Reviews tagging 'Homophobia'

Who Killed My Father by Édouard Louis

13 reviews

notyourvegetable's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad fast-paced

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Medical content, Domestic abuse, Classism, Alcoholism, Mental illness, Homophobia, Violence, and Genocide

helloanagu's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad tense fast-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Mental illness, Violence, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Domestic abuse, Hate crime, Toxic relationship, Alcoholism, and Cursing

kathmulderry's review

challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad tense fast-paced

4.0

Really interesting read, challenging for sure to see the violence of the authors parents, primarily his father, depicted in such detail. Really makes you think about familial relationships and love and how deep that might go. I also didn’t (still don’t) know much about classism within France. Makes you think about how it can not only effect someone but shape who they are and become, how much works against the lower class from the very start of their lives, even deeper than the struggle that most people know and assume. How politicians aren’t held accountable for the direct pain and suffering they cause.  

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia, Alcoholism, Domestic abuse, Violence, Classism, and Physical abuse

saraastro's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad tense fast-paced

5.0

~
"- Ainda te metes na política?
(...)
- Cada vez mais."
~

(livro emprestado pelo meu professor Ricardo Correia)

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Homophobia

gertrudski's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad medium-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Homophobia

notmyendday's review against another edition

emotional informative reflective sad fast-paced

4.0

A really short but insightful book. Read it in one sitting!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Domestic abuse, and Classism

Moderate: Alcoholism, Homophobia, Sexism, and Suicidal thoughts

james1star's review against another edition

emotional informative reflective sad fast-paced

4.0

This is a short and impactful non-chronological memoir where the Louis is writing to his dying father. He recounts different memories from his childhood that provide an insight into their father-son relationship, family life and how this had impacted himself. From these accounts, the author puts forward a rather love/hate outlook towards his father and how neither attitude seems the right one. Louis had a somewhat hard childhood with a distant father (who we learn grew up with an abusive alcoholic father) who likes to drink, it’s preferable when he’s not there and teaches a ‘that’s life’ approach. He also had to deal with homophobic rhetorics presented from both parents poking fun at his ‘girlyness’ and how other people see him as a ‘fa***t’. But also there is tenderness in how his father defends his son in some aspects, they have outings and other things. It’s nuanced for sure. There is also more but I don’t want to explain too much. 

If you haven’t taken note yet but the title is ‘Who Killed My Father’ with no ‘?‘ because it’s a statement where Louis spills the truth on who in power was responsible for causing further strain on his father and many others like him. He talks of policies put into legislation decreasing support offered to the poor and vulnerable, forcing people back into work despite inabilities and others, all the while reducing tax on the rich. So yes, it’s an awakening to the detrimental effects of these unfair politics and a look at contemporary French society and class. 

I did find this book quite impactful and emotional, the writing is good and understandable. It’s important to share these stories and facts. I do wish it was a bit longer and maybe gave more insight into Louis’s exploration of his sexuality but overall it was a decent and recommended read. 

Some impactful quotes: 

‘You belong to the category of humans whom politics has doomed to an early death.’ 

‘I reconstruct the image as best I can, but reality has the quality of dreams: the harder I try to grasp it, the more it slips away.’ 

‘When I look back on the past and our life together, what I remember most is what I didn’t tell you. My memories are of what didn’t take place.’

‘Is it normal to be ashamed of loving?’

‘For the ruling class, in general, politics is a question of aesthetics: a way of seeing themselves, of seeing the world, if constructing a personality. For us it was life or death.’

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia and Classism

Moderate: Terminal illness and Violence

Minor: Domestic abuse and Alcoholism

francophile's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful informative sad tense fast-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Cursing, Physical abuse, Violence, Addiction, Homophobia, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Abandonment, Suicidal thoughts, Child abuse, and Alcohol

Minor: Murder, Deportation, and Racism

theirgracegrace's review against another edition

dark slow-paced

4.25

Après avoir lu En finir avec Eddy Bellegueule, je croyais savoir tout d'Édouard Louis. Mais Qui a tué mon père sert bien comme accompaniment à ce livre, ainsi qu'un bon livre tout seul. Décrivant le rapprochement échoué entre Louis et son père, Qui a tué mon père n'est pas une question. Louis accuse le gouvernement de la France et l'établissement libéral d'avoir forcé son père à bosser constamment, même après sa blessure. Il accuse également les croyances de la masculinité toxique qui influent sur l'homophobie et le classisme vécus par Louis pendant son enfance. Avec beaucoup de force, Louis met l'accent sur la violence ; non la violence avec des poings, mais celle véhiculée par les lois et les malentendus des politiques.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Grief, Violence, Emotional abuse, Addiction, Car accident, Child abuse, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Classism, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Gaslighting, Misogyny, Ableism, Bullying, Fatphobia, Homophobia, and Sexism

Minor: Antisemitism, Cancer, Racism, Pedophilia, Infidelity, Islamophobia, and Xenophobia

Une scène en particulier mentionne les événements de 9/11 aux États-Unis.

thewoodlandbookshelf's review

emotional informative reflective medium-paced

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Classism, Homophobia, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Racism