Reviews tagging 'Violence'

The Street by Ann Petry

11 reviews

katharina90's review against another edition

dark reflective sad slow-paced

• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.0

Really well written. Keeps you reading even though the pace is slow and the plot extremely depressing. 

There's nothing happy or hopeful about this story, and the layers of oppression and injustice remain virtually unchanged almost a century later. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder and Racism

Moderate: Abandonment, Sexual assault, Stalking, Classism, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Violence, and Domestic abuse

Minor: Infidelity, Fatphobia, Slavery, and Animal cruelty

theknitpick's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-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

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Stalking, Misogyny, and Racism

Minor: Violence

miqnightrain's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective sad 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

1.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Sexual assault, Physical abuse, Addiction, Alcoholism, Sexism, Misogyny, Violence, Racial slurs, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Stalking, and Infidelity

walkie_check's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence, Murder, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racism, Classism, Death, Racial slurs, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, and Sexism

Moderate: Cursing, Emotional abuse, Grief, Domestic abuse, Infidelity, Suicide, Stalking, Violence, Alcohol, Animal cruelty, Child abuse, Gaslighting, Blood, Child death, and Trafficking

Minor: Panic attacks/disorders, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, Toxic relationship, Police brutality, Medical content, Bullying, War, Mental illness, Injury/Injury detail, Hate crime, Rape, and Confinement

jwells's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense

In her introduction to my edition, Tayari Jones says that The Street has elements of pulp crime fiction. I'm not sure if she meant it as a compliment - possibly as a neutral observation - but it might help explain how this book can be so unrelentingly grim, but at the same time, so hard to put down. I got swept up in Petry's storytelling, so that every time I looked up from the book, I was surprised (and relieved) to see my own life around me instead of Lutie's. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Sexism, Racial slurs, and Sexual harassment

Moderate: Violence and Animal cruelty

N-word used, when quoting racist white people

caseythereader's review against another edition

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Abandonment, Alcohol, Racial slurs, Sexual violence, Death, Domestic abuse, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Classism, Murder, Infidelity, Fire/Fire injury, Misogyny, and Violence

emzireads's review against another edition

emotional inspiring relaxing sad medium-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism and Stalking

Moderate: Domestic abuse and Violence

emeraldcityreader's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-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? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Violence, Domestic abuse, and Racism

literaryhedgehog's review against another edition

challenging emotional informative reflective 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? It's complicated

5.0

Simply put, The Street is breathtaking.
I’m her depiction of 1940s Harlem, Petry creates a narrative that is viscerally human. Her masterful use of multiple perspectives allows her characters to come to life as fully realized and independent human beings, while also showing how they are objectified and dehumanized by one another. The depiction of race, class, and gender is frank, beautifully articulated, and still very relevant to life in the 21st century. I have never seen a better depiction of the daily life of a woman, including the joys and anxieties of motherhood.

I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a reflective/serious read. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder

Moderate: Sexual assault, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Violence, Infidelity, and Domestic abuse

melanie_page's review against another edition

dark sad tense medium-paced

• Strong character development? Yes

5.0

Each character maintains his or her personality throughout The Street, making it possible to understand them on a deeper level without being told what to think. Lutie’s background always seems to inform her present choices. While it would have been easy for a black teen to drop out of school in the 1930s, Lutie’s father convinces her to graduate. So,it makes sense that she continues studying course materials that will let her move up pay grades at work. Also, after her husband cheated on her, she’s suspicious of men in a way that isn’t hateful, but reasonable. When a fast-talker with money named Boots enters The Street, I wasn’t too worried about Lutie falling for him because it didn’t fit her personality. Instead, Lutie navigates carefully around him.

Check out the full review at Grab the Lapels: https://grabthelapels.com/2021/04/06/the-street/

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Violence