Reviews tagging 'Misogyny'

Last Night at the Telegraph Club by Malinda Lo

109 reviews

zackarinareads's review against another edition

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emotional informative inspiring 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

4.5

Here are some thoughts I wrote down for the Heartstopper Discord Book Club (April2024):
 
  1. What did you think about the book? How did it make you feel? I’ve been meaning to read this book for so long and finally got around to it in late February. I am always interested in lesbian history and I liked that this was a big part of the book. The characters all felt like a real part of their surrounding world and time. The timelines that were included in the book helped with my understanding. I also liked that other people from Lily’s family had little chapters to detail their personal journeys.
  2. Was there any moment that stood out as your favorite or felt most impactful? I’m always a fan of the first kiss but in this book I also liked the slow build-up to the characters’ relationship. The first time Lily saw the newspaper ad for Tommy’s show was also iconic with all the mixed and unexplainable emotions and feeling of recognition she experienced.
  3. Share your favorite quote! Why do you like it? ” “What’s what supposed to be like?” Lily slumped back against the sofa, feeling boneless and muddled. “Falling in love, I guess.” “You’ll know,” Claire said. “It’s unmistakable.” (How she could recognize Kath at the other end of a crowded Galileo hallway by the way she walked.) “It’s like . . . well, it’s like falling,” Lana said. “Falling, or floating, or sinking.” (Every time they kissed.) “You won’t know which way is up.” “It’s like having a fever.” (The way the world seemed to narrow down to the tips of Kath’s fingers.) “It’s like being drunk—drunk for days.”” I love the interjections to show what the conversation is making her think about.
  4. Is there anything specific you’d like to discuss during the meeting? I’d love to discuss the butch representation in the book. Overall, I don’t know if remember everything quite well enough to have a good discussion, though.

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reike's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.0

Loved (most of) tye characters. Slight pacing issues, especially towards the end. Weaves the broader historical and political context nicely into the personal lives of the characters. Very vivid writing in terms of the characters emotions. Wish the ending would've expanded on some things, but I enjoy the hopeful note it ends on.
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amoonymess's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional inspiring 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

4.25

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ko_rax's review against another edition

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emotional informative inspiring medium-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

4.0

Last Night at the Telegraph Club tells the story of Lily Hu, a seventeen-year old American-born with Chinese family and heritage, who discovers the truth surrounding her sexuality in a rather beautiful and emotional way amidst period-typical homophobia, racism and a tinge of misogyny. Through multiple lenses, the reader embarks on a journey throughout San Fransisco not only in the 50s and learns of the history of the gay and lesbian culture and of Chinese realities in America.

I must say, out of personal preference, that I liked the second half much more than the first. 

The first half of the novel allows for the reader to explore family backgrounds and to accustom not only to the underlying racism, but also to the harsh homophobic tone of the 50s. Since my personal reality strays away from Lily's just far enough to forget the amount of privilege I enjoy (queer-friendly surroundings devoid of youthful peer pressure), I had a hard time staying focused whenever Lily described her day-to-day among peers at and outside of high school. However, the insights on Chinese culture in an immigrant family were pleasant. I really liked how well (racial) belonging was depicted.

Rather fond of fast-paced stories, it is no wonder then, that I enjoyed the quicker developments in the second half following Lily's
self-recognition as a sapphic
and especially loved the scene where
she seeked advice from Lana
. It warmed my heart at the sight of queer kinship.

Careful to those who have rather traumatic experiences with
coming out, lesbophobia and racial slurs
as these themes/triggers are quite graphic in this novel. Please look after yourselves.
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choco_bunbun's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful informative inspiring lighthearted reflective relaxing sad fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

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aysha_blake's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad tense slow-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

4.75

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novella42's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful reflective sad medium-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? No

5.0

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the_true_monroe's review against another edition

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emotional informative inspiring 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

I love reading books that focus on the impact of intersectionality (how multiple parts of someone’s identity relate to each other) on people’s life experiences, and while there are an increasing number of those, this one stood out to me as also being historical fiction. Most I have read are featured in present day or are memoirs.

Last Night at the Telegraph Club is a coming of age novel surrounding a Chinese American child of an immigrant, living in 1950s San Francisco, who realizes she is attracted to women and that there are many others like her. With McCarthyism brings both The Red Scare and the Lavender Scare to a time where racist and homophobic sentiments were already through the roof. Lily and her family and friend’s experiences portray very multifaceted and underrepresented stories in a way that readers can easily follow and become connected to the characters. 
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gilnean's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful reflective 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? No

4.0

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wrensreadingroom's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad tense slow-paced

5.0

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