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Reviews tagging 'Homophobia'
Tuyo, con pasión: Un retelling de Orgullo y prejuicio by Gabe Cole Novoa
255 reviews
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-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
I’ve never actually read Pride and Prejudice; have only seen the Keira Knightley film.
Honestly? This is now my Pride and Prejudice. I loved Oliver. I like the author really makes it feel authentic to how some trans people feel w/ gender dysphoria and the emotional turmoil of hearing people use their deadname / wrong pronouns imo. Or my own feelings as a nb person that struggles w mine own identity and how I want ppl to see me. Idk I felt like it was an authentic trans experience being written,, hard to explain KAOAPSM.
It’s sweet, funny, emotional but can be triggering for some (in that Oliver gets deadnamed frequently as he isn’t out to everyone in the book) but the author states that at the top which is great.
Honestly? This is now my Pride and Prejudice. I loved Oliver. I like the author really makes it feel authentic to how some trans people feel w/ gender dysphoria and the emotional turmoil of hearing people use their deadname / wrong pronouns imo. Or my own feelings as a nb person that struggles w mine own identity and how I want ppl to see me. Idk I felt like it was an authentic trans experience being written,, hard to explain KAOAPSM.
It’s sweet, funny, emotional but can be triggering for some (in that Oliver gets deadnamed frequently as he isn’t out to everyone in the book) but the author states that at the top which is great.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Deadnaming
Moderate: Homophobia, Misogyny, Transphobia, Dysphoria, Classism
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
This was so good!! I’ve never read or watched Pride & Prejudice so I honestly went in with no expectations but wow, I loved it!! Queer historical fiction has slowly become one of my favorite genres and this one is definitely going to stay on the top of my list of favorites! I loved getting to see Oliver’s family so supportive of who he is, especially how much his dad fought for him and I loved Oliver’s relationship with Jane too! And the romance between Oliver & Darcy was top notch, I’d truly read more stories about how their future plays out or even just soft moments of them reading together 🥺 I just really loved this! Definitely recommend!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Deadnaming, Homophobia, Transphobia
emotional
hopeful
fast-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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Deadnaming, Homophobia, Misogyny, Transphobia, Classism
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Deadnaming, Homophobia, Transphobia, Dysphoria
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Adorable romantic fast paced. Lovely retelling.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Deadnaming, Homophobia, Transphobia, Dysphoria
emotional
hopeful
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Content Warnings
Graphic: Deadnaming, Homophobia, Misogyny, Sexism, Transphobia
adventurous
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Cute read! Both emotional and upbeat, it definitely stayed closer than I was expecting to the original story. All in all a fun book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia, Misogyny, Sexism, Transphobia, Dysphoria
Moderate: Outing
hopeful
reflective
fast-paced
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Unfortunately, this book really didn’t do it for me. I was very close to DNF-ing a few times, but pushed through since it was pretty short. This is not to say that it is at all a bad book; rather, I think it just hit too many of my pet peeves with both historical and trans-themed fiction. The historical anachronisms particularly frustrated me: e.g., historically inaccurate language, a tight-lacing scene (despite stays of the era being relatively unrestrictive), and, notably, a rather modern interpretation of transgender identity transposed over a historical narrative. While this is certainly a matter of personal preference (nor do I think authors should be expected to include period-accurate depictions of homophobia or transphobia), I felt that the narrative suffered as a result of this choice.
Everyone around Oliver seemed to, for the most part, immediately accept and understand his identity, which resulted in a general lack of narrative tension while simultaneously feeling unrealistic even from a contemporary trans lens. The language used in his various coming-out scenes felt extremely cookie-cutter (e.g., “I love and support you”) and was delivered with little hesitation; there were no hiccups, no fumbles, no awkwardness, no lapses in understanding. While I could maybe see this as some kind of wish-fulfillment fantasy coming out scenario, it honestly felt kind of alienating to read as a trans person myself. I would have found it far more compelling if we were able to see Oliver truly struggle to understand where he fits (or does not fit) into conventional narratives of gender, familial expectation, and high society (this is, after all, what makes Lizzy Bennet so lovable in the original Pride & Prejudice). It also would have been interesting to see him come to terms with his identity without necessarily having language to easily voice it—as was the case for many queer historical figures.
Oliver does obviously suffer myriad sexist and transphobic remarks, though these often felt painfully on-the-nose (the “beautiful birthing hips” comment comes to mind). Most of his struggle as a trans person seemed to be rooted in heavy-handed sexism, without ever really addressing the more nuanced crossover between his dysphoria as a trans person and his experience living as a “woman” in Edwardian society.
