“Cuyahoga” by Paul Beatty is an unusual book not, I think, to be kept to oneself. I often wished that I had a receptive audience, even one of two people, in front of me so that I could read this book aloud instead of to myself. Failing to find an audience, I’d probably need this story several times over for fear of missing something.
“Cuyahoga” reminded me of all the rollicking and joyous literary versions of “Paul Bunyan and Babe the Blue Ox.” However, “Big Son” and all the places, events, and personalities in “Cuyahoga “did not meld as folklore over the decades but arise from Beatty’s imagination! Kudo
s to Paul Beatty!
I recommend Beatty’s book to readers liking tall tails and folklore. It probably would not hurt prospective readers to have familiarity with the history of Cuyahoga County and Cleveland, Ohio, or a large present-day map of Cuyahoga County and Cleveland.
I chose to review this book because I was born and grew up in Cleveland where my hobby was pursuing my love of local history and lore. Although no longer living in Ohio, I still manage to keep up, however inadequately, with current happening in the Buckeye State. However, as I read “Cuyahoga,” I constantly compared Beatty’s descriptions of places and activities to my own mental images. This was probably a disservice to Beatty from whom I would welcome more books.
I received an ARC copy of this book via NetGalley for a fair review.
