Acting Out

by Benilde Little

Book Overview

From the bestselling author of Good Hair and The Itch comes a novel about a modern woman living in--and acting out--her role as an upper-class African American suburban wife. Ina West is caught... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0684854805
• ISBN13: 9780684854809
• Release Date: January 2003
• Publisher: Free Press
• Length: 288 Pages
• Weight: 0.85 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 5.7" x 8.7"

Customer Reviews

Excellent novel for the creative black woman!

I suppose Ina's story isn't for everyone -- many a hardworking woman would call her an ungrateful whiner. So maybe this is a book for the more eclectic and artistic of us, those of us like Ina who have a hard time finding a place where we fit in, or where we don't need to fit. Because I understood the temptation to mold yourself to fit the life offered to you, I probably run the risk of over-rating this novel. In any case, I understood both Ina's struggle as an artist, her guilt of not being satisfied, and I was very empathetic towards her tendency to lose herself in the process of raising her kids. This is a novel that does not trivialize anything about the life of the creative, artistic black woman, and I can't believe I waited so long to read it.

Beyond the fairy tale

As always, Benilde Little did a superb job of telling the story of one woman's struggle to fulfill her mission in life. In "Acting Out," the main character Ina is faced with moving on when her husband leaves her and their three children after 12 years of marriage. Unlike many characters in contemporary fiction, Ina doesn't sing the "my man done me wrong" song. She looks within and tries to examine how she contributed to the demise of the marriage. She comes to the realization that she focused so much on carrying out the roles of perfect wife and mother that she abandoned her own dreams and ambitions. Instead of focusing solely on the shortcomings of her "no-good husband," Ina decides to focus on reclaiming her dreams. There isn't a lot of over-the-top drama and in-your-face biting commentary. This book is more of an exploration of life beyond the fairy tale and what happens after you say "I do." "Acting Out" is a must-read for anyone who's aching for a smart read. If you're tired of ridiculously graphic sexual escapades, constant profanity and page after page listings of designer/bling-bling references that fill pages of many contemporary black fiction novels, then you owe it to yourself to read this book.

A Good Story

I read this book in one sitting. I sat down just to see what the book was all about, and two football games later... I was done!!! This is a good story about how ordinary people can overcome extraordinary circumstances. Well done Ms. Little!

Candid and Realistic Novel

A good book will cause you to think and feel, and this is the effect that Acting Out has. Benilde Little is an observant writer with a penchant for good, relevant detail. She paints scenes with her words, makes you feel the characters, tempts you to question what you'd do if you were in Ina's situation, the narrator of this novel about a wife who finds herself in a marriage/mommy/woman dilemma. Benilde Little makes you know the character; every emotion that Ina feels, it's as good as yours. If Ina is there, so are you. Some of Ina's feelings are disturbing, or is it that she's just real, honest, able to get in touch with her heart no matter what's inside. In truth, Ina confesses certain feelings that many of us might hide for fear of judgment, for fear of misunderstanding. But if we're honest we can relate to Ina's musings, her regrets and non-satisfaction as a tired and wore-out mom, a disillusioned wife. Her third novel in approximately seven years, Little's absence from fiction has been felt; her return well worth the wait. With its candid revelations and realistic portrayal of family, marriage, and independence, Acting Out triumphs.