The Autobiography of an Ex-Colored Man


Read by James K. White

(4.7 stars; 46 reviews)

Johnson's only novel, The Autobiography of an Ex-Colored Man, was originally published anonymously in 1912. It is a fictional novel written as a memoir of an unnamed biracial narrator who grew up in the South during the Reconstruction and post-Reconstruction eras. It is a story in which the narrator relates how as a young boy he initially assumed that he was white, and how his notions of racial identity were suddenly turned upside down one day—how from that moment on he was inclined to view himself and the world about him from the perspective of blackness. The novel received very little notoriety until Johnson republished it in 1927, this time taking full credit as its author. - Summary by James K. White (5 hr 5 min)

Chapters

Section 1 27:25 Read by James K. White
Section 2 27:08 Read by James K. White
Section 3 18:35 Read by James K. White
Section 4 20:04 Read by James K. White
Section 5 33:43 Read by James K. White
Section 6 20:10 Read by James K. White
Section 7 9:06 Read by James K. White
Section 8 22:08 Read by James K. White
Section 9 34:12 Read by James K. White
Section 10 1:01:52 Read by James K. White
Section 11 30:49 Read by James K. White

Reviews

Autobiography of an ex-colored man


(5 stars)

Excellent story of a man of mixed ethnicity who passes as white -- or does he pass as black? The cool thing about this book is the writer's honesty about his own shifting identity. Well worth listening to. Again, I say thank you to James White both for his fine reading and for his skill in choosing wonderful novels and non-fiction about the experience of black Americans in the Jim Crow era. This is an important book that exposes the complexity and humanity of its characters. This isn't just a black story, it's a human story. TheBookworm (Manchester, UK)

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(5 stars)

Thanks for this post, Mr. White. I stumbled across this novel recently, was swept away by it, and came to the archive hoping to find someone had recorded it as you have. A remarkable work. Ahead of it's time stylistically. I wish Johnson would have written more novels. I'm going to listen to this with my wife while driving across the US in a few weeks. --- (two months later) Listened with my wife like I said. A compelling tale for both of us. Your presentation does it justice. Well done.

Awesome!


(5 stars)

Great read. How awful it was to be a black American to live your life passing as white? I don't look down on his choices as its awful to live in a country that makes you choose.

autobiography of an ex colored man


(3 stars)

I was required to read this book as a class assignment. while not necessarily my own brand of read. the book does give a glimpse at life in the early nineteen-hundreds.

Excellent reading


(4 stars)

The narrative was somewhat dry and stilted but not altogether unenjoyable. James K White is a great reader, and does great service to the novel

reader is great.


(5 stars)

I can't rate the book yet but this reader is top notch. wouldn't surprise me if he was a professional reader.