Reviews tagging 'Homophobia'

The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison

5 reviews

jlye's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

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

3.25

This book is hard for me to rate. On one hand, I love Toni Morrison’s writing. It’s beautiful and poetic. I felt a connection to the Pecola’s longing for blue eyes, because I wished for the same when I was a child. The inferiority complex resulting from tying beauty to western standards - blond hair, blue eyes, pale skin - resonated with me and my own struggles with self-esteem growing up in a white-dominated society. However, I cannot look past the characterization of Soaphead Church,

particularly the implication that his pedophilia was the result of being a closeted homosexual.

 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual content, Racism, Body shaming, Child abuse, Incest, and Homophobia

vanesst's review against another edition

challenging emotional tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child abuse, Incest, Pedophilia, Rape, Racial slurs, and Racism

Moderate: Hate crime, Homophobia, Religious bigotry, Classism, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, and Emotional abuse

Minor: Alcoholism, Body shaming, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Sexual content, Abandonment, Excrement, Fatphobia, Pregnancy, Addiction, Alcohol, and Child death

booksbutmakeitgay's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional tense

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Classism, Cursing, Death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Excrement, Fatphobia, Incest, Homophobia, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Vomit, Violence, Mental illness, Murder, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, and Sexism

seawarrior's review against another edition

dark emotional sad medium-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

4.0

An arresting, gut-wrenching story of the pervasive power of internalizing hatred. Morrison's skill for writing fleshed-out characters whose experiences reflect and denounce racism, classism and misogyny is awe-inspiring throughout her first novel. Her prose was lyrical, observant and stinging with relevance, which kept me glued to the pages. However, the detail used to describe sexual violence against preteen girls was so disturbing it felt unnecessary. Her inclusion of these segments started to disillusion me as they went on and worsened, but Claudia's voice in the last chapter was reinvigorating if not tragic. Claudia and Frieda are the most endearing characters throughout this story, and I doubt I will ever forget them. Their allied but secret rebellions against racism and misogyny are bathed in childlike innocence but still powerful, as we never see them internalize the hatred of their aggressors the way most of the book's other characters do. Ultimately, this is a disturbing but meaningful story, though the subject matter will make it a rough read for many.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Incest, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Racism, Classism, Emotional abuse, Sexual assault, Child abuse, Racial slurs, Rape, Death, and Domestic abuse

Moderate: Abandonment, Animal death, Death, Homophobia, Sexual content, Body shaming, Bullying, Grief, Pregnancy, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Alcoholism

tabear's review against another edition

medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Bullying, Body shaming, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Excrement, Hate crime, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Vomit, and Violence

Moderate: Homophobia, Infidelity, and Miscarriage