Mumbo Jumbo's Remix of History
I loved reading Ishmael Reed’s Mumbo Jumbo for its unique novel style that mixes myths, history, and satire that blurs the line between what's real and what is made up. The story takes place in the 1920s but discusses centuries of cultural tension, and treats history like its a living puzzle. Reed combines different types of media, such as newspaper clippings and photographs, along with conspiracy theories to create a version of history that feels both insane and strangely familiar. From even the first few pages, those reading Mumbo Jumbo realize they are not just reading a story. They are navigating a version of American history where truth and fiction are constantly overlapping. The way that Ishmael Reed blends real historical figures with fictional ones makes Mumbo Jumbo feel chaotic on purpose. That chaos sheds light on how history itself is often told from only one perspective. And typically, told from the perspective of the person wit...