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_fallinglight_'s review against another edition
- 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? It's complicated
3.75
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Child abuse, Child death, Cursing, Death, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Animal death, Homophobia, and Pedophilia
megbroache's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Violence
Moderate: Cancer, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Death, Hate crime, Homophobia, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Terminal illness, Kidnapping, Car accident, and Murder
btrz7's review against another edition
3.0
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Cancer, Child death, Confinement, Death, Homophobia, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Police brutality, Car accident, and Murder
rch_07's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Graphic: Racism and Rape
Moderate: Homophobia and Pedophilia
tifftastic87's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
I really wish the only black character in the book hadn't been King's typically magical being and that we didn't have to have him be magical for his incarceration to be in question. I do like that King made some comments early on that minorities in prison are rarely given the same freedoms, or excuses, or even pardons that white people are. But some of the use of Coffey in this story is hard to hear because not only is he incredibly large, he's incredibly dim witted. He is simply a being of instinct with a deeper sense of the world than the rest of us. He is almost childlike in some aspects, being afraid of the dark, not being able to tie his shoes etc. It is uncomfortable at times to hear it that way.
The other thing is that listening to it as an adult versus reading it as a teen I really wanted Paul to stand up to Brad a bit more. There never was any consequences for him and that just didn't sit right with me. But then, rarely are there consequences in life.
Criticisms out of the way, the episodic writing really made the whole feel of the book different than most other King books. Usually we sit with the main character for half to two-thirds of the story before anything really happens and we just get to know them. But with an episodic story like this, you have to get to know them organically and to me that really felt like Paul was sitting down and telling me the story of the fall of 1932 on the green mile. It felt comforting, like a story my own grandparents would have told me around a campfire. Apart from all the brutal murdering that is.
It really felt King did some work here to make criticisms of our prison system, nepotism, and, of course, capitol punishment. There is some light commentary on how race plays into a lot of these things and I think for a book published in 1996 by an older white man, that is maybe not as common as it would be today. While the commentary was clunky and not without it's fair share of white saviourism, it was nevertheless, at least broached.
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Cancer, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Gun violence, Homophobia, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Car accident, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, and Vomit
Minor: Ableism
maddireads13's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Animal death, Child death, Confinement, Death, Gun violence, Homophobia, Pedophilia, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Grief, Car accident, and Murder
jackbifrost's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Cancer, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Forced institutionalization, Police brutality, Kidnapping, Grief, Car accident, Murder, and Classism
Moderate: Ableism, Gun violence, Hate crime, Homophobia, Panic attacks/disorders, Blood, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis
bookishlucy's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.75
Graphic: Child death, Death, Racial slurs, Racism, and Murder
Moderate: Homophobia and Sexism
booksthatgotmeshook's review
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Death, Gun violence, Homophobia, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Dementia, and Kidnapping
Minor: Cursing, Emotional abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, and Grief