Reviews tagging 'Slavery'

Minor Feelings: An Asian American Reckoning by Cathy Park Hong

5 reviews

noellelovesbooks's review against another edition

challenging dark informative medium-paced

4.0

This book gave me so much to think about. How little I know of history and the challenges that my ancestors have faced and continue to face. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racial slurs, Sexual harassment, Ableism, Blood, Body shaming, Cancer, Classism, Colonisation, Cultural appropriation, Death, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Grief, Gun violence, Hate crime, Racism, Murder, Police brutality, Rape, Sexism, Slavery, Violence, and War

laurendenton's review against another edition

challenging emotional informative reflective medium-paced

3.75

I think that this is a difficult book for me to rate because of the fact that it is split into 7 different essays, some of which work in relation to others and some which stand completely alone. The first three essays, which spoke directly in regards to the title Minor Feelings, were extremely eye-opening and affirming to my past experiences with racism and sexism. I was able to, while reading those initial sections, come to the conclusion that the majority of my own racial experiences have been "minor feelings", meaning that they have been subtle and distorted by my own self-hating memory. I have not been pulled over or directly called the n-word, but I have had more indirect experiences that have made me, in retrospect, wonder if maybe I was overreacting the entire time. Similarly, my voicing of such events has been met with sharp dismissals that only further my personal disbelief. The following three essays for me were, to put it bluntly, unremarkable. As stand-alones, perhaps in a separate collection of essays or as their own works entirely, I would've found them to be exceptionally well-done. I was personally not able to make clear connections between these essays and the overall theme of the book and its title. Perhaps if they had been fitted in between the initial three essays, I would've been more appreciative of their content, but because I was so astonished initially, the second half of the book was rather underwhelming to me. The essay entitled "An Education", particularly, seemed out-of-place with the other essays, while "The Portrait of an Artist" was more connected to the idea of "Minor Feelings". Cathy Park Hong is, without a doubt, an incredible writer whose works I will eagerly indulge in in the future, but only half of these essays left me in utter shock at their precision and beauty. I have found this to be the case with another essay collection that I have read, and so it is hard to give a definite rating for a book that has ignited me just as much as it has left me unsatisfied. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Sexism, Classism, Misogyny, Murder, Rape, Racism, and Sexual assault

Moderate: Child death, Cultural appropriation, Alcohol, Body shaming, Child abuse, Colonisation, Death, Dementia, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Racial slurs, Suicide attempt, War, Eating disorder, Suicidal thoughts, and Toxic friendship

Minor: Pregnancy, Slavery, Addiction, Police brutality, Confinement, Fatphobia, Genocide, and Grief

erin819's review against another edition

informative reflective fast-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Alcohol, Grief, Self harm, Slavery, Violence, Blood, Mental illness, Rape, Suicidal thoughts, Gaslighting, Xenophobia, Addiction, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicide attempt, Drug use, Racism, Sexual violence, Toxic friendship, and Cursing

anniefwrites's review against another edition

challenging reflective tense medium-paced

While I think I might need to reread a few times to fully get all of the layers that make up this book, I found this essay collection searing and powerful. Cathy Park Hong is unapologetic, which in itself is a radical act. She's definitely a voice to be listening to right now.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Xenophobia, Violence, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Sexism, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Rape, Racial slurs, Murder, Misogyny, Mental illness, and Hate crime

Moderate: Grief, Drug abuse, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Death, and Confinement

Minor: Slavery

carolinefran's review against another edition

challenging emotional informative reflective medium-paced

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Genocide, Grief, Hate crime, Mental illness, Misogyny, Murder, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Toxic relationship, Violence, and Xenophobia

Minor: Dementia