Robin Marx reviewed Pimp: The Story of My Life by Iceberg Slim
Review of 'Pimp' on 'Goodreads'
4 stars
This autobiography is about a young black man from a broken home. He’s had an abusive childhood, poverty is never far away, and he’s living in the racism of 1930s America. He takes all his hate and rage about the oppression and hopelessness of his situation...and begins to bully and brutalize black women, perhaps the only social group more oppressed than himself. Pimps are scum. But to be fair, they’re not particularly glorified in this book. I doubt the reading comprehension of anyone who reads this book and decides to pursue the vocation.
This book read a bit like a serial killer memoir. The author rarely attempts to defend his predatory behavior, the casual manipulation and abuse of women at his hands is presented in a fairly matter-of-fact manner. Slim wanted prestige and wealth in an unfair society, and any woman he crossed paths with were potentially a means to …
This autobiography is about a young black man from a broken home. He’s had an abusive childhood, poverty is never far away, and he’s living in the racism of 1930s America. He takes all his hate and rage about the oppression and hopelessness of his situation...and begins to bully and brutalize black women, perhaps the only social group more oppressed than himself. Pimps are scum. But to be fair, they’re not particularly glorified in this book. I doubt the reading comprehension of anyone who reads this book and decides to pursue the vocation.
This book read a bit like a serial killer memoir. The author rarely attempts to defend his predatory behavior, the casual manipulation and abuse of women at his hands is presented in a fairly matter-of-fact manner. Slim wanted prestige and wealth in an unfair society, and any woman he crossed paths with were potentially a means to that end. Slim was driven to a goal, and other people were tools.
In addition to the serial killer memoir feel, this book also has a Clockwork Orange vibe. The entire book is written in a rich lexicon of blunt, brutal slang that compellingly brings the bleak ghetto lifestyle to mind. As with A Clockwork Orange, violence tends to be sudden and shocking, and as likely to be a tool of the authorities as the criminal underworld.
While I wouldn’t describe it as fun or pleasurable spending time in the world presented here, it’s a fascinating story related in an engaging manner. I look forward to reading the novels of Iceberg Slim.
