Reviews with content warning for Misogyny - Ein anderes Land: Roman

You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.

Reviews tagging 'Misogyny'

Ein anderes Land: Roman by James Baldwin

16 reviews

bg_oseman_fan's review against another edition

Go to review page

challenging dark slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

This book was a well written but challenging read. At times it was hard to parse the emotions of the characters, which seems so volatile. Modern readers might struggle to understand the way Baldwin writes about love and sexuality if the context of the period he is writing in is not taken into account. the human heart and mind are strange and complex creatures, and Baldwin’s writing makes clear how muddled and confusing that make our world.

Content Warnings

signeskov's review against another edition

Go to review page

dark reflective tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.25

‘“Pray? Who, pray? I bet you, if I ever get anywhere near that white devil you call God, I’ll tear my son and my father out of his white hide! Don’t you ever say the word Pray to me again, woman, not if you want to live.”’

This novel is not for the easy-hearted, its main themes being racism and human estrangement. Sex, misogyny, toxic masculinity, and violence is the interwoven fabric of the story, and the characters are one big, unlikeable mass of suffering. Often, these elements of the book disgusted me or provoked some pretty heavy reactions in me. Despite Baldwin’s identity as a black gay man, one must announce that the book is still a product of its time - though this of course also adds to the historical depiction of racism and patriarchy, which definitely interested me. Finally, this is a novel that doesn’t say a whole lot as you’re sitting with it, but only truly revealed itself to me as I finished it and had left it to brew for some days.

What brings this novel up from a pretty standard 4 rating to a 4.25 is Baldwin’s writing. It is simply put immaculate, constantly blending love and hate into shattering contrasts of existential crisis, human loneliness, and, of course, racism. It is forceful, violent, and at once beautiful - and is sure to stay with its reader for a while as a literary shot of refreshment to the brain.

Content Warnings

lmwanak's review against another edition

Go to review page

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

When my husband and I were engaged, our pastor assigned us a book to read about Black/white interracial relationships. I wish he chose this book instead, as it displayed Black/white dynamics far better than the other book. It also was talking about white privilege way before we started talking about it in this current time (which is both encouraging and discouraging).

I'm floored by the relationships and the tensions and the friendships and the jealousy. The moments of rage, the moments of tenderness, in some cases directed towards the same person. And although Rufus only appears in the first quarter of the book, his presence lingers after his death. and while there was times I felt the story wandered, Baldwin's writing kept me fully engaged.

This was the first James Baldwin book I've ever read, and it definitely won't be the last.

Content Warnings

maree_k's review against another edition

Go to review page

challenging dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Content Warnings

camimonae's review against another edition

Go to review page

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

JB knows how to write a tortured love story and sensual, yet not explicit sex/intimate scenes.
I couldn't find much to love about this story except for the way JB delves into the realism of life experiences.

Content Warnings

namizaela's review against another edition

Go to review page

emotional hopeful reflective sad slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

"He held Eric very tightly and covered Eric’s body with his own, as though he were shielding him from the falling heavens. But it was also as though he were, at the same instant, being shielded—by Eric’s love. It was strangely and insistently double-edged, it was like making love in the midst of mirrors, or it was like death by drowning. But it was also like music, the highest, sweetest, loneliest reeds, and it was like the rain."

This was a beautiful book. James Baldwin is an amazing writer and I feel like I can't appreciate him enough, like it would take multiple rereads to discover how wonderfully he crafted this novel. He handles the theme of racism without shielding the reader from the flaws of the white liberals in the book, and without painting the black characters as people who can do no wrong. Each character interacts with their race, gender, and sexuality in their own unique way.
His writing style is also really beautiful, as shown by the quote above. Baldwin makes his prose poetic and lyrical, while still communicating his messages clearly. This book is incredible, and the only reason why I didn't give it 5 stars is because of the slow, meandering pace.

Content Warnings

More...