Reviews with content warning for Violence - If Beale Street Could Talk

Reviews tagging 'Violence'

If Beale Street Could Talk by James Baldwin

39 reviews

aliciamalcomb's review against another edition

challenging emotional informative reflective 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? It's complicated

4.5

It was recommended to me as cultural books that would or could be banned. I'm doing my best to read the stories written by human beings about our lives and lived experiences because when you have an experience that guides your beliefs are rarely going to falter when someone wants to argue that their beliefs are wrong because they differ. I would be incredibly ignorant to believe that my experience would be the same if I were in that situation because it would because what I look like is different. I am thankful for the opportunity to see through the eyes of someone who has experienced life differently than myself because I can learn empathy in a deeper way. We are all different but humanity should make us all the same.

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stag's review

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dark sad tense medium-paced

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

4.25

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alsira98's review

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dark emotional hopeful slow-paced

4.0

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marena02's review

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dark emotional sad tense medium-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? It's complicated

4.0

I don’t know how to feel about the ending, but I liked this book. I enjoyed reading about Fonny and Tish’s love story, despite its sad and open ending.

For this to be my first James Baldwin book, I think the thing that stood out most to me was his writing from Tish’s perspective. She is seen by everyone around her as naive and overly optimistic, but it’s clear that while she goes through these new and traumatizing experiences of pregnancy and helping her man who is wrongfully incarcerated get out of jail, she is willing to change her mindset with every obstacle that gets in her way. Baldwin shows this in the way she he narrates her perception on the world and how she learns to navigate it alone with Fonny who has always been by her side. Her journey throughout the book was the most interesting to read about.

Like I said, I don’t really understand what he was trying to do with the ending, but everything else I enjoyed.

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