Scan barcode
jennikreads's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
sad
tense
slow-paced
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism and Sexual content
alisonvh's review against another edition
challenging
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
4.0
This book doesn’t have much of a plot. It’s more of an exploration of what it was like to be a gay black man working in the service industry in the 1920s. Turns out it was not a lot of fun, but it had its bright spots.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Death of parent, Death, and Vomit
agnesg's review against another edition
dark
informative
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Classism, Homophobia, and Racism
jenn_reads's review against another edition
I didn't like the editing/format style of dialogue, it was really hard to follow and keep up with who was speaking. (Dashes at the start of a line instead of quotation marks)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Classism and Racism
Moderate: Homophobia
Teethspec_tacles's review against another edition
challenging
dark
hopeful
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism
Moderate: Vomit
Minor: Homophobia and Outing
elliott_roi's review against another edition
emotional
funny
informative
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
The Sleeping Car Porter was a beautiful story that will stay with me for a long time.
The main character, Baxter, was so compelling and I was rooting for him from the start. I was intrigued by his fascination with dentistry, with sci-fi stories, and with the secret trysts he has with other men during a time when such a thing is illegal and dangerous.
The other characters were equally compelling. Many of the scenes with Esme brought me to tears. And I was fascinated to see glimpses into the lives of such an eclectic group of people, all filtered through Baxter's unique point of view.
I also loved how the author captured the claustrophobia and sleeplessness of the car porter occupation. I became interested in this topic when I learned about it from Policing Black Lives by Robyn Maynard, and I appreciated this fictional, but well-researched, telling of the life of a queer, Black car porter.
And it's always interesting to read a story set in Canada. There's something special about stories set close to home and I appreciated the perspectives that often go untold.
This book is on the shorter side, at around 200 pages, and the author doesn't waste a word of it. I read through this in a day and was riveted from the start. I definitely recommend this book!
The main character, Baxter, was so compelling and I was rooting for him from the start. I was intrigued by his fascination with dentistry, with sci-fi stories, and with the secret trysts he has with other men during a time when such a thing is illegal and dangerous.
The other characters were equally compelling. Many of the scenes with Esme brought me to tears. And I was fascinated to see glimpses into the lives of such an eclectic group of people, all filtered through Baxter's unique point of view.
I also loved how the author captured the claustrophobia and sleeplessness of the car porter occupation. I became interested in this topic when I learned about it from Policing Black Lives by Robyn Maynard, and I appreciated this fictional, but well-researched, telling of the life of a queer, Black car porter.
And it's always interesting to read a story set in Canada. There's something special about stories set close to home and I appreciated the perspectives that often go untold.
This book is on the shorter side, at around 200 pages, and the author doesn't waste a word of it. I read through this in a day and was riveted from the start. I definitely recommend this book!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Vomit, and Outing
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Homophobia, and Infidelity
criticalgayze's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Largely, The Sleeping Car Porter is incredibly affecting. The claustrophobia and deprivation seeps out of the page and leaves its reader both uneasy and compelled. The book was full of sly references and powerful imagery and metaphor that made clear the reason why it won last year's Scotiabank Giller Prize.
The first third of the book was the most powerful to me in these areas. The book almost feels like a thriller in the way that you tear through those opening pages because you want to get through to allow yourself a hopeful reprieve from the tension Baxter is experiencing.
I did find that the book begins to lose this tension as the devices become repetitive. I know this is likely the point as it highlights the drudgery and constant low-simmering danger a Queer person and a person of color would face in the work place, especially in the incredibly specific close quarters service industry that is train work; however, when the novel starts on such a strong note of disquiet and worry, it feels like a loss of the earily successful storytelling.
Without giving things away, the novel renewed my engagement by the end, and I found Baxter to be a really indelible main character in the vein of so many of the main characters in the canon of classic gay fiction.
The first third of the book was the most powerful to me in these areas. The book almost feels like a thriller in the way that you tear through those opening pages because you want to get through to allow yourself a hopeful reprieve from the tension Baxter is experiencing.
I did find that the book begins to lose this tension as the devices become repetitive. I know this is likely the point as it highlights the drudgery and constant low-simmering danger a Queer person and a person of color would face in the work place, especially in the incredibly specific close quarters service industry that is train work; however, when the novel starts on such a strong note of disquiet and worry, it feels like a loss of the earily successful storytelling.
Without giving things away, the novel renewed my engagement by the end, and I found Baxter to be a really indelible main character in the vein of so many of the main characters in the canon of classic gay fiction.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism
Moderate: Classism, Sexual content, Outing, and Homophobia
Minor: Vomit
shirtypantser's review against another edition
adventurous
reflective
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? No
5.0
I very much enjoyed this book. It's a slice-of-life type story about a gay, black porter working on a train in the 1920s. Parts are difficult - at points he's dealing with severe sleep deprivation and parts read like a fever dream (rightfully so). Dialog is also formatted in a way I associate with older books. Quotation marks are few and far (maybe not at any at all, but I can't be certain), at least in the digital version of the book. Because it was digital, sometimes line and page breaks don't translate well, and there were a few instances I wasn't sure who was talking. Big or feature? It added to the feeling of chaos and confusion in some scenes. However, I can see this being a detractor for some.
Overall, I thought this was well written and quite enjoyable.
Overall, I thought this was well written and quite enjoyable.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Racial slurs and Racism
Minor: Sexual harassment
monnibo's review against another edition
dark
hopeful
mysterious
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
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Outing, Homophobia, and Racism
nini23's review against another edition
Reminds me too much of being on call.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Racial slurs and Racism
More...