Reviews tagging 'Mental illness'

Love by Toni Morrison

6 reviews

cookie_khumalo's review against another edition

challenging emotional mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• 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: Racism, Adult/minor relationship, Pedophilia, and Rape

Moderate: Abandonment and Mental illness

Minor: Abortion

michaelion's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious reflective sad fast-paced

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

3.5

Sula and Nel, the people of Ruby, Oklahoma, and Violet, Joe, and Dorcas all culminate in this excellently written book, as usual for Miss Morrison, but, just like Jazz, it wasn't for me. And for similar reasons. However, I do like this one more. Probably because it focuses a bit more on the women than it does the man who scorned himself.

The only reason why I'm comparing the books is because I asked myself why am I giving Love a higher rating than I gave Jazz despite the fact that I liked more elements in Jazz than I did in Love? It's because what I liked in Jazz wasn't central to the main story,

the back story involving Wild and Golden Gray, mostly, as well as Joe and Violet's history,

meanwhile in Love it's all there. Meant to be absorbed at once. The gaps and pieces meant to be glued together or filled in complete everyone's story. The friends / sisters turned enemies are one and the same, not self made victims (like Joe). Something about power dynamics I guess, I think. Anyway.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abortion, Injury/Injury detail, Adult/minor relationship, Emotional abuse, Sexual assault, Toxic friendship, Classism, and Child abuse

Moderate: Mental illness, Misogyny, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Alcohol, Bullying, Pedophilia, Racism, Rape, Toxic relationship, Violence, Abandonment, Confinement, Death, Grief, Sexual content, and Infidelity

Minor: Religious bigotry, Miscarriage, War, and Slavery

toffishay's review against another edition

dark mysterious reflective sad medium-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

3.25

I would say of Toni Morrison's bibliography that I have read, this is maybe my least favorite. The writing style was a little more straightforward and less metaphorical. You also get multiple character point of views on the same events, but it didn't seem as if the additional POV illuminated more of the story. Some of the characters are interesting, but then it feels like they kind of go nowhere to me like Junior and L. There are interesting themes of who has power and what is left behind when people leave us. How we might be able to pick up the pieces of our lives and how that is impacted by our circumstances and others choices that may have been made long ago. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence, Physical abuse, Rape, Death, Sexual harassment, Sexual content, Toxic friendship, Abortion, Adult/minor relationship, and Pedophilia

Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Infidelity, Grief, Emotional abuse, Drug use, Domestic abuse, Murder, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Violence, Sexism, Mental illness, and Racism

Minor: Vomit, Police brutality, and Fire/Fire injury

ktkeps's review against another edition

challenging emotional sad 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Adult/minor relationship, and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Child abuse, Sexism, Vomit, Abortion, Classism, Death of parent, Mental illness, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, and Racism

dark_marble_eyes's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

This was definitely a hard read due to the subject matter. The way the layers were peeled back was definitely painful before it was enlightening, but, as another reviewer wrote, the final chapter lends some catharsis and satisfaction.
I’m glad I pushed through. Morrison is wildly talented in her storytelling. Though I gave it a 4, if it was based on the mastery of writing and storytelling alone, it would be a solid 5.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence, Pedophilia, Abortion, Adult/minor relationship, Rape, and Sexual assault

Moderate: Vomit, Mental illness, Racism, and Sexual violence

Minor: Excrement

ehmannky's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad slow-paced

• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Nothing makes me miss being an English major more than reading Morrison's work. It is so beautiful to read and there's just so much in these relatively short novels and I just want to talk to other people about it with people with hours. It's such a poignant look at the ways that hurt people hurt people, especially those who should be their natural allies and greatest loves. It hurt to read about the ways in which one greedy, selfish, misogynistic man (who did do some good things, and was also just trying to succeed as a Black man in a white world, but also worked to ensure that he was at the top while not helping lift up those in his community) destroys the love between two girls. There was a bit towards the end that I don't want to give away that just took my breath away, it was so beautiful and sad and lovely. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship, Sexual assault, Rape, Pedophilia, Miscarriage, Infidelity, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Death, and Adult/minor relationship

Moderate: Racism, Infertility, and Mental illness

Minor: Vomit