Reckless Eyeballing

Rating:
Summary: Why Aren't People Reading This Novel?
Review: The novel probably contains the best answer to that question within itself. Reckless Eyeballing is Ishmael Reed's satirical response the feminist movement which often (not always realizing it) has attempted to make its gains by vilifying black men and which has often worked to supress the voices of black men (like Reed himself--who is an excellent and under-read novelist).

The plot itself is fairly difficult to describe because there are several plays within the novel that are important. The main character is Ian Ball, a playwright who is trying to produce a play that will get him off of the feminist hate lists. His play is being produced by Becky French (a literal femi-nazi who is producing a play hilariously exonerating Eva Braun) and directed by Tremonisha Smarts (authoress of a play--who is largely based on Alice Walker--entitled "Wrong-Headed Man"), and once the play is in their hands, it turns into an absurdly feministic farce. There are several other things happening in the novel as well. Some man, the flower phantom, is shaving feminists heads, as the French Resistance did to traitors during WWII, and Ian finds himself sympathizing with him. Additionally, there is a bigot detective out to catch the flower phantom who loves Tremonisha's play.

This novel is often hilarious, particularly when the two plays in the novel are described. It is, as all satires are, also very sad at its heart. There are a lot of people, such as Ian and Tremonisha, who are being used to oppress others, and the novel exposes that. Ultimately, this is a very compassionate novel. Even Tremonisha isn't a detestable figure. She, along with much of the rest of the feminist movement, is just being used by an establishment that is larger and more powerful and is actually evil. Reed's novel has been called inflammatory, but to call it that is to ignore the sympathy in the novel. So many people are oppressed, but the attempt to gain freedom shouldn't necessitate the finding if a scapegoat.