Reviews tagging 'Racism'

The Fire Next Time (Hrw Library) by James Baldwin

54 reviews

thoseoldcrows23's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective medium-paced

4.0

It's startling to see how very contemporary this book feels even though it came out over 50 years ago. There were many moments that felt like a sucker punch to the gut. Baldwin is a beautiful writer, and he approaches the issue of race with a level head and a mind towards empathy. I was also surprised by how easy this was to read. The language is very elevated, but it at no point felt inaccessible to me. I'm definitely interested in reading some of his fiction now, and I would recommend everyone (but especially every American) read this book. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism

Moderate: Slavery, Violence, Police brutality, and Religious bigotry

There's not a lot of detailed description of horrible things in here, but this book is about race in the time of the civil rights movement, so expect all the usual suspects of that era to be addressed.

leannanecdote's review against another edition

challenging informative reflective slow-paced

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racial slurs, Racism, Slavery, Violence, Police brutality, Religious bigotry, and Colonisation

Moderate: Genocide and War

erinwolf1997's review against another edition

challenging reflective medium-paced

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism and Slavery

Moderate: Violence and Antisemitism

emily_koopmann's review against another edition

challenging informative inspiring medium-paced

4.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Racism

theuncannydani's review against another edition

challenging informative inspiring reflective slow-paced

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racial slurs, Racism, and Islamophobia

Moderate: Police brutality, Religious bigotry, and Acephobia/Arophobia

Minor: Alcoholism, Child abuse, Drug abuse, Hate crime, Slavery, Trafficking, and Colonisation

lily1304's review against another edition

reflective

5.0

Necessary reading. Baldwin was a genius.

I will say that sometimes Baldwin's sentences are difficult to follow, with like, a lot of clauses and commas and I have to carefully find the verb like I'm in middle school English again. I highlighted one as an example:

"But our ignorance and indecision have had the effect, if not of delivering them into Russian hands, of plunging them very deeply into the Russian shadow, for which effect - and it is hard to blame them - the most articulate among them, and the most oppressed as well, distrust us all the more." WHEW.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism

mandkips's review against another edition

challenging informative reflective medium-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Hate crime, Racial slurs, and Racism

Moderate: Slavery and Violence

Minor: Alcoholism, Genocide, and War

lain_darko's review against another edition

emotional inspiring reflective fast-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism

cattheteawitchfairy's review against another edition

emotional hopeful inspiring reflective fast-paced

3.75

DISCLAIMER -  I read this text as a set text for university meaning I did not pick this up for myself. It does not fit my usual reading selection so my review may be rather biased. 

This was a very easy text to get through, I read it within one sitting. 

Baldwin’s writing is very easy to get along with, being informative, autobiographical and reflective. 

This text gave me a lot to think on and I will likely read it again and explore Baldwin’s writings further.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Hate crime, Racial slurs, Racism, Slavery, Antisemitism, Religious bigotry, Alcohol, and Colonisation

belladonnashrike's review against another edition

challenging emotional informative reflective medium-paced

5.0

still as relevant today as it was when it was written; james baldwin is forever one of my favorite authors. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Racial slurs, Racism, and Slavery