logo

82 pages 2 hours read

Cane

Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 1923

A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more. For select classroom titles, we also provide Teaching Guides with discussion and quiz questions to prompt student engagement.

Book Brief

logo
Jean Toomer

Cane

Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 1923
Book Details
Pages

144

Format

Novel • Fiction

Setting

Southern U.S. • 1920s

Publication Year

1923

Audience

Adult

Recommended Reading Age

18+ years

Roundup icon

Super Short Summary

Cane by Jean Toomer is a hybrid book of 29 loosely connected chapters featuring poetry, prose, and songs, that revolves around themes of nature, the South, desire, and race. Through vignettes such as “Karintha,” “Becky,” “Carma,” and "Kabnis," it portrays the experiences of African Americans in the early 20th century American South and the Northern urban landscape, exploring deeply human stories amidst the backdrop of racial tension and socio-economic struggle. The book includes lynching and other racial violence.

Mysterious

Challenging

Contemplative

Melancholic

Bittersweet

Reviews & Readership

4.1

11,401 ratings

65%

Loved it

26%

Mixed feelings

9%

Not a fan

Roundup icon

Review Roundup

Jean Toomer's Cane is lauded for its lyrical prose and innovative structure, blending poetry, drama, and narrative to explore African American life in the early 20th century. Reviews commend its vivid imagery and emotional depth. However, some readers find its fragmented style challenging. Overall, Cane is celebrated for its contribution to Harlem Renaissance literature.

Who should read this

Who Should Read Cane?

A reader who would enjoy Cane by Jean Toomer is typically interested in early 20th-century African American literature, modernist experiments in narrative form, and themes of identity and race. They often appreciate works like The Souls of Black Folk by W.E.B. Du Bois and Passing by Nella Larsen.

4.1

11,401 ratings

65%

Loved it

26%

Mixed feelings

9%

Not a fan

Book Details
Pages

144

Format

Novel • Fiction

Setting

Southern U.S. • 1920s

Publication Year

1923

Audience

Adult

Recommended Reading Age

18+ years

Continue your reading experience

Subscribe now to unlock the rest of this Study Guide plus our full library, which features expert-written summaries and analyses of 8,000+ additional titles.