Reviews tagging 'Death'

If Beale Street Could Talk by James Baldwin

9 reviews

biblioghoul's review against another edition

challenging emotional sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual harassment, Racism, Pregnancy, Forced institutionalization, and Confinement

Moderate: Police brutality, Alcohol, Suicide, Rape, and Sexual content

Minor: Sexual violence, Miscarriage, Death of parent, and Death

greatexpectations77's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.75

I'm a little embarrassed that this was my first James Baldwin book, but I'm so glad that I read it. What beautiful writing and such a tragic story. I feel like it's rare that a male writer has such incredible insight into a female character, but I thought it was such an amazing story about women. I would love to write an essay about it. And how horrifying that 50 years later, the exact same story could happen today in this racist country built on stolen land.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Grief, Pregnancy, Forced institutionalization, and Racism

Moderate: Classism, Hate crime, Police brutality, Rape, Sexual content, Racial slurs, Drug use, Addiction, Alcohol, Bullying, Death, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Sexism, Violence, and Toxic relationship

Minor: Religious bigotry, Body shaming, Suicide, Domestic abuse, Abandonment, Abortion, and Antisemitism

marjolainegenot's review

funny hopeful sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

Beautiful prose. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cursing, Death, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Rape, Racial slurs, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Homophobia, Racism, Sexual assault, Alcohol, Domestic abuse, Miscarriage, Police brutality, and Pregnancy

jaiari12's review

emotional sad medium-paced

• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Classism, Sexual assault, Rape, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Racial slurs, Pregnancy, Police brutality, and Racism

Moderate: Death and Suicide

sinchan's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Domestic abuse, Misogyny, Death, Police brutality, and Rape

mikki_9's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Confinement, Cursing, Grief, Hate crime, Police brutality, Pregnancy, Racial slurs, Racism, Religious bigotry, Sexism, Sexual content, and Sexual harassment

Moderate: Addiction, Antisemitism, Death, Death of parent, Drug use, Homophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Rape, Suicide, and Violence

Minor: Torture and Miscarriage

yavin_iv's review

emotional reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Police brutality, Pregnancy, Racism, Sexual content, and Violence

Moderate: Alcohol, Death, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Rape, and Sexual violence

Minor: Antisemitism, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Miscarriage, and Suicide

meganhornex's review against another edition

challenging hopeful sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.0

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Content Warnings

Minor: Death, Death of parent, Police brutality, Pregnancy, Racism, and Sexual assault

rosalind's review against another edition

dark mysterious reflective sad slow-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

5.0

Always nerve-racking to read one of your best friends’ favourite books. Fortunately I came to a similar conclusion! Man, reading this in the shadow of the George Floyd court case is heavy. But an important heaviness, a heaviness we need to feel and respond to, be motivated to do move against. Baldwin writes so lyrically and you feel the fresh heartbreak of every despondency whilst balancing the weary sadness of inevitability. And the space, the space to fill in the gaps, to confront your own feelings, like a Biblical ‘selah’. A classic and rightfully so.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racial slurs, Racism, Cursing, Grief, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Religious bigotry, Pregnancy, Police brutality, and Hate crime

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Xenophobia, Sexual assault, Rape, and Misogyny

Minor: Antisemitism, Death, Death of parent, and Suicide