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innastholiel's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Violence, Blood, War, Body horror, Death, Gore, and Mental illness
Moderate: Rape, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual assault, Torture, Sexual content, and Sexual violence
Minor: Excrement and Colonisation
bealmg's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
It touches on issues such as colonialism, racism and identity through the eyes of Alfa Ndiaye, who has just witnessed the death of his great friend, 'more-than-brother' Mademba Diop. Triggered by this event, his mind spirals downwards. Facing the horrors and dull repetitiveness of the trenches, Ndiaye goes mad. He becomes what his white captain wants black soldiers to become - savages, to instill fear in the minds of the German soldiers on the other side.
The writing style, although exhausting for its repetitiveness, is what shines in this short novel. Its repetitiveness mirrors both the daily life in the trenches and Ndiaye's mind. Traumatised by Diop's death, Ndiaye's mind cannot move on from that horrifying event and the author perfectly portrayed this state-of-mind, in my opinion.
However, I was not a fan of how the author portrayed women in this novel. There were way too many metaphors involving women's genitalia (I still don't know why he chose to compare the trenches to a woman's genitalia and womb?) and the two female characters were nothing but sexual objects for the narrator. This actually upset me more than the images of violence and blood.
Overall, it's an interesting novel, although I was expecting more.
Graphic: Sexual content, Blood, War, Murder, Violence, Sexual violence, Death, Mental illness, Injury/Injury detail, and Racism
bookishbrenbren's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
This was a good examination of war and trauma and defense mechanisms brains struggling with PTSD will use to protect themselves. I enjoyed the fusion of, like, oral storytelling mechanisms? If that's how you'd call them. The commentary on racism at the front was also very well written and well-incorporated into the story but, on the whole, I just really mostly feel like WTF did I just read? Like, no plot all vibes, but also there is some plot but secondary to the story?
Graphic: Rape, Blood, Gore, Sexual violence, Murder, Colonisation, Mental illness, War, Violence, Body horror, and Racism
lanid's review against another edition
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Graphic: Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Torture, Body horror, Violence, War, Death, Gore, Mental illness, and Murder
kit_kate's review against another edition
4.25
Graphic: Gore, Torture, War, Blood, Violence, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Racism, and Mental illness
thebookstamp's review against another edition
- 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
4.0
Graphic: Grief, Rape, War, Gore, Racism, Violence, and Death
georgiarybanks's review against another edition
- 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? Yes
3.75
Minor: Blood, War, Violence, Torture, Death, Grief, Murder, Gun violence, and Gore
madisonmc's review against another edition
- 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
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
Graphic: Gore, Mental illness, Rape, and Violence
sneha_m's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Blood, Mental illness, Death, Gore, Grief, War, Sexual content, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Torture, and Violence
Moderate: Rape
Minor: Colonisation
mganallirt's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: War, Blood, Death, Mental illness, Torture, Gore, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Gun violence, Violence, Injury/Injury detail, and Murder