Reviews tagging 'Sexual content'

Go Tell It on the Mountain by James Baldwin

10 reviews

genstrong's review

challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective sad slow-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Religious bigotry, Racism, Misogyny, and Racial slurs

Moderate: Physical abuse, Sexual content, Bullying, Chronic illness, Death, Grief, and Sexism

Minor: Murder, Police brutality, Pregnancy, Sexual violence, Rape, Sexual assault, Homophobia, Suicide, Hate crime, and Slavery

fatkingslug's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide, Violence, Religious bigotry, Injury/Injury detail, Racial slurs, Hate crime, Toxic relationship, Forced institutionalization, Physical abuse, Infidelity, Racism, Child abuse, and Misogyny

Moderate: Body shaming, Gore, Alcoholism, Rape, Sexual content, Pregnancy, and Police brutality

Minor: Homophobia

meganfletcher's review

challenging emotional reflective slow-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Minor: Child abuse, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Violence, Death, and Sexual content

steveatwaywords's review

challenging dark emotional reflective sad slow-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

4.25

It is not enough to say that this book is worthy of its status as a classic, not just of black literature, but of literature. A structure of overlapping stories in time and relationships unpacks a cacophony of messages, none cleanly suited to be called "justice" or "faith" or "love." Just when you believe the story will turn to a conventional concept of goodness or sin, the character turns about; when you believe a matter settled, it rises again years later. It's how lives work; life-affirming without any of the naïve optimism or simple closures. 

More, though, I am compelled by the beauty of Baldwin's prose. His internal dialogues pulse with blood and belief, with characters who often think or act from a rich river of motivations. No shallow staples of literature here. Read passages aloud to feel this fully. I know I did.

Too, there is a great deal in the story which is sublimated, left unspoken and seemingly untested. For every character who takes their turn at a "prayer," three others reveal their equal tenacity, equal clamor, for story. For every action we believe we understand, three less-articulated causes presume themselves. And later influence. The social circumstances of race are only one background which unsettles itself into these lives. 

This is not a fast read. Baldwin's prose compels us to labor a bit, to digest carefully. Had I not, I might have wondered why any of these characters really matter. It is, perhaps, because no character here exists as a prop or a literary guise. We experience an intimacy of happenings from which we cannot turn away.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Violence, Racism, and Sexual content

catwhisperer's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny, Murder, Racial slurs, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Child abuse, Infertility, Injury/Injury detail, Alcohol, Grief, Racism, Cursing, Death, Rape, Sexual assault, and Sexual content

remib's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional slow-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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Sexual assault, Child abuse, Sexual content, and Rape

lynxpardinus's review

challenging emotional reflective

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Infidelity, Death, Toxic relationship, Physical abuse, Racism, Child abuse, Violence, and Racial slurs

Moderate: Slavery, Rape, Alcohol, Sexual content, Self harm, Suicide, Grief, Police brutality, Confinement, Hate crime, Death of parent, and Blood

Minor: Vomit and War

anniefwrites's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-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

This was my first James Baldwin, and WOW. Moving plot, language that sucks you right in, vivid interior worlds of all the characters. What a magnificent writer. I especially loved the parts where I got to live inside the mind of such a tender, confused, emotional boy. The way the story concluded wasn’t what I expected, and it’s going to be a while until I can unravel my complex feelings about it. But all in all, Baldwin has such a strong yet delicate voice, and I’m looking forward to reading more of his work. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Religious bigotry, Sexual content, Suicide, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Death, Hate crime, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, and Rape

Moderate: Death of parent, Abandonment, Alcohol, Blood, and Domestic abuse

Minor: Infertility, Pregnancy, Vomit, Chronic illness, Homophobia, Police brutality, and War

jojo_'s review

challenging dark emotional reflective slow-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

2.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism and Child abuse

Moderate: Child death, Death, Death of parent, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Police brutality, Racial slurs, and Suicide

Minor: Abandonment, Blood, Infertility, Infidelity, Pregnancy, Rape, Sexual content, and Slavery

davyjones's review against another edition

challenging emotional inspiring reflective tense slow-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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Minor: Blood, Cancer, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Grief, Hate crime, Murder, Police brutality, Pregnancy, Racial slurs, Racism, Religious bigotry, Sexual assault, Rape, Sexual content, Violence, Infidelity, and Infertility