In addition, the short length of the book makes the romance between Oliver and Darcy feel very insta-lovey, again hindering the potential for narrative tension and making the ending much less satisfying than that of Austen’s original novel. Neither of their characters felt very fleshed-out by the end, which left me feeling rather apathetic when it came to their ultimate confessions of love. At the end of the day, I can imagine many people loving this book, but as a trans Pride & Prejudice fan, I came out of it feeling disappointed.
Everyone around Oliver seemed to, for the most part, immediately accept and understand his identity, which resulted in a general lack of narrative tension while simultaneously feeling unrealistic even from a contemporary trans lens. The language used in his various coming-out scenes felt extremely cookie-cutter (e.g., “I love and support you”) and was delivered with little hesitation; there were no hiccups, no fumbles, no awkwardness, no lapses in understanding. While I could maybe see this as some kind of wish-fulfillment fantasy coming out scenario, it honestly felt kind of alienating to read as a trans person myself. I would have found it far more compelling if we were able to see Oliver truly struggle to understand where he fits (or does not fit) into conventional narratives of gender, familial expectation, and high society (this is, after all, what makes Lizzy Bennet so lovable in the original Pride & Prejudice). It also would have been interesting to see him come to terms with his identity without necessarily having language to easily voice it—as was the case for many queer historical figures.
Oliver does obviously suffer myriad sexist and transphobic remarks, though these often felt painfully on-the-nose (the “beautiful birthing hips” comment comes to mind). Most of his struggle as a trans person seemed to be rooted in heavy-handed sexism, without ever really addressing the more nuanced crossover between his dysphoria as a trans person and his experience living as a “woman” in Edwardian society.
In addition, the short length of the book makes the romance between Oliver and Darcy feel very insta-lovey, again hindering the potential for narrative tension and making the ending much less satisfying than that of Austen’s original novel. Neither of their characters felt very fleshed-out by the end, which left me feeling rather apathetic when it came to their ultimate confessions of love. At the end of the day, I can imagine many people loving this book, but as a trans Pride & Prejudice fan, I came out of it feeling disappointed.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Deadnaming
Moderate: Homophobia, Sexism, Transphobia, Outing
emotional
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
This was a good retelling of Pride & Prejudice, and an enjoyable read. The feel of Austen's story wasn't changed, even if the specific details were, and Novoa was very respectful in translating the original into this work. That said, I have some conflicted feelings on the choices on how some of the characters were presented, and I think my biggest complaints are mostly based on my ardent love for the original. I didn't enjoy that:
-Lydia and Kitty were essentially left out except as tittering fools in the background. They're both minor characters in the original, true, but Lydia's arc in Pride & Prejudice was important in fleshing out Darcy's character, and leads to an opening towards the end where Kitty can become her own person rather than being an extension of Lydia.
-Wickham is so utterly evil in this retelling. He's no peach in Austen but boiling him down to bring driven by money alone (instead of status and jealousy in addition) feels like a disservice to what he was.
-Mrs. Bennett and Lady Catherine weren't annoying enough lol
Despite my complaints above, this does still feel like a properly modernized retelling, and it's definitely an approachable way to present something that is dense and hard to read, even without factoring in the heteronormative lens it Austen was understandably writing through. The writing was good, the pace was excellent, and Novoa has a way of evoking emotions that had my cis self feeling Oliver's emotions, particularly his panic over the dysphoria and misgendering, in a very gut-wrenching way. The nightmare scene about 2/3 of the way made me deeply uncomfortable, poor Oliver!
-Lydia and Kitty were essentially left out except as tittering fools in the background. They're both minor characters in the original, true, but Lydia's arc in Pride & Prejudice was important in fleshing out Darcy's character, and leads to an opening towards the end where Kitty can become her own person rather than being an extension of Lydia.
-Wickham is so utterly evil in this retelling. He's no peach in Austen but boiling him down to bring driven by money alone (instead of status and jealousy in addition) feels like a disservice to what he was.
-Mrs. Bennett and Lady Catherine weren't annoying enough lol
Despite my complaints above, this does still feel like a properly modernized retelling, and it's definitely an approachable way to present something that is dense and hard to read, even without factoring in the heteronormative lens it Austen was understandably writing through. The writing was good, the pace was excellent, and Novoa has a way of evoking emotions that had my cis self feeling Oliver's emotions, particularly his panic over the dysphoria and misgendering, in a very gut-wrenching way. The nightmare scene about 2/3 of the way made me deeply uncomfortable, poor Oliver!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Deadnaming, Homophobia, Misogyny, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Transphobia, Dysphoria
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders, Outing
Minor: Sexual harassment, Classism
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Content Warnings
Graphic: Deadnaming, Homophobia, Misogyny, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Transphobia, Stalking, Outing
Moderate: Lesbophobia, Sexual harassment
Minor: Biphobia