Reviews tagging 'Blood'

Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison

9 reviews

waybeyondblue's review against another edition

adventurous dark tense slow-paced

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

3.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Murder, Rape, Ableism, and Police brutality

Moderate: Religious bigotry, Racial slurs, Gun violence, Fire/Fire injury, Slavery, Violence, Sexual content, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Blood

vickymcckey's review against another edition

dark reflective tense fast-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

5.0

This is the kind of book that needs a separate book to explain all the references you missed the first time. My advice to anyone reading it who wants to derive as much meaning as possible is to annotate like a nerdy high schooler. Color code references and keep wikipedia by your side to look up any word that seems even a little bit intentional. Because I promise you, it’s all intentional. Parts of this book are disturbing, parts dryly humorous, parts hopeful or sad, but every word has thought behind it.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Alcohol, Blood, Racism, Death, Racial slurs, Physical abuse, Incest, Police brutality, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Moderate: Medical content, Cursing, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Gun violence, Medical trauma, Sexual violence, Misogyny, Infidelity, and Fire/Fire injury

Minor: Vomit

haileyeh's review against another edition

challenging reflective tense 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? It's complicated

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Incest, Gun violence, Murder, Medical trauma, Racism, Death, and Police brutality

Moderate: Rape, Hate crime, Alcohol, Blood, and Racial slurs

Minor: Slavery, Fire/Fire injury, Infertility, and Infidelity

lindseyas's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring reflective 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? Yes

4.5

A coming of age novel like you've never seen before. Set in the mid-1900s in a city where everything is happening all of the time, the unnamed southern Black man, our protagonist, is lost in the chaos. Told from an extremely early point in his life that he should just give in to the white man and white society, the protagonist goes with the flow easily, aiming to please and not be noticed as different. But when he makes his way to New York City, he's forced to be noticed. The protagonist is used as a political prop by a movement that cares little about him, is fought over by opposing sides and is worshipped only for his powerful voice and body — not for his character, his intelligence or his kindness. The protagonist is not treated as a human being, but as a way of being, as a set of values and to further an agenda that he is barely involved in. This novel is all about what being caught in the wave of history is like, and how invisibility, despite its loneliness and often futile attempt at security, is the only escape if we want to hold ourselves dear.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Sexual assault, Alcoholism, Forced institutionalization, Medical trauma, Death, Classism, Domestic abuse, Hate crime, Racial slurs, Blood, Police brutality, and Rape

kamilawithak's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective slow-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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content, Hate crime, Drug use, Blood, Murder, Misogyny, Racism, Police brutality, Incest, Violence, Gaslighting, Racial slurs, Gun violence, Death, and Cursing

Minor: Homophobia

ashley_1206's review against another edition

adventurous reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? N/A
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.5

3.5⭐️

guys i actually liked this book but it was so damn long. but the symbolism, message, and everything from a literary standpoint was good. it’s definitely my favorite summer reading book for ap lit! but please classics STOP HAVING LONG CHAPTERS.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death, Fire/Fire injury, Gun violence, Grief, Hate crime, Murder, Police brutality, Racism, Racial slurs, Alcohol, Blood, Classism, and Cursing

lilyenglish8's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective slow-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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Blood, Racial slurs, Incest, and Rape

Moderate: Sexism, Gun violence, and Gore

lukebryan's review against another edition

challenging reflective tense slow-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

5.0

I first read the Prologue to Invisible Man while in a bookshop, and the hold those first pages I read did not dissipate until I bought it. Invisible Man hinges on its protagonist and his uneven progression through confronting racial prejudice, which is as gripping as it is vividly shocking. This is the first book in a while to elicit genuine smiles from me while reading, as the way in which Ellison ties everything together is absolutely masterful. I cannot highly recommend this book enough, as even though its pacing is slow, I was so engrossed that it was took hold of my thoughts during my breaks from it until I finally returned to it. Just an all-time classic.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racial slurs and Racism

Moderate: Rape

Minor: Fatphobia, Alcohol, Confinement, Blood, and Gun violence

alisonvh's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative reflective slow-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? It's complicated

4.0

I think I liked this book, but I'm not sure. It was so far from what I was expecting that it's going to take me a while to digest it. I did love the writing style and the ways in which Ellison chose to comment on race.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Gun violence, Blood, Racism, Racial slurs, Fire/Fire injury, and Confinement