ALA Booklist

With the intention of gaining insight into the black community, investigative reporter Griffin darkened his skin and shaved his head in order to "pass" as a black man. This classic title, mined from Griffin's 1959 journals, reveals the daily deprivations, humiliations, and bitter abuses experienced by minorities, still denied or ignored by society. An important epilogue brings the issue up to date. Childs, an ideal narrator with impeccable pacing, uses a seemingly endless repertoire of rich tonal variations, accurate local accents, and perfect pronunciations. The subtlety of his distinctions, especially when voicing the black characters, is particularly impressive. Childs perfectly portrays the passions and moods of the era. A viable choice for black-history students and for personal listening as well.

Publishers Weekly (Fri Oct 06 00:00:00 CDT 2023)

Griffin's (<EMPHASIS TYPE=""ITALIC"">The Devil Rides Outside) mid-century classic on race brilliantly withstands both the test of time and translation to audio format. Concerned by the lack of communication between the races and wondering what "adjustments and discriminations" he would face as a Negro in the Deep South, the late author, a journalist and self-described "specialist in race issues," left behind his privileged life as a Southern white man to step into the body of a stranger. In 1959, Griffin headed to New Orleans, darkened his skin and immersed himself in black society, then traveled to several states until he could no longer stand the racism, segregation and degrading living conditions. Griffin imparts the hopelessness and despair he felt while executing his social experiment, and professional narrator Childs renders this recounting even more immediate and emotional with his heartfelt delivery and skillful use of accents. The CD package includes an epilogue on social progress, written in 1976 by the author, making it suitable for both the classroom and for personal enlightenment.<EMPHASIS TYPE=""ITALIC""> (Jan.)

School Library Journal

Gr 10 Up-John Howard Griffin's groundbreaking and controversial novel about his experiences as a white man who transforms himself with the aid of medication and dye in order to experience firsthand the life of a black man living in the Deep South in the late 1950s is a mesmerizing tale of the ultimate sociological experiment. Ray Childs' narration is both straightforward and deeply satisfying. A skilled reader, he incorporates different dialects to help listeners distinguish among the various characters. His ability to convey a full spectrum of emotions, including exhilaration, bone deep sadness, and gut wrenching fear is riveting. Equally fascinating is Childs' description of how Griffin's unheard of approach to studying racial discrimination changed his personal life and ignited a storm of argument and discussion around the nation. This recording deserves a place in every public library collection.-Cindy Lombardo, Tuscarawas County Public Library, New Philadelphia, OH Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.