Reviews tagging 'Misogyny'

Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston

68 reviews

emadisonc's review against another edition

challenging emotional sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

All gods who receive homage are cruel. All gods dispense suffering without reason. Otherwise they would not be worshipped. Through indiscriminate suffering men know fear and fear is the most divine emotion. It is the stones for altars and the beginning of wisdom. Half gods are worshipped in wine and flowers. Real gods require blood.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Domestic abuse, and Racial slurs

Moderate: Misogyny and Slavery

jinmichae's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional hopeful inspiring reflective 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: Classism and Colonisation

Moderate: Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Physical abuse, Grief, and Animal death

Minor: Body shaming, Cursing, Miscarriage, and Bullying

jasisreading's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

A devastating tale of a woman finding and reclaiming herself, throughout her adult life. The writing is impeccable. The audio performance by Ruby Dee is unmatched. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gun violence, Racism, Alcohol, and Racial slurs

Moderate: Misogyny, Sexism, and Violence

Minor: Xenophobia

Reading this in high school vs reading this now and understanding the writing on a more mature level. Because

I absolutely forgot Tea Cake had to die because this man ended up with rabies and he attacked Janie towards the end. And the trial, and aftermath, drawing stark parallels with our current interactions with the criminal justice system

jadahreads's review against another edition

challenging reflective slow-paced

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

4.0

“,“Two things everybody's got tuh to do fuh theyselves. They got tuh go tuh God, and they got tuh find out about livin' fuh theyselves” -Janie 

Indeed Janie, indeed. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Racial slurs and Misogyny

phantomgecko's review against another edition

challenging emotional sad medium-paced

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

5.0

This book is beautifully written. My first thought was, 'this prose is kinda purple.' But actually it is gorgeous and not over the top.

This type of story doesn't appeal to me straight up, but the writing and the characters pulled me in. I didn't cry, but it was a near thing.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Domestic abuse, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Death, Gun violence, Racism, Rape, and Slavery

edenmb21's review against another edition

emotional reflective medium-paced

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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence and Domestic abuse

Moderate: Racial slurs, Gun violence, Misogyny, Rape, Sexual assault, and Sexual harassment

Minor: Grief

lilliana_blackstar's review against another edition

adventurous emotional hopeful reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Words cannot do justice or portray the expanse of emotion that resides in this book. The writing is divine and alive. Most of the story is told in dialogue - conversations between two or more people, rich in the colloquial speech of the characters: black people in Florida in the early 1920s and 1930s. The dialogue is rich and alive and tells all the things that are happening through gossip or arguments or conversations between lovers or neighbors.

“You’se something tuh make uh man forgit to git old and forgit tuh die.”

Then, in between the conversations, the poetry. Oh, the prose! The poetic narration to fill in the blanks of the story with such depth of color and emotion. 

“So she sat on the porch and watched the moon rise. Soon its amber fluid was drenching the earth, and quenching the thirst of the day.”

“There is a basin in the mind where words float around on thought and thought on sound and sight. Then there is a depth of thought untouched by words, and deeper still a gulf of formless feelings untouched by thought.”

I had a good deep cleansing cry at the end of this book. 

“Of course he wasn’t dead. He could never be dead until she herself had finished feeling and thinking.  The kiss of his memory made pictures of love and light against the wall. Here was peace. She pulled in her horizon like a great fish-net. Pulled it from around the waist of the world and draped it over her shoulder. So much of life in its meshes! She called in her soul to come and see.”

Note - the Harper audiobook is narrated by Ruby Dee, and it is a masterpiece of voice acting. 

I picked this book in January because I wanted to read books by Capricorn authors during Capricorn season. Zora Neale Hurston was born January 7, 1891

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Animal death, Racism, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Terminal illness, Physical abuse, Sexism, Domestic abuse, Grief, Gun violence, Racial slurs, Death, Toxic relationship, and Violence

anxiousbeauty96's review against another edition

emotional sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

This is a great book. This novel follows the story of Janie and her 3 marriages. All of Janie’s husbands are misogynistic but Tea Cake seem to be the one who truly loves her and loves him as well. Their story his heartwarming MOST of the time. Some of the things he did were questionable, but you can tell they loved each other. The ending made me cry.
I like that Hurston decided to to write the dialogue in Southern dialect but it did make it hard to read at first. Once I got the hang of it, it got easier. It’s a great read. I highly recommend.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Death, Misogyny, Gun violence, Slavery, Animal death, Adult/minor relationship, Violence, Sexual assault, Rape, Injury/Injury detail, Terminal illness, and Racial slurs

halaagmod's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad slow-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Domestic abuse, Racial slurs, and Emotional abuse

Moderate: Misogyny, Death, and Classism

Minor: Rape, Slavery, and Animal death

alexisgarcia's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad medium-paced

• 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

4.0

a very good book, especially considering when it was written. it was way ahead of its time. the characters were incredibly realistic. they were lovable but definitely flawed. this book could’ve been nonfiction because of how real and natural the characters and plot were. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny, Sexual content, Alcohol, Classism, Death, Domestic abuse, Grief, Medical trauma, Alcoholism, Violence, Murder, Sexism, Terminal illness, Gaslighting, Racism, and Toxic relationship