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cook_memorial_public_library's review
4.0
Recommended by Sonia
Check our catalog:
https://encore.cooklib.org/iii/encore/record/C__Rb1828247__Sbloodbath%20nation__Orightresult__U__X7?lang=eng&suite=gold
Check our catalog:
https://encore.cooklib.org/iii/encore/record/C__Rb1828247__Sbloodbath%20nation__Orightresult__U__X7?lang=eng&suite=gold
kokenyreka's review against another edition
3.0
Some essays were interesting, but overall this book does very little to add to the conversation around gun violence and gun control, it mostly just reiterates general arguments in a slightly more personal tone.
vanillafire's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
5.0
ninajohanne's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
4.0
bashsbooks's review
informative
reflective
fast-paced
1.75
Bloodbath Nation was incredibly disappointing. I was hoping for a collection of thought-provoking essays about the stark horrors of gun violence in the United States. And it started off okay, with the author's personal experiences on full display. Those first two essays were the peak of this book, unfortunately.
The third essay takes a dive into American history that seems distracted and disjointed. At times, it seems more like Auster wants to tell his audience the real American history, rather than the whitewashed version we tend to get in school. He mostly gets this right, and it's important to share that history, but it doesn't all seem to have a place next to the topic of gun violence and gun control. Also - it seems to me that a black sensitivity reader was hired for this text but not a Native American one; I cannot come up with any other explanation from the very up-to-date usage of capital B "Black" and "enslaved people" next to the very outdated usage of an older term for Native Americans that is still common, but considered inappropriate now.
The essays after the third have their fair share of issues as well. Off of the top of my head: mental health was handly surprisingly poorly and lightly given Auster's comments about how it goes hand-in-hand with gun discussions; the cognitive dissonace between advocating for only military and police to have guns next to discussions about George Floyd's murder was deeply concerning; the shallow comparison of the Black Panthers' reasons for arming themselves with modern white conservatives was frankly offensive (protip: just because they say they have similar reasons for being armed doesn't mean it's true). Auster also wanted to discuss race, but struggled at times to remember that there are more than two races. He also wanted to talk about how great women are (which I respect, but again I ask, why here?) and quibble over linguistic semantics in a way that makes him look like he has never heard the word 'nuance' in his life.
I could go on, but I'll spare you. This book sucks and I would give it a lower rating if I didn't enjoy the photographs. I found they were the most compelling aspect of Bloodbath Nation, much more in line with what I expected from it.
The third essay takes a dive into American history that seems distracted and disjointed. At times, it seems more like Auster wants to tell his audience the real American history, rather than the whitewashed version we tend to get in school. He mostly gets this right, and it's important to share that history, but it doesn't all seem to have a place next to the topic of gun violence and gun control. Also - it seems to me that a black sensitivity reader was hired for this text but not a Native American one; I cannot come up with any other explanation from the very up-to-date usage of capital B "Black" and "enslaved people" next to the very outdated usage of an older term for Native Americans that is still common, but considered inappropriate now.
The essays after the third have their fair share of issues as well. Off of the top of my head: mental health was handly surprisingly poorly and lightly given Auster's comments about how it goes hand-in-hand with gun discussions; the cognitive dissonace between advocating for only military and police to have guns next to discussions about George Floyd's murder was deeply concerning; the shallow comparison of the Black Panthers' reasons for arming themselves with modern white conservatives was frankly offensive (protip: just because they say they have similar reasons for being armed doesn't mean it's true). Auster also wanted to discuss race, but struggled at times to remember that there are more than two races. He also wanted to talk about how great women are (which I respect, but again I ask, why here?) and quibble over linguistic semantics in a way that makes him look like he has never heard the word 'nuance' in his life.
I could go on, but I'll spare you. This book sucks and I would give it a lower rating if I didn't enjoy the photographs. I found they were the most compelling aspect of Bloodbath Nation, much more in line with what I expected from it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide, Death, Colonisation, Racism, Murder, Violence, Gun violence, and Mass/school shootings
Moderate: Biphobia, Homophobia, Police brutality, Transphobia, War, Xenophobia, Classism, Medical content, Religious bigotry, Injury/Injury detail, Lesbophobia, Pandemic/Epidemic, and Suicide attempt
Minor: Animal death, Misogyny, Animal cruelty, and Mental illness
zlaza's review against another edition
4.0
'Bloodbath Nation', written by Paul Auster, and featuring photography by Spencer Ostrander, is a thought provoking and horrifying, but necessary read.
It chronicles the unending epidemic of gun violence and mass shootings in the United States, and the history of guns and gun control in America.
Auster takes a look at the state of America's perverse relationship with guns and its acceptance of mass shootings as part of living in a "free society".
He talks about how we have become almost desensitized to hearing news of mass shootings because of how frequent they are now.
On an average, more than 100 Americans are killed and over 200 others injured every day, in gun related incidents. There are more than 393 million civilian-owned firearms in the United States, which is more than all men, women and children combined.
The novelist talks about his personal experiences and encounters with guns throughout his life, including the chilling murder his family hid for five decades, and the never-ending trauma that came with it.
In 'Bloodbath Nation', Auster explains the history behind the "right to bear arms", and he covers the American Frontier Wars and colonial violence against the various American Indian and First Nation tribes.
He takes a look at the more recent history of mass shootings: Sandy Hook Elementary School, Uvalde, The First Baptist Church in Sutherland, The Pulse Night Club in Orlando, Parkland, Mandalay Bay and El Paso - and how the US has done almost nothing to stop them.
'Bloodbath Nation' is a grim reminder that no lessons have been learned from the past, no concrete measures have been enforced, and there doesn't seem to be a strong desire for change.
Huge thanks to @netgalley and @grovepress for the free advanced reader copy of 'Bloodbath Nation' in exchange for my honest review.
It chronicles the unending epidemic of gun violence and mass shootings in the United States, and the history of guns and gun control in America.
Auster takes a look at the state of America's perverse relationship with guns and its acceptance of mass shootings as part of living in a "free society".
He talks about how we have become almost desensitized to hearing news of mass shootings because of how frequent they are now.
On an average, more than 100 Americans are killed and over 200 others injured every day, in gun related incidents. There are more than 393 million civilian-owned firearms in the United States, which is more than all men, women and children combined.
The novelist talks about his personal experiences and encounters with guns throughout his life, including the chilling murder his family hid for five decades, and the never-ending trauma that came with it.
In 'Bloodbath Nation', Auster explains the history behind the "right to bear arms", and he covers the American Frontier Wars and colonial violence against the various American Indian and First Nation tribes.
He takes a look at the more recent history of mass shootings: Sandy Hook Elementary School, Uvalde, The First Baptist Church in Sutherland, The Pulse Night Club in Orlando, Parkland, Mandalay Bay and El Paso - and how the US has done almost nothing to stop them.
'Bloodbath Nation' is a grim reminder that no lessons have been learned from the past, no concrete measures have been enforced, and there doesn't seem to be a strong desire for change.
Huge thanks to @netgalley and @grovepress for the free advanced reader copy of 'Bloodbath Nation' in exchange for my honest review.