Such a strange novel. Was really compelled by the ways West deals with race, colorism, and mid-century inter-black early "class distinctions" in The Wedding (and the way she explores the origin points of all these bizarre and uniquely American prejudices). This book felt like a parable in some ways. A lofty narrator guides us through this story like a sermon. Yet there are some snaps of terrifically odd, unexpected humor and strangeness in the prose, too. Was disappointed by the roundness of the novel's ending, and I'm left with an eerie feeling (and a bit of an indictment, tbh) from these prescient-but-in-some-ways-problematic pages. But I should have liked to know D West. HMMMMM.