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2.84 AVERAGE
2.84 AVERAGE
Y'all. This was tough. Aphra was definitely complicit and I'm just not buying this as a criticism. Maybe that's my modern view of racism and history or maybe its truth. Either way it's hard to separate the beginnings of an ideology from their effects, and absolve contributors.
adventurous
challenging
dark
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racial slurs, Racism, Slavery
dark
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
1.5* yeah... wouldn't read it if it wasn't in the syllabus but at least the lecture will be interesting
incredibly racist depictions. the story is written from a coloniser’s point of view.
A solid pile of racist hog crap parading as a 17th century white woman’s idea of the black experience. I can’t fully describe how irritated I was every time the narrator tried to make the reader sympathetic to the title character’s misfortune by reminding you of how “Royal” and other adjectives standing in for European he was, “aside from the color of his skin.” Give me a break.
Read this for the history of the work I guess, but just know that it’s a horribly dramatic piece of garbage.
Read this for the history of the work I guess, but just know that it’s a horribly dramatic piece of garbage.
The book reads like a fairytale, and not really the best one. Though it beautifully covers how people see slavery as worse than death, and shows the pain of love, I couldn't find myself enjoying it due to the fact that Oroonoko is just— like— just a bit lucky up until the end. I know this might be problematic but also, it's hard to sympathise with him when, after being sold to slavery, he's so likeable that he just gets it better. Like good for him, but the horrors of slavery are glossed over because we get the perspective of this mary-sue sort of character who's extremely likeable by everyone and so strong that he can take on a whole army of men. His only struggle is his relationship with Imoinda, which even then gets resolved a third of the way through. He shows no real struggle and things come quite easy to him up until the end. The conclusion, however, I did like, though it didn't fit the tone of the tale thus far. It's an easy and quick read, but it wasn't a favourite.