Reviews tagging 'Physical abuse'

Inny kraj by James Baldwin

20 reviews

slayalicious's review against another edition

challenging dark informative reflective tense 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

The book is meant for a certain type of person who loves literature and can withstand the boring parts and long chapters.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Grief, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, and Alcohol

martinj's review against another edition

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, and Rape

Moderate: Sexism, Suicide, and Forced institutionalization

piperclover's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

I have no idea how to rate this because I read it for class, not pleasure. I never would've picked it up for pleasure but there's a lot worth analyzing for essays

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide

lmwanak's review against another edition

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.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racial slurs, Racism, and Suicide

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Hate crime, Homophobia, Misogyny, Physical abuse, and Racial slurs

Minor: Sexual harassment

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

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

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

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

absolutive's review against another edition

dark sad tense slow-paced

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

2.5

This was a very unpleasant book full of toxic masculinity, abuse, non-consensual sex, abuse of drugs, abuse of alcohol, and frequent betrayal. The characters, though seemingly diverse--from the South, from France, from New York, of Italian heritage, Black, white, gay, bisexual--all acted the same and spoke in film-like snappy dialogue. It's too bad, because Baldwin has something important to say in this book about race and sexuality and capitalism in America's largest city just a few years before America truly became a multi-racial Democracy with the passage of the Civil Rights and Voting Rights Acts. But his nonfiction or even a shorter, sharper, book with more three-dimensional characters are (or would have been) more effective. The characters have no ideals, goals, values or personalities beyond violence, alcohol, lust, rage, and a Trumpian notion of "loyalty" that honours the memory of an abusive sexual assaulter because he is one of them: their brother, their friend, or their lover. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, and Violence

Moderate: Drug abuse

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

Moderate: Ableism, Domestic abuse, and Physical abuse