The Unicorn Woman

This is my first Gayl Jones book. Won’t be the last. There’s real alchemy here.All analysis and criticism will fail to come to terms with The Unicorn Woman.And that is exactly the author’s intention. This book is a warm, chuckling spell, something like a big-bosomed hug from beloved aunt.

Good story-telling. A whole book of story-telling. I bought it after reading the first part of it. In that first part, the writing contained intelligent new and creative ideas. After reading the first part I thought it could have been a contender for some prize. But as I read it, it just became a story told in an interesting way, but not like the beginning, so I had to speed-read through the rest of it. Most people who aren't as spoiled as I am by only the best writing, and who just want a good story should enjoy it.

Buddy is a Black man, back from a sojourn in France after serving the at the end of WWII. His sojourn continues upon his return to the US. This novel is pleasingly enigmatic, venturing around in time and space as Buddy searches for the Unicorn Woman he sees at a carnival freak show.Time: the novel telescopes back and forth, one thought playing off another as themes like beauty, love, spirituality, belonging, but especially beauty, are meditated upon.Place: Buddy’s travels through rural Kentucky, Lexington, KY, Harlem, and Jim Crow Memphis frame Buddy’s experiences and recollections.This novel is musical, somehow harmonizing deep thoughts and meaningful deeds with a minimal framework of plot. Gayl Jones is a master of voice.

While the descriptions and stories the main character tells are interesting I was left confused about the unicorn woman. I kept hoping she would have more to do with the story or be revealed as something metaphorical. I found the story confusing and not quite as it appears.