Reviews tagging 'Racism'

Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides

32 reviews

itsmelaurenc's review against another edition

emotional informative inspiring reflective 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Cultural appropriation, Incest, Racial slurs, Car accident, Child death, Infertility, Death of parent, Outing, Racism, Transphobia, Xenophobia, War, Death, Deportation, Alcohol, Classism, Cursing, Deadnaming, Drug abuse, Sexual content, Violence, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Gun violence, and Body shaming

giuliamrll's review against another edition

informative inspiring reflective 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

4.75

I don’t think I will ever forget this book, and Cal Stephanides will forever be in my heart.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Incest

Minor: Physical abuse, Sexual content, Transphobia, Racism, Infertility, and Kidnapping

teaselkie's review against another edition

emotional reflective 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? It's complicated

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Incest, Dysphoria, and War

Moderate: Racial slurs and Racism

flo_sg's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective slow-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? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content, Incest, and War

Moderate: Police brutality, Transphobia, and Racism

Minor: Hate crime, Gun violence, and Sexual violence

_maia3_'s review against another edition

dark emotional informative 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? Yes

2.0

If you're looking for a graceful, reflective handling of intersex people and issues, never touch this book. Intersex people have said what I'm about to say better and in more detail if you're interested, but in short, this book seems deadset on painting intersexuality as some kind of monstrous deformation, and it is not lighthanded in this treatment either (for example, the main character's intersexuality is a direct consequence of incest). Furthermore, for a book all about living inbetween categories, it absolutely refuses to look at gender as anything other than binary. I didn't find out until after reading that Eugenides refused to research anything about intersex people for "authenticity" (!?). Its a real pity, because the first half of the novel speaks very poignantly about the experience of immigration and growing up an immigrant, and the prose (whilst sometimes a little overworked and cringey) works in its favour most of the time.
If it's possible for you to only read the first half of the book and then return it to your local library once the main character gets born, that would be ideal.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Incest, Genocide, Racism, Transphobia, Medical content, War, Body shaming, and Fire/Fire injury

overmonroeville's review against another edition

adventurous emotional reflective 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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Incest, War, Racism, Xenophobia, Islamophobia, and Lesbophobia

kibiiiariii's review against another edition

emotional funny informative reflective 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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Dementia, Gun violence, Hate crime, Incest, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, Alcohol, Classism, Gaslighting, Medical trauma, War, Abandonment, Car accident, Death, Dysphoria, Homophobia, Lesbophobia, Medical content, Sexism, Ableism, Body shaming, Bullying, Child death, Cultural appropriation, Deadnaming, Death of parent, Mental illness, Misogyny, Racism, Religious bigotry, Sexual content, Terminal illness, Toxic friendship, Alcoholism, Antisemitism, Genocide, Grief, Infertility, Islamophobia, and Pregnancy

bells_shelves's review against another edition

adventurous emotional funny hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective relaxing sad tense slow-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? Yes

4.75

WOW. This book has left me speechless. I almost DNF’ed this book around page 50-60, but then I was completely sucked in. The character writing is incredible, and they feel undeniably like real people. What a story. There were so many stories all wrapped up in one, and the way it was told was beautiful. This is a read I’ll never forget. There were so many beautiful sentences, the writing is impeccable. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual harassment, Transphobia, Incest, and Sexual assault

Moderate: Police brutality and Death of parent

Minor: Racism and Islamophobia

bootsmom3's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional funny hopeful informative reflective sad slow-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Religious bigotry, Sexism, Body shaming, Cursing, Deadnaming, Death of parent, Death, Incest, Medical content, Medical trauma, Racism, Sexual content, Transphobia, War, and Xenophobia

Moderate: Dementia and Grief

phantomgecko's review against another edition

challenging reflective slow-paced

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

3.0

I wasn't expecting a generational saga, but that's what it is, at least in large part. A fascinating look back in time and at a different culture. Slow, largely introspective. Brings up valid questions about gender in society, but less time is spent on that than I expected. Not my favorite, interesting tho.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Transphobia, Dysphoria, Incest, Sexual content, Lesbophobia, Pregnancy, Classism, Death, Homophobia, Racism, and Xenophobia