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fkshg8465's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.25
Graphic: Racial slurs, Suicidal thoughts, Dementia, Confinement, Death, Death of parent, Homophobia, Racism, Abandonment, Outing, Pregnancy, Abortion, Rape, War, Grief, Gun violence, and Suicide
asimenia's review
- 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
4.0
Graphic: Cursing
Moderate: Violence, Racial slurs, Sexual assault, Murder, Racism, and Rape
kshertz's review against another edition
- 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? No
3.0
It’s not sequential and much of it is whims and chaotic, which is always a hard read for me. The book that was written as a farce was very very long. Quite a long joke.
It wasn’t for me, but I look forward to giving the movie a shot!
Moderate: Death, Misogyny, Rape, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual content, Dementia, Drug use, Murder, and Violence
zara89's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Dementia, Death of parent, and Cursing
Moderate: Terminal illness, Dementia, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Sexual content, Chronic illness, Cursing, Violence, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Death, Drug abuse, Rape, Cultural appropriation, Sexual assault, Death of parent, Forced institutionalization, Racial slurs, Pregnancy, Suicidal thoughts, and Abortion
mattyvreads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Let’s start with the successful elements of the book, for me. First of all, much like the Trees, the concept of the book itself is brilliant. So much promise of premise. The plot is engrossing and the themes are effective. I think it’s a pretty genius idea.
I appreciate that Everett offers an often nuanced critique of ubiquitous and covert forms of racism. He points towards dangerous micro-aggressions directed at Black Americans and harmful stereotypes that unfortunately prevail today.
I appreciate the experimental nature of the interwoven stories and extended metaphors. Even when those are unsuccessful for me as a reader, I think it’s intriguing how the author constructs those tangential narratives.
Ultimately, though, I did not like this book. I really tried to like it, too.
I think Everett is extremely heavy handed in his writing. Large sections of the book are nearly unreadable, as he needlessly occupies pages and pages with Monk’s purposefully boring and long winded writing. There are pages of lists: Monk’s former books, books that have inspired his character, documents, etc.. Also, Monk offers literary critique of everything he reads; criticism that is wholly irrelevant to the story. All of the aforementioned details add nothing to his character, and are horribly and (seemingly) intentionally boring. It’s really unpleasant to read, and it’s completely masturbatory.
We read the entirety of Monk’s story “Fuck,” which is supposed to be horribly written, as much a parody as it is an exposé of racist and unserious readership. Although it is attempting to satirize that style of work, and effectively emphasizes white Americans’ ignorance and discrimination, it also perpetuates many harmful stereotypes and invokes intersectional trauma without care.
In that story, “Fuck”, there are three separate instances of sexual assault, which the reader is forced to engage with in excruciatingly graphic detail. There is casual violence against women, misogyny, anti-Asian rhetoric, ableism, homophobia, etc.. Clearly, the author is trying to draw attention to those things, but the criticism does not go far enough. This is evidenced by the fact that, in Monk’s real life, he has homophobic and misogynistic thoughts and opinions. Therefore, is the story within the story effective as satire? I would argue: not wholly.
Monk is a pretty unpleasant protagonist. He’s just an asshole, to be honest. He’s casually fatphobic, he’s homophobic, he’s mean to his brother and the housekeeper. All of his negative attributes do not particularly make me want to root for him by the end.
I understand that Everett likes a vague ending to his books, leading the audience to wonder what happens next. Still, there are so many huge moments that the reader is not privy to, it seems unfinished.
On top of all of this, there are gratuitous sex scenes including two memories of prepubescent sexual interactions, which are very uncomfortable to read. Didn’t like that at all.
Yeah, not for me….
(Note: Maybe it’s blasphemous to say, but I loved the movie adaptation American Fiction. For me, it amplified the best parts of the story, and edited out the parts that frustrated me so greatly, as a reader.)
Graphic: Racial slurs, Sexual violence, Ableism, Homophobia, Sexual assault, Racism, and Rape
Moderate: Dementia, Antisemitism, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Fatphobia, and Medical content
eramsey3'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? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Rape and Racial slurs
spenar's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Cultural appropriation, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Death, Drug use, Classism, Cursing, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Drug abuse, and Misogyny
abyakron's review
2.0
Graphic: Pregnancy, Violence, Sexual assault, Rape, Toxic relationship, Racial slurs, Physical abuse, Misogyny, Gun violence, and Suicidal thoughts
emiporte's review
- 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? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Racial slurs, Dementia, Racism, Murder, and Violence
stephe'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? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Sexual assault, Adult/minor relationship, Racism, Police brutality, Misogyny, Mental illness, Fatphobia, Cursing, Classism, Body shaming, Homophobia, Violence, Rape, Racial slurs, Abortion, and Murder
Without spoiling the story, nearly all of the graphic content is intentionally and satirically lurid and outlandish, not depictions grounded in the world of the story.