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fatkingslug's review
- 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
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
theremightbecupcakes's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Abandonment, Death of parent, Racism, Slavery, Suicide, Terminal illness, Injury/Injury detail, Racial slurs, Rape, Toxic relationship, and Violence
ohgull's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Grief, Child abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, and Religious bigotry
Moderate: Death, Violence, and Police brutality
Minor: Rape, Pregnancy, Infertility, Blood, Death of parent, Drug use, and Suicide
storia's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Racism
Moderate: Child abuse, Suicide, and Misogyny
The main character, John, struggles with internalized homophobia. What I understand to be common in that time period and among those practicing christianity. Other characters experience and fear religious persecution for other "sins."mcasey11's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Violence, Racial slurs, Alcoholism, Toxic relationship, and Racism
Minor: Suicide
bjdarby's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Racism, Sexual assault, Rape, Child abuse, Violence, and Police brutality
lizziaha's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
3.75
Graphic: Violence, Police brutality, Racism, and Racial slurs
Moderate: Sexual assault, Infidelity, Child abuse, Suicide, Death, Physical abuse, Misogyny, Sexual violence, and Rape
Minor: Infertility
meganfletcher'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? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Minor: Child abuse, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Violence, Death, and Sexual content
steveatwaywords's review against another edition
- 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
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.
Moderate: Violence, Racism, and Sexual content
annablume's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Police brutality, Violence, Hate crime, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Child abuse, Rape, Religious bigotry, Sexual violence, and Suicide
Moderate: Death, Infidelity, and Infertility
Minor: Pregnancy