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alexjamiestaples's review against another edition
- 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? It's complicated
5.0
Moderate: Mental illness, Slavery, Violence, Kidnapping, and Murder
Minor: Gore
spadefootfrog's review
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.75
Graphic: Mental illness and Murder
Moderate: Animal death, Racism, Forced institutionalization, Car accident, and Colonisation
Minor: Ableism, Fatphobia, Homophobia, Infidelity, Slavery, Terminal illness, and War
lorenag5's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Graphic: Animal death, Cancer, Death, Homophobia, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Racism, Slavery, Kidnapping, Grief, Car accident, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
wordswithjustine's review against another edition
4.5
Graphic: Death, Mental illness, and Murder
Moderate: Gore, Sexual content, Slavery, and Dementia
mammut's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Graphic: Ableism, Death, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Racism, Slavery, Violence, Religious bigotry, Car accident, Murder, and Fire/Fire injury
dizzymisslizzy'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? No
5.0
Graphic: Mental illness, Racism, Slavery, Car accident, Murder, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis
Moderate: Homophobia and Suicide attempt
town_scar's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- 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
5.0
This novel is a true masterpiece. A combination of prose and poetry that embodies naturalism and spiritualism at its core.
Perhaps my only gripe is that I wish there had been a greater focus on non-White individuals. The main owners of the house are all white (with a single brief exception) and while the original inhabitants of the land are acknowledged they are not given a voice.
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Homophobia, Mental illness, Slavery, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Medical trauma, Car accident, Death of parent, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Outing, and Colonisation
Moderate: Racism, Sexism, Sexual content, and Xenophobia
Minor: Cancer
rednikki's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.5
But Mason only tells the story through the white people who have lived (or in one case, visited) there. Excluding people of color from point of view was clearly a decision Mason made. The first time we encounter the place, it is through the eyes of some of the first white settlers of the US; we never see it through the eyes of the historical people of the land. There is one section where there is a person of color living in the place, and Mason chooses to tell the story through the point of view of a white visitor instead.
Rutherford's books also usually have at least some time points where there is hope and happiness. In Mason's world, there is only misery, tragedy and despair. Sometimes it's just an undercurrent, sometimes it is overwhelming – but whenever his characters experience joy they are punished for it.
Do not recommend.
Graphic: Animal death, Death, Homophobia, Slavery, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Dementia, Kidnapping, Grief, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Injury/Injury detail
ashleyjean6's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Moderate: Animal death, Cancer, Child death, Death, Infidelity, Mental illness, Sexual content, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Blood, Dementia, Car accident, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Colonisation, War, and Injury/Injury detail
sjanke2's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
Moderate: Cancer, Confinement, Death, Mental illness, Sexual content, Slavery, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Medical content, Dementia, Car accident, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Outing, and Injury/Injury detail