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sunfishcakes's reviews
254 reviews
Kindred by Octavia E. Butler
5.0
What can I even say about this. I think what's most interesting is how Dana's feelings are so multi-faceted. Her feelings about Rufus are complex, fraught, and not completely negative, at least not all of the time, even when he grows up into an adult. The flashes of care and comfort make her anger and suffering sting all the more.
Then there's the mundanity. A part of surviving is acclimation, the acceptance of what's around you. You find joy wherever you can because no one can live without some kind of pleasure, even when it's mediated and controlled by an almost incomprehensibly evil environment. It's nauseating.
I also think it's very pointed this and Beloved tackle the idea of a "nice," principled slaveowner. It's not that they didn't exist per se, but the moral decay inherent to the practice, the overwhelming reach of slavery as a system, the baseline dehumanization of the people objectified, make that an oxymoron at best.
Then there's the mundanity. A part of surviving is acclimation, the acceptance of what's around you. You find joy wherever you can because no one can live without some kind of pleasure, even when it's mediated and controlled by an almost incomprehensibly evil environment. It's nauseating.
I also think it's very pointed this and Beloved tackle the idea of a "nice," principled slaveowner. It's not that they didn't exist per se, but the moral decay inherent to the practice, the overwhelming reach of slavery as a system, the baseline dehumanization of the people objectified, make that an oxymoron at best.
Otonari Complex, Vol. 1 by Saku Nonomura (野々村朔)
Did not finish book.
Did not finish book.
Maybe I'm biased because I know the ending but this is very boring.
The Birth of Kitaro by Shