Reviews with content warning for Rape - Nachts ist unser Blut schwarz

Reviews tagging 'Rape'

Nachts ist unser Blut schwarz by David Diop

78 reviews

madisonmc's review against another edition

dark slow-paced

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

4.25

Have you ever sat down and just listened to someone that was spiralling? Did you ever give them the space to reap their soul of all their torment?

That is what this entire novel is, on a very dark level. It’s tiny and it’s rather powerful. A world, a picture, and a story is built with each new chapter. Then each consecutive one, aspects of the previous are broken down, then built back up with new foundations. With every paged turned, the ripple effect is pungent and cathartic. As much as the actions are “savagery” you gain an understanding. As much as you recoil in disgust, you grow in sympathy.

At Night All Blood Is Black, by David Diop (translated by Anna Moschovakis) has a very unique writing style and voice. A perspective of WW1 that you don’t often see. A West African fighting for France in the trenches, not knowing the language, and being encouraged to play the roll of ‘savage’. It was all too common, and not at all that well represented in main stream media. The character, ‘Alfa Ndiaye’s’ journey is an insight into a world of celebrated brutality until you comrades change their mind. It’s a tumultuous downwards spiral of the human mind and the progression of how one decides to deal with what he has experience in an attempt to cope and reconcile with himself.

Note Trigger Warnings: Violence, Gore, Torture, Mental Illness, Rape

Content Warnings

breazatoth's review against another edition

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challenging dark reflective medium-paced

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

4.0

incredibly dark, but thought-provoking

Content Warnings

sneha_m's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense fast-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

4.5

Content Warnings

olivelm's review against another edition

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challenging dark sad fast-paced

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

4.0

Content Warnings

emmalouisereads's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional mysterious sad medium-paced

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

4.0

This book is a lot. I think the first person narrative is very effective for the story that is being told. I didn’t always like the thoughts of the character, especially some of his comments on women, but it made sense for the character.

The story touches on how people of colour were seen in WW1 and how they were used, but also feared.

It’s a story that will stay with you for a while.

Content Warnings