▁listed ▁it ▁as ▁one ▁of ▁five ▁recommend ▁books ▁for ▁summer ▁reading . ▁ <0x09> ▁Gene ▁Se ym our ▁wrote ▁a ▁full - page ▁review ▁of ▁the ▁novel ▁for ▁Book forum , ▁where ▁he ▁described ▁it ▁as ▁"... an ▁eer ie ▁fe ver ▁dream ▁of ▁an ▁historical ▁novel ". ▁He ▁also ▁wrote , ▁" The ▁imag in ative ▁artist , ▁especially ▁one ▁such ▁as ▁Allen , ▁who ▁car ries ▁the ▁resources ▁of ▁the ▁poet ▁and ▁the ▁psych ic ▁in ▁his ▁trick ▁bag . … " ▁ <0x09> ▁Book list ▁gave ▁the ▁novel ▁a ▁star red ▁review ▁where ▁the ▁rev iewer ▁wrote : ▁" In ▁the ▁extra ordin arily ▁tal ented ▁hands ▁of ▁Allen , ▁Tom ▁is ▁a ▁myster ious ▁and ▁comp elling ▁figure , ▁a ▁blind ▁black ▁boy ▁at ▁a ▁time ▁when ▁his ▁perce ived ▁inf irm ities , ▁including ▁his ▁race , ▁should ▁make ▁him ▁ins ign ific ant .... ▁[ A ] ▁tour ▁de ▁force .... ▁A ▁brilliant ▁book , ▁with ▁echo es ▁of ▁Ralph ▁Ell ison ▁and ▁William ▁Fa ulk ner ." ▁▁ <0x09> ▁Kirk us ▁Re views ▁also ▁gave ▁the ▁novel ▁a ▁star red ▁review , ▁with ▁the ▁rev iewer ▁writing : ▁" All en ' s ▁psych ological ▁insight ▁and ▁ev oc ative ▁language ▁v ivid ly ▁bring ▁to ▁life ▁all ▁the ▁black ▁and ▁white ▁people ▁in ▁Tom ' s ▁life ▁who , ▁in ▁seeking ▁to ▁understand ▁or ▁explo it ▁Tom ' s ▁un hol y ▁g ifts , ▁are ▁both ▁transformed ▁and ▁trans fixed ▁by ▁his ▁in scr