Reviews tagging 'Violence'

Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents by Isabel Wilkerson

77 reviews

dianapiskor's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective sad tense slow-paced

5.0

Wow wow wow did I learn a great deal in this book. I think this is a must read for any individual, especially for those living in what is a caste system in America. Poignant, well researched, and well written, this book was difficult, but important, to read, as it lays out it's argument that in the United States, not all are born free and have never been so, even since the beginning of this nation's founding.

This novel argues that we have a caste system in the United States and that African Americans are at the bottom of this caste. Through exclusion, violence, and other strategic means, the United States has created a system where those at the bottom MUST stay at the bottom of a caste hierarchy or face the consequences. This is engrained in every facet of American life and has been done so in order to disenfranchise African Americans and to keep them in their caste. 

This book was enlightening, if not horrifying. The author lays out EVERYTHING the United States has done in order to subjugate African Americans and the extent to which individuals have done so is disgusting and terrifying. This is not an easy read. It is uncomfortable for those who are not aware of the deep history of this subjugation. But it is necessary to understand, to relate, and to see the effects of caste within our current events and the current day. 

This is an absolute must read, especially as the United States continues to see the issues of caste within the news, politics, and society. If you thought that these issues faced by Black individuals was a thing of the past, buckle up, because one cannot escape the past when it is woven into the present. However, please be aware of triggers, as part of this book can be upsetting. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Slavery, and Violence

Moderate: Medical content, Colonisation, Genocide, Death, Sexual assault, Antisemitism, and Hate crime

hmbrokaw's review against another edition

informative slow-paced

4.0

A phenomenal look at what exactly caste is. Any yt person interested in anti-racism work should read this. It’s heavy and hard to read, but in all the ways it should be when reading about the oppression of billions. Don’t expect to feel good about yourself- expect to learn.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Genocide, Racism, Racial slurs, Slavery, and Death

lpfoley's review against another edition

challenging informative reflective medium-paced

5.0

A really brilliant take on the history of what it means to be Black in America and the social constructs that create and perpetuate oppression. Accessible, thorough, and inviting, Wilkerson walks the line between calling out the behaviors and attitudes that have created what she designated as a caste system in the US as well as discussing the broader pressures at work to sustain it. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Racism, Genocide, Violence, Physical abuse, Slavery, Medical trauma, and Hate crime

kemrick19's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful informative reflective medium-paced

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Slavery, Racism, Hate crime, Police brutality, Antisemitism, and Classism

Moderate: Death of parent and Colonisation

scarroll178's review against another edition

informative reflective sad medium-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Murder, Racism, and Racial slurs

shoshin's review against another edition

challenging informative reflective medium-paced

5.0

Sometimes, it's easiest to understand what is happening around you by finding a way to step outside it to describe it. Wilkerson does that brilliantly with this book. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Hate crime, Torture, Violence, Antisemitism, Genocide, and Murder

Moderate: Sexism and Classism

torturedreadersdept's review against another edition

challenging informative medium-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Classism, Death, Genocide, Gun violence, Hate crime, Murder, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Torture, Trafficking, Violence, Misogyny, Deportation, Antisemitism, Child death, Police brutality, Slavery, and Xenophobia

arthur_harris's review against another edition

challenging dark informative reflective tense medium-paced

5.0

This book pulls absolutely no punches. It lays out the facts of its subject matter with a kind of frank, unflinching look at the truth that is so constantly softened and blunted in history. Deeply, grimly informative on the true history of the Black experience in the United States. A harsh reality check for those - like me - who grew up with a whitewashed view of American history. While this book is a difficult read in many ways, that is part of what makes it such a necessary one. It forces the reader to examine the deeply ingrained racism baked into the foundation of America, and the subsequent role of the (non-Black) reader in that racist system. An absolutely vital piece of literature. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Violence, Death of parent, Hate crime, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, Racial slurs, Confinement, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Genocide, Police brutality, Child abuse, Cultural appropriation, Rape, Sexual assault, Torture, Colonisation, Slavery, Blood, Medical trauma, Racism, Child death, and Murder

wanderlustsleeping's review against another edition

Surprisingly, I DNFed this title after getting 42% through it.

At first I was intrigued by the notion and usage of caste and the comparison to India, the Nazi Regime, and the history of slavery and African-Americans in the U.S. but at almost half way through I had just had enough. For any person even slightly educated or familiar with these harrowing matters, nothing new is being said, and I just kept having to listen about the pain and horrifying events done to so many people, with a huge emphasis on my black ancestors. It hurt for me to listen to these stories. I was sticking with it for educational purposes, but switching out “black” and “white” for caste-coded pseudonyms, wasn’t enough to teach me anything new, it was just me having to hear these horrifying stories all over again.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Xenophobia, Racism, and Slavery

veryill's review against another edition

hopeful informative reflective medium-paced

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Racial slurs, Violence, and Sexual violence