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hornygoldfish's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Addiction, Alcohol, Cultural appropriation, Racism, Emotional abuse, Suicide, Racial slurs, and Self harm
dustghosts's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
The structure: a series of vignettes, each from a different main character, and repeated in parts, is really interesting and admirable from a writing point of view. The loneliness that sets each of these characters apart also strings them together in a way that’s hopeful, strange, sorrowful, frustrating. The selfishness of that loneliness, and the way that it prevents each of the characters from recognizing it in each other, I found heartbreaking at times. Very accessible writing, even today, and again— the empathy and real feeling imbued into each character shines.
I had to take long breaks in-between reads, here, but I think that’s more to do with seasonal garbáge than anything. It weighs heavy to read a book where the characters’ troubles and gripes still reverberate today, and especially when you’re so close to each of these characters. A theme of futility vs optimism (“what is it all for?”) plagues character and reader alike. I think I’ll be thinking about this one for a long time, and I wish I had more folks to talk about it with!!!
Graphic: Forced institutionalization, Racism, Suicide, Racial slurs, Police brutality, Hate crime, Gun violence, Antisemitism, and Ableism
Moderate: Grief, Alcoholism, Blood, and Classism
Minor: Vomit and Violence
phantomgecko's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Kinda depressing though how this 80 year old novel is making some of the exact same social commentary you could make today. (You know, the racism and the capitalism.)
What does it say about me if John Singer is my favorite character? Am I projecting onto him just like the characters of the book? I don't think so? I just like misunderstood and depressed characters? I do not get his relationship with Antonapoulos, but it makes me feel bad for him (and thus want to protect him and like him.)
Moderate: Antisemitism, Death, Forced institutionalization, Police brutality, Slavery, Suicide, Terminal illness, Hate crime, Religious bigotry, Alcoholism, Gun violence, Racial slurs, Racism, and Toxic relationship
shiroikamui's review against another edition
- 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? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Racial slurs and Racism
rasasvana'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? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Racism, Racial slurs, and Antisemitism
Minor: Sexual content
kenkennady's review against another edition
- 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? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Racial slurs, Racism, Antisemitism, Body horror, Gore, Classism, Hate crime, Police brutality, Violence, Gun violence, Suicide, Death, Mental illness, and Murder
ginnybarns's review against another edition
- 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? It's complicated
4.25
Graphic: Suicide, Racism, Racial slurs, Violence, and Police brutality
rileyharrell's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
I probably would not have picked this book up on my own accord if it was not for the book club. All that aside, I am glad that I read this! This book was totally advanced for it's publication time. I mean I think it was published in the late 1930s/early 1940 and it covers topics that are still relevant today. That is really sad to say but it is true..
Yes, this book is sad. Yes, this book has a lot of depression writing. But the writing itself is really well done. I am giving it 4 stars because this book has such rich character development and is not so much plot driven. I definitely needed a book like this that has deep characters that we can learn a lot about after reading so much plot-driven books lately. The characters keep you reading!
Graphic: Alcoholism, Alcohol, Chronic illness, Death, Drug abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Suicide, and Body shaming
I mean this book was written in the 1930s so it doesn't have the.. language that we would use in modern day writing or take into account any trigger warnings.