Reviews tagging 'Grief'

If Beale Street Could Talk by James Baldwin

5 reviews

ktkeps's review

challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Police brutality, Grief, Suicide, Pregnancy, Racism, Sexual harassment, and Death of parent

Moderate: Miscarriage

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

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

trinidad_gondi's review

challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective sad tense 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Racial slurs, Pregnancy, Rape, Alcohol, Suicide, Misogyny, Police brutality, Emotional abuse, and Grief

Moderate: Abandonment, Addiction, Sexual harassment, and Domestic abuse

Minor: Abortion, Slavery, and Miscarriage

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