Reviews tagging 'Sexual content'

If Beale Street Could Talk by James Baldwin

46 reviews

mpaterson's review

dark emotional reflective sad tense 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

5.0

A beautiful and poignant prose that offers a brief window into the lives of two interconnected families and explores the interconnection of racism and sexism in 60s NYC. It’s tender in moments and tense in others, sometimes both simultaneously. Both nothing and so much happens throughout the book. Love, in all its forms - unconditional and unhealthy, and emotion carries the story with ease and depth. 

If you’re looking for a beautifully melancholy, yet even hopeful of a story, this is it.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Toxic relationship, Confinement, Violence, Sexism, Police brutality, Racism, and Sexual content

Moderate: Physical abuse, Abandonment, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, and Classism

Minor: Drug use, Suicide, and Miscarriage

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

tatt_mucker's review

challenging emotional funny sad medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content

amimhof's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Pregnancy, Death of parent, Rape, Racism, Miscarriage, Sexual content, and Suicide

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

amandalorianxo's review

emotional reflective 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? It's complicated

4.0

This is my first Baldwin novel and I was floored at how much grief, emotion and passion could be packed into a relatively short book (less than 200 pages) We meet Tish first, finding out that Fonny, her bf, is in jail. We go through the ups and downs as both Fonny and Tish’s family tries to get him out of jail. I was a little disappointed about the ending (not because it was written poorly  but because I wanted more from what happened post trial) This book forces you to think of the lives of the wrongly accused and how the system is against us from the start. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Racism

Minor: Sexual content

ah102's review

dark emotional inspiring reflective sad slow-paced

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

4.0

Wonderfully written, the themes of this novel are hauntingly real. This is an emotional and heavy read but well worth it.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Racism, Sexual content, and Pregnancy

whisper88's review against another edition

dark reflective slow-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? No

2.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cursing and Sexual content

chelseathecreator's review

i got bored

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content

theuncannydani's review

challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring sad medium-paced

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

4.0

Baldwin wrote this is such a poetic way, but I was still able to follow it. That was great.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual harassment, Abandonment, Sexual content, Pregnancy, Confinement, Rape, Police brutality, and Racism

Moderate: Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, Death of parent, Hate crime, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Violence, Sexual violence, Religious bigotry, Suicide, and Sexual assault

Minor: Homophobia, Torture, Racial slurs, Blood, Body shaming, Miscarriage, Drug use, and Forced institutionalization