Griffin’s memoir is a stellar guide to African American literature that feels like a personalized survey course, while—at the same time—conveying that manner in which these varied texts speak to the human experience through Griffin’s own life story. Readers will learn about the works of towering literary figures, such as Toni Morrison, but they will also reflect upon the work writers like Frances Ellen Watkins Harper, who is often overlooked. Ultimately, I found that I gleaned new insights into some of my favorite works by Black American writers, and I also caught a desire to read some of the works that Griffin writes about in her text. This feels like a win!

I found this book boeing and low on insight into African American literary texts. The book relies too much on emotional and personal appeal and I doubt anyone interested in African American literature will learn a lot. This feels more like a memoir and less like a book about literature, which means the title and marketing are misleading. I also found the prose stilted and lifeless.

Griffin is a master of combining theory and memoir in Read Until You Understand, and doing so in literary studies, which there are few examples, particularly situated in Black feminist/ contemporary Black literature. Griffin is clear that her personal reflections and her literary analysis serve to expose the failures of our democracy and seek to teach us how learn an better humanity in this literature. History, violence, and even the potential for freedom lies in the literature of Black Americans, she claims, is we can have the perspective to see it. This text is endlessly quotable and one that I am immediately using in my African American literature class to give students a foothold to understand contemporary and historical Black literature in a deeper way.

I tried reading Read Until You Understand, but it didn't grab me. I don't know if it was the mood I was in or the style. I'll have to try another time since I do think it has potential to be a critical text that teaches me about perspectives outside of my sphere..

Written by a professor of English and Comparative Literature, this is part memoir, part literary criticism, and part a cultural history of America. Griffin tells us about her father, their relationship, and how she came to know herself better through the literature and music he encouraged her to read and listen to. I think you might get more out of it if you are already familiar with the literature she references (for example, works by Toni Morrison, Frederick Douglas, Richard Wright), but this is an enlightening read (especially to a Brit like me), as educational about the African American experience as it is about literature, and has given me lots of ideas for further reading.

If you're a person who wants to dive more deeply into the history of African-American literature, and needs some guidance, I can't think of any book that would be better for the purpose than "Read Until You Understand."

The title comes from guidance the author got from her father, when he gave her a book about Black history when she was, perhaps, too young for it. But it's also advice for the reader of this book.

Reading the book is like taking a survey of African-American literature in college, from a really good professor. You could just sit back and listen to the lectures (read the book) and learn a lot. But if you actually follow the trail of this book and read the books she's discussing, you'll connect on a much deeper level. Reading books tends to lead to other books, and so this book, used thoughtfully, could unlock years or decades of reading for the curious reader.

Whether you read it for itself, or use it as a guide for further reading, this book is well worth your time.