Reviews tagging 'Racism'

The Miniaturist by Jessie Burton

51 reviews

booksemmahasread's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective tense medium-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Animal death, Homophobia, and Racism

Moderate: Death

Minor: Death of parent

dckathleen's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective fast-paced

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

5.0

This book had far more depth than I expected. A young woman from a "good family" that has fallen on hard times is married off to a rich bachelor in 1600's Amsterdam. He's completely disinterested in her, but buts her a cabinet which is basically an extremely luxurious dollhouse. She contacts the mysterious Miniaturist to furnish it. She is stuck with her husband's controlling sister (who is not interested in giving up her control over the house) and the household staff, a young white woman and a Black man. The leadership of Amsterdam is extremely religious and conservative, outlawing everything from homosexuality to owning dolls (even gingerbread men). This unusual household is impacted by the social and legal conventions while prophetic miniature items continue to appear at the doorstep. 

TW: violence against gay people, racism. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia, Racism, and Torture

authorannafaundez's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious reflective sad 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? It's complicated

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia and Outing

Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Racism, Violence, and Sexism

Minor: Police brutality, Animal cruelty, Blood, Pregnancy, and Torture

nicolioliolio's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious reflective 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

2.75

1) this book has so much casual trauma surround gay issues. It’s really fucked honestly at how nonchalantly it condemns a character to queer character to death. Felt very 2014: new enough to have a queer character and Black character, old enough to give them no joy or dignity. 

2) I loved that this book had strong female characters, butI found it frustrating that Nella and Marin lived so neatly in their female roles without any complaints about their lot as women. All Marin and Nella ever care about is procreating and being wives. Why does no female character in this book have agency?  

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Homophobia

Minor: Racism

hbskeen's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Pregnancy, Homophobia, Racial slurs, and Animal death

Moderate: Racism, Blood, and Death

Minor: Excrement

felicityebhaslin's review against another edition

mysterious sad medium-paced

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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death and Homophobia

Moderate: Racial slurs, Pregnancy, Excrement, Racism, Injury/Injury detail, Grief, Classism, Blood, Death, and Colonisation

thequiltyreader's review against another edition

adventurous emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

3.0

Having finished this book I'm not sure how I feel about it. The book had a lot of hype around it, which I am always wary of as it often drives high expectations from me that books sometimes don't live up to. But I have found myself coming to the end of the book and finding it somewhat lacking. This is a shame as historical fiction isn't a first choice of mine but this started out enjoyable and I was left with a good feel for the setting without being overburdened. The characters were interesting and you got to know them well and I got vested in their journey through the book but I felt the emotional tie to them was somehow lacking? There were a number of good twists which I didn't see coming though which I did enjoy. But I felt the character of the miniturist was never really explored. There is lots of mystery around them but it felt like that thread if the story just wasn't finished off. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Sexual harassment, Violence, Bullying, Classism, Colonisation, Excrement, Gore, Homophobia, Medical content, Murder, Outing, Police brutality, Pregnancy, Slavery, Vomit, Abortion, Death, Death of parent, Child death, Confinement, Racism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Grief, and Medical trauma

eepi's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

3.5

3.5

My issue with this book is I was waiting for it to explain to me how the heroine, Nella, suddenly had a good and understanding relationship with other characters especially his husband Johannes and his sister Marin. I felt like I lost some of the development. It couldve made the book like 70% better if their relationships were covered more and were challenged enough.
And Jack Philips is the most villain of them all, in my own understanding. It's hard to forgive him even with our empathy that he was also a victim of the cruel time. I was waiting for an elaborated end of what happened with him and Johanne's case but the book kept it mysterious so I had no choice but to keep my own conclusion.

This is not fast paced but I read this so fast cuz the writing is fairly accessible. I also love Amsterdam, the authors descriptions and atmosphere are great. I think this the first historical fiction I read that is in Amsterdam.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia and Racism

Moderate: Pregnancy

elsaschuster's review against another edition

mysterious reflective medium-paced

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

3.25

The miniaturist is the main source of mystery in this book and I wish we had discovered a little more about them by the end of it. I also wish we had been given an epilogue of what happens to the characters after the end of the book. I guess what I’m saying is that this is a mysterious book with lots of secrets that doesn’t feel resolved enough for me at the end, despite a few big reveals along the way. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Racism and Homophobia

itsbumley's review against another edition

emotional mysterious sad slow-paced

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

2.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Infidelity, Racism, Rape, Stalking, Animal cruelty, Death, Gore, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Blood, Body horror, Child death, Colonisation, Death of parent, Excrement, Homophobia, Medical trauma, Misogyny, Abortion, Animal death, Grief, Outing, Racial slurs, Religious bigotry, and Slavery