Reviews tagging 'Racism'

Another Country by James Baldwin

51 reviews

sofipitch's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional 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

4.75

Still processing how I feel after finishing this. The ending felt really abrupt but I'm sure that was on purpose, this book was very much "a slice of life" so I don't think Baldwin wanted a resolution bc life often has none. But a greedy part of me still wants more. Also Baldwin's writing is beautiful as always. I think certain stories about affairs have been done to death but I think Baldwin's writing, and by having race and sexuality play role in the relationships of the characters made it excellent. In a lot of ways I wonder if plucking them out of the 1960s would have helped but probably not, we still deal with a lot of these same issues today

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, and Infidelity

Moderate: Homophobia, Racism, and Racial slurs

camimonae's review against another edition

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. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Grief, Alcohol, Domestic abuse, Mental illness, Misogyny, Racism, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Cursing, Drug use, Infidelity, and Physical abuse

alisonbrookins's review against another edition

dark sad tense slow-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide, Violence, Homophobia, Physical abuse, Mental illness, Forced institutionalization, Domestic abuse, Toxic relationship, Sexual violence, and Racism

k_a_lund's review against another edition

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Racism, and Racial slurs

aliannavelezzzz's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcohol, Chronic illness, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Grief, Homophobia, Infidelity, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual content, Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Violence, and Vomit

rins0lia's review against another edition

challenging reflective tense slow-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual violence, and Domestic abuse

lemoncrumble's review against another edition

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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Racism, Sexual content, Suicide, and Toxic relationship

whatisrubyreading's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative sad tense 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Alcoholism, Blood, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Grief, Infidelity, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual violence, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, and Violence

writtenontheflyleaves's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny 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

4.75

 
Another Country by James Baldwin
🌟🌟🌟🌟✨
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I was told to read this by one of my professors in my master’s and I’m so glad I finally got round to it! CW for mention of suicide in this review.
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🌃 The plot: Rufus Scott is a Harlem jazz musician adrift in New York after his destructive tendencies irreparably harm his girlfriend and shipwreck his life. His sister and his friends attempt to get through to him, but he ultimately dies by suicide in the Hudson river. The rest of the novel charts the fallout—for his white friends whom he saw on the night of his death and whom he had relationships with in the past, and for his sister Ida who nurses a burning anger over his passing.
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This novel is an unbelievable achievement. For starters, the writing is beautiful—if you like Fitzgerald’s prose style, you’ll love Baldwin’s descriptions of New York. However, what Fitzgerald lacks in clarity around the nuance and complexities of privilege and race in America, Baldwin has in spades. This is a novel about the traps we find ourselves in, and whether we can ever really connect to each other across the gaps in our experiences—particularly when those experiences diverge so wildly when it comes to race. It contrasts the experiences of each of the characters expertly and this gives the novel a depth of humanity that is really amazing. I’m SO glad I read this and I can’t wait to read more from Baldwin.
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🌃 Read it if you like Fitzgerald (I thought the delicacy of the prose was similar) but like novels to explore in more complexity issues like race, gender, and sexuality.
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🚫 Avoid it if you’re avoiding stories about suicide, grief, sexual assault, and perhaps especially racism and violence against women. Violence is treated somewhat as part of women’s lot in this book, and it animates much of the story without leaving much of a mark on many of the main male characters. There are women in this story, but I would say this is still a novel about men - take that how you will! 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content, Death, Sexism, Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, Racial slurs, Racism, and Grief

namizaela's review against another edition

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. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide, Racism, Death, Domestic abuse, Grief, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, and Violence

Moderate: Ableism, Domestic abuse, and Physical abuse