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jasisreading's review against another edition
- 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
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. Becausejadahreads's review against another edition
- 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
Indeed Janie, indeed.
Moderate: Racial slurs and Misogyny
phantomgecko's review against another edition
- 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 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.
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Domestic abuse, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Death, Gun violence, Racism, Rape, and Slavery
upgirlcd's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Moderate: Racism, Racial slurs, and Death
edenmb21's review against another edition
- 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
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
- 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
“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
Moderate: Animal death, Racism, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Terminal illness, Physical abuse, Sexism, Domestic abuse, Grief, Gun violence, Racial slurs, Death, Toxic relationship, and Violence
thebookgiraffe's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Death, Gun violence, Racism, and Sexism
Moderate: Xenophobia, Racial slurs, and Slavery
Minor: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Fatphobia, and Animal death
anxiousbeauty96's review against another edition
- 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
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.
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
henrib11's review against another edition
- 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
4.75
Graphic: Terminal illness, Mental illness, Racial slurs, Bullying, Body shaming, Classism, Death, and Grief
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Domestic abuse, Abandonment, Death of parent, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Animal death, Hate crime, and Racism
Minor: Medical trauma, Slavery, Violence, Confinement, Gun violence, and Addiction
themichellegray'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
4.0
A poetic book that celebrates language and the power of finding your voice while simultaneously offering a look at feminism in the 1930's. I originally read this in my high school english class and still find the written preservation of Black American's dialect at the turn of the twentieth century to be the most memorable part of the story.
While this book follows Janie throughout stages of womanhood and details her romantic relationships, I wouldn't classify this as a romance. Instead it is a slower paced journey of self-discovery while living in a highly misogynistic and racist world. While Tea Cake's character was flawed, he brought so much joy into an otherwise challenging novel and I couldn't help but admire him.
This is definitely a story that is meant to be deeply analyzed and discussed (which would make for a great book club pick). While I was able to grasp the overall symbolism and metaphors, the writing style often became dull which removed me from the narrative leaving me a little lost.
The content of this book can be difficult to consume but offers such a hopeful message that is sure to make you reflect on your own life, appreciate the progress that has been made since its publication, and help to understand how our language has evolved and intertwined over time.
Original Read (2007) - 5 stars
Graphic: Sexism, Domestic abuse, Terminal illness, Racial slurs, Death, and Racism
Moderate: Gun violence, Grief, and Slavery
Minor: Rape, Alcohol, Abandonment, Animal death, and Sexual harassment