Reviews tagging 'Colonisation'

Sister Outsider: Essays and Speeches by Audre Lorde

10 reviews

bookedbymadeline's review against another edition

challenging emotional informative reflective medium-paced

4.5

Thought provoking and eye opening collection of essays/stories! I liked some chapters more than others, the ones I didn’t like mostly because they were difficult to understand at times language-wise and with concepts (such as the use of erotic chapter). There were times where no matter how often I reread the sentences, I couldn’t wrap my head around what was being said.

Most of the essays are from the 80s it seems but they’re still so relevant to today! I think this should be required reading in schools, especially in the US. I learned so much that I did not learn in school about US history and the government’s actions abroad. I marked a lot of pages and passages! I look forward to reading more from Lorde.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia, Racism, Misogyny, and Violence

Moderate: War and Colonisation

Minor: Cancer

introverted_reads's review against another edition

challenging informative reflective medium-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Murder, Sexism, Violence, Racial slurs, and Cancer

Moderate: Police brutality, Classism, Infertility, Colonisation, Hate crime, and Lesbophobia

rieviolet's review against another edition

challenging informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

4.0

Like any kind of collection, there are always some parts that you like better than other ones but, overall, there is an awful lot to appreciate here and many interesting, challenging and complex reflections to ponder over.

There were a couple of chapters that I didn't much care about and, in places, were also a bit of a struggle to get through (for example "Notes from a Trip to Russia"; "An Interview: Audre Lorde and Adrienne Rich", which was way too long, too much focused on their personal relationship, and also I do not like Adrienne Rich).

I have to admit that some sections were a bit difficult to understand, but that has more to do with me lacking in similar personal experiences and knowledge, than to any fault of the author. 

A lot of what Audre Lorde reflected on and wrote about back then still resonates deeply today. I think it will be worth it to read more from the author and then revisit these essays.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexism, Racism, and Hate crime

Moderate: Police brutality, Murder, Colonisation, Death, Violence, Gun violence, Child death, Homophobia, War, Cancer, Racial slurs, Lesbophobia, and Bullying

Minor: Death of parent, Physical abuse, Animal cruelty, Medical content, Rape, Medical trauma, Ableism, Sexual assault, and Torture

shellroch285's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful informative reflective medium-paced

5.0

I’m so glad I finally took the time to read this! Lorde’s emphasis on finding connections between each other in order to lift each other up and create community was beautiful, and I learned so much about how I need to change my perspective in terms of how we need to change in order to take care of local and national community in the US. This needs to be required reading for any other white person. Recognizing differences as well as seeing them as strengths rather than immediate arguments is also another key point. Her work is incredible <3

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia, Death, Child death, and Racism

Minor: Colonisation

notartgarfunkel's review against another edition

challenging emotional informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Hate crime, Racism, Homophobia, Lesbophobia, and Misogyny

Moderate: Cancer, Colonisation, War, and Murder

Minor: Death of parent and Rape

yaoipaddle's review against another edition

challenging emotional informative reflective medium-paced

5.0

Very very very good. My copy is full of annotations for quotes I liked, inspiration I found, facts and stories I wanted to look up further, facts I wanted to pull for reference when speaking with others. 

Definitely not a book to just read and put away without Audre's words tying themselves into your brain.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Lesbophobia, Sexual assault, Sexism, Colonisation, Medical content, Racial slurs, Religious bigotry, Sexual violence, Slavery, War, Hate crime, Misogyny, Pregnancy, Rape, Sexual harassment, Medical trauma, Murder, Physical abuse, Homophobia, Classism, Injury/Injury detail, Miscarriage, Racism, Infertility, Police brutality, and Sexual content

nila's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective tense slow-paced

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Classism, Colonisation, Cultural appropriation, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Racism, Misogyny, Slavery, Violence, Ableism, Abortion, Domestic abuse, Homophobia, Lesbophobia, and Mass/school shootings

robinks's review against another edition

challenging informative reflective slow-paced

5.0

What a powerful introduction to Audre Lorde’s words. I read so many lines over and over to let them sink in. There were such meaningful, clear anecdotes and heavy research to support Lorde’s points. This is definitely a collection I will come back to time and time again.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Hate crime, Colonisation, Racial slurs, Violence, Misogyny, Sexism, and Racism

Moderate: Homophobia, Classism, Lesbophobia, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, and Sexual harassment

Minor: Police brutality, Bullying, Rape, Terminal illness, Sexual violence, Gun violence, Cancer, and Genocide

linguaphile412's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad slow-paced

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Lesbophobia, Homophobia, Misogyny, Sexism, Racism, and Hate crime

Moderate: Rape, Violence, and Racial slurs

Minor: Colonisation, Cancer, Sexual violence, and Classism

thewordsdevourer's review against another edition

emotional informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

4.25

a work much deserving of its classic status, sister outsider is raw, incisive, deep, and searing; its soul-searching, reclaiming of self and space, and examination into the sinister nooks and crevices of american society in all its -isms and complex intersectionality are cloaked w/ righteous (and relatable) rage, all succinctly yet effectivively articulated in a mix of prose, poems, and interviews, among others, though the last chapter kinda throws me off in its placement and seeming detour from content presented earlier in the book.

not only does lorde get me nodding my head off in vigorous agreement, she also leaves me awed and astounded at times at how insightful and revealing her observations and truth-telling are, and her call to self-awareness and action are inspiring. she's also light years ahead of many others in her understanding and communication of the seemingly seamless blending of race, sex, sexual orientation, class, and other aspects of complex intersectionality, as well as her awareness of her own positionality, resulting in a startlingly non-western-centric work. this is def a book to keep and read then reread.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexism, Racism, and Lesbophobia

Moderate: Classism, Colonisation, Death of parent, Racial slurs, and Homophobia

Minor: Cancer, Death, Medical trauma, Child death, Infertility, and Rape