Reviews tagging 'Chronic illness'

Recitatif by Toni Morrison

8 reviews

nelireads's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

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

4.75

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Ableism, and Bullying

Moderate: Toxic friendship and Classism

Minor: Sexual assault, Death of parent, and Chronic illness

robinks's review

emotional mysterious reflective medium-paced

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

5.0

When I first heard about the concept of this short story, I was so intrigued. Now having read it, it really made me think about race and class and growing up. I wish the introduction was an afterword, as it contained many spoilers of the content.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Ableism, and Bullying

Moderate: Classism, Abandonment, and Violence

Minor: Drug use, Alcohol, Chronic illness, Death of parent, and Homophobia

jjjjo's review against another edition

challenging informative inspiring reflective fast-paced

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

4.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Chronic illness, Terminal illness, Ableism, Bullying, Addiction, Child abuse, and Racism

Moderate: Drug abuse, Gaslighting, Drug use, Classism, Homophobia, Toxic friendship, and Emotional abuse

alisonfaith426's review against another edition

mysterious tense

• Plot- or character-driven? Character

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Classism, Hate crime, Physical abuse, and Racism

Moderate: Chronic illness

Minor: Death of parent

mx_sunshine's review against another edition

reflective medium-paced

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

4.0

This was very interesting. I’ll definitely be reading more from Toni Morrison. I love her writing style.
My favourite part was about the signs. Very tense. I’ve never read such an open ended story.
Zadie Smith’s introduction was very insightful but it unfortunately shaped my thoughts on the story before I had a chance to read it.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Bullying, Racism, and Abandonment

Moderate: Chronic illness

Minor: Homophobia, Drug use, and Death of parent

akane_readsyt's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective fast-paced

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

3.75

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Physical abuse, Emotional abuse, Ableism, Bullying, and Racism

Moderate: Abandonment and Homophobia

Minor: Cursing, Sexism, Chronic illness, Death of parent, and Misogyny

michaelanormand's review against another edition

challenging reflective fast-paced

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

4.5

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Chronic illness, Racial slurs, and Ableism

annoyedhumanoid's review against another edition

challenging 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? Yes

4.25

⚠️ i recommend reading the story before Zadie Smith’s introduction.
the story itself was thought provoking, really no flaws, it just wasn’t the most engrossing thing i’ve ever read, but i want to talk about the introduction. at first i was reluctant to read it because i thought it would contain spoilers (it kinda did) and because it’s as long as the short story itself. but after finishing the story i needed some context and explanation, and the introduction came through (without offering some “definitive answer”). it was interesting and insightful and made me appreciate even more the ever-purposeful Toni Morrison (this is her only short story?!), and the excerpt from her speech listing the steps for a racist society really resonated with me. most of all, i enjoyed the new perspective it gave me on the story: the “somebody” in everybody, the value of racially-defined experiences, and the commonality we all share as humans. here’s my take, for what it’s worth: the point is that Twyla’s and Roberta’s respective races are not meant to be concluded (that much is obvious), but overtly interchangeable—not just that readers may interpret it either way, but they should interpret it both ways, in every scenario, and see how the meaning changes. very good

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism

Moderate: Abandonment, Ableism, Homophobia, Physical abuse, Violence, Bullying, Classism, Injury/Injury detail, and Hate crime

Minor: Death, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Chronic illness, Cursing, and Death of parent

f-slur out of nowhere