Reviews tagging 'Domestic abuse'

If Beale Street Could Talk by James Baldwin

28 reviews

adeenal's review

challenging emotional hopeful reflective sad fast-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Minor: Domestic abuse and Sexual content

homebodynate's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Racism, and Rape

Minor: Homophobia and Police brutality

xereads's review

challenging emotional reflective 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

5.0

A classic that I think everyone should read because of course so many themes (race, poverty, injustice, classism, grief, and family) and the characters’ experiences are relevant to this day. After finishing the book the reader is left to decipher Fonny’s fate…I will say I wish we knew for sure what happened but through the course of the book this happens a few times.  This book while fiction, to some could also be considered romance as we understand Tish and Fonny’s timeline and the love that develops. But to me the romance shows in how Tish’s parents and sister show their love, through action for her and Fonny.  

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Miscarriage, Police brutality, and Alcohol

Moderate: Rape, Sexual assault, and Death of parent

amalas_bookstop's review

challenging dark emotional sad tense slow-paced

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

4.0

Ughhh! Books like this make me so frustrated in their realness. Even though I knew exactly where this was headed I could not help myself to feel hopeful and expect something different.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Suicide, and Police brutality

Moderate: Rape and Sexual content

mistermeek's review

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Racial slurs, and Racism

Minor: Sexual assault

franzis_buecher's review against another edition

4.0

I saw the movie adaptation a few years ago and it was interesting to see some plot points resurface in my memory as I read the book.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Homophobia, Misogyny, Rape, Sexism, Violence, Antisemitism, and Death of parent

tlaynejones's review against another edition

fast-paced

4.0

This is my first of Baldwin’s books, and it is easy to see why his work stand as modern classics. For the most part I thought this was a compelling and engaging novel. The sense of time, the love between Fonny and Tish, the examination of racist and unjust ’justice’ system were all very well done. I was however really dissatisfied and frustrated with the layers of sexism and misogyny that permeate every aspect of the writing. It will forever challenge me to understand how the ‘great thinkers’ who have worked so hard to shine a light of the reality of prejudice, power dynamics, systemic injustice, and biased social assumptions - in relationship to race - can be so blind to how all of these impact and influence gender as well. I’m glad to have read this, so I have the cultural knowledge, but it leaves me wanting to go back and reread An American Marriage by Tayari Jones, to reexperience and to compare a novel that examines some of the same social injustices, but from the perspective of a contemporary woman. 
Very cautiously recommended, check CW 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Homophobia, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Suicide, Police brutality, and Pregnancy

haileyeh's review

emotional reflective sad fast-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Cursing, Racial slurs, Racism, and Pregnancy

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Rape, Suicide, Police brutality, and Sexual harassment

rosiecotton_dancing's review against another edition

challenging reflective sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Domestic abuse, and Sexual harassment

Moderate: Death of parent

mattyvreads's review

dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

• 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? No

5.0

Gorgeously written and utterly haunting. One of the best books I have ever read, period. 

It’s a not-so-far-fetched fiction which is unfortunately, equally relevant today. It is so much more than a love story, although few succeed in painting as clear and honest a picture of humanity as Baldwin.

It’s hard to write a review for this book because words fail to describe it’s poignance and import. Absolutely everyone should read this book.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Suicide, and Police brutality

Moderate: Alcoholism, Domestic abuse, Hate crime, Homophobia, Violence, and Religious bigotry