Reviews tagging 'Death of parent'

America Is in the Heart by Carlos Bulosan

3 reviews

agnesjlopez's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful informative reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Sexual assault, Grief, Hate crime, Racism, Classism, Colonisation, Sexism, Sexual content, Rape, Sexual violence, Alcohol, Gun violence, Murder, Police brutality, and Kidnapping

Moderate: War

ayumi_can_read's review

dark emotional informative inspiring reflective 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? No

3.75

Heartbreaking yet inspiring, I’m not the biggest fan of older american literary styles but this book is one that will stay with me for the rest of my life. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Classism, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Xenophobia, Gun violence, Hate crime, Rape, Slavery, Torture, Death of parent, War, Alcohol, Colonisation, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Murder, Racial slurs, Chronic illness, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Police brutality, Racism, Violence, Child abuse, Alcoholism, and Drug abuse

readingwithcoffee's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative sad tense slow-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

The book is worth reading because it’s historical importance and Bulosan’s talent as a writer but it is so weighed down by his misogyny. The way he writes women is almost cliche and becomes predictable as you read the book with seemingly very few women he respects outside of his sisters and mother who are not active in the book once he is in America. It also shows a huge flaw in his reckoning with class and race in America that he acts like women who in the forties and beforehand barely have any individuals are ruining men’s lives by expecting them to marry them or not the ones trapped by social expectations of marriage. The fact he has more criticism for women who keep the company of men then men who use the services of sex workers or abandon their families is egregious.  It does put him square with other leftist male artists of the 20th and 21th centuries whose art is particularly harsh and violent to women. You can see his Richard wright influences but he is a much more hopeful writer. For a semi autobiographical work j found him more compelling in his letters included at the back but Bulosan was also frustrated with his finished product so maybe he wouldn’t be that surprised with my review here. I do think the book leaves the reader with a lot to think about especially in the context it was written. I did not like his depiction of Chinese in American or Alaskans natives I found both flat and racist for a author aware racism among marginalized is used to divide and distract them from solidarity movements. All that said I will likely read some of his other works later. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Colonisation, Violence, War, Toxic relationship, Torture, Suicidal thoughts, Domestic abuse, Animal cruelty, Rape, Sexual assault, Racism, Racial slurs, Police brutality, Physical abuse, Murder, Misogyny, Infidelity, Hate crime, Gun violence, Grief, Deportation, Death of parent, Death, Alcoholism, Sexual violence, Classism, Chronic illness, Child death, Xenophobia, Toxic friendship, Terminal illness, Sexual harassment, Sexual content, and Sexism