of this title.
"Mesmerizing ... possesses the incantatory power of poetry."
—The New York Times Book Review
"Structurally ambitious and innovative, making tangible through its form a vivid, spiraling tension between past and present ... a triumph of artistic integration, a hard-won harmony between the political and the personal, between realism and the mysteries of the spirit."
—Washington Post Book World
"I am in awe of Michelle Cliff's achievement. The work is lyrical, intelligent, full of a moral passion kept taut and spare and absolutley unsentimental. The range of her knowledge, insight, and compassion is astonishing."
—Janette Turner Hospital
"A tour de force. I very much admire what she does with language, and the fact that she's struggling with central issues of our time. A powerful book, truly a stupendous achievement: the complex sense of Jamaica with its anguish and its beauty. In her generation, Cliff is rare and is already distinguished as a writer of great substance and power."
—Tillie Olsen
"About this title" may belong to another edition of this title.
Shipping:
US$ 4.25
From Canada to U.S.A.
Book Description Paperback. Condition: New. Paperback. Publisher overstock, may contain remainder mark on edge. Seller Inventory # 9780452275690B
Book Description Condition: New. . Seller Inventory # 52GZZZ0097YT_ns
Book Description Condition: New. . Seller Inventory # 5AUZZZ000X9S_ns
Book Description Condition: New. Brand New! Not Overstocks or Low Quality Book Club Editions! Direct From the Publisher! We're not a giant, faceless warehouse organization! We're a small town bookstore that loves books and loves it's customers! Buy from Lakeside Books!. Seller Inventory # OTF-S-9780452275690
Book Description Soft Cover. Condition: new. Seller Inventory # 9780452275690
Book Description Paperback or Softback. Condition: New. No Telephone to Heaven 0.42. Book. Seller Inventory # BBS-9780452275690
Book Description Condition: New. Brand New. Seller Inventory # 0452275695
Book Description Paperback. Condition: New. Brand New!. Seller Inventory # 0452275695
Book Description Condition: New. Book is in NEW condition. Seller Inventory # 0452275695-2-1