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someone_in_despair's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
caleb_lewis's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
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
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Rape, and Sexual assault
eduardoamaral98's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
girardian's review against another edition
5.0
- "Only, the polite ones didn't say dirty. They said real."
- Baldwin's character linger on odor, smell, other base, body expulsions that grimly attract and repulse
- At first I thought there were incongruent acts of horror (domestic abuse, rape) interspersed between the central personal dramas but then thematically they were congruent - the result of a lack of love, an inability to love, the difficulty of love. Baldwin has spoken of this elsewhere in more depth, in particular about race
- Baldwin has also spoken many times about illusions people create that don't allow them to love in truth, this challenge to meet the demands of social reality underpinned each character's journey
- Baldwin's character linger on odor, smell, other base, body expulsions that grimly attract and repulse
- At first I thought there were incongruent acts of horror (domestic abuse, rape) interspersed between the central personal dramas but then thematically they were congruent - the result of a lack of love, an inability to love, the difficulty of love. Baldwin has spoken of this elsewhere in more depth, in particular about race
- Baldwin has also spoken many times about illusions people create that don't allow them to love in truth, this challenge to meet the demands of social reality underpinned each character's journey
vickiezw's review against another edition
dark
emotional
medium-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
3.75
experfectionist's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
ellareadsxx's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
sad
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
2.75
🔔Book Club Read🔔
I really struggled to get into this book. Despite it touching on some really important themes such as racism and exploring ideas of sexuality in 1950s America, I felt the plot was lacking a lot. It also sort of felt like the same themes were being brought up but very one dimensional. The part which I did enjoy and I read through quickly was ‘Book Two’ where Eric and Yves were the focus.
I really struggled to get into this book. Despite it touching on some really important themes such as racism and exploring ideas of sexuality in 1950s America, I felt the plot was lacking a lot. It also sort of felt like the same themes were being brought up but very one dimensional. The part which I did enjoy and I read through quickly was ‘Book Two’ where Eric and Yves were the focus.
aziult's review against another edition
5.0
baldwin portrays a specific kind of deep melancholy in his prose, as if it's living and breathing, beautiful in a way, that permeates the city and his characters and everything they touch. the tension was palpable, but it didn't make it a difficult read, the writing seemed to flow through it even though the characters could not seem to within their own lives.