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Eldridge Cleaver’s Soul on Ice has become a modern classic even though Cleaver later repudiated the book and became a conservative Christian. This book is not an autobiography or even a spiritual autobiography as much as it is a collection of essays expressing Cleaver’s point of view. The essays all were written when he was in prison serving nine years for raping a white woman.
Cleaver has an engaging style that draws the reader in, even though some parts of the book are abhorrent. The cadence of Cleaver’s style is almost musical. The writing — with one exception, is clear and lucid. The pacing is smooth, and the book is a fast read. If Cleaver had not joined the Black Panther Party he could have made a profession as a writer.
Although parts of the book are distressing to read, it is a gripping book. The book was written while Cleaver was in prison, serving time for raping a white woman. In the earlier parts of the book, Cleaver demonstrates his allegiance to the Nation of Islam and Elijah Muhammad, but he later leaves the Nation of Islam without saying why.
The book has four sections, and, unsurprisingly, the quality of the essays are uneven. The essays in the first two sections are best. The third section is a series of love letters written to his lawyer, a white woman. The first two essays in the fourth section covering Cleaver’s metaphysics are inscrutable, even with multiple readings.
This book is for anyone interested in race relations in the US which should include everyone. Although the book is captivating as it is, I wish Cleaver had written a more straightforward autobiography or spiritual autobiography. What Cleaver does supply are glances into the windows of his soul. What we see is not always pretty, but it is an authentic representation.
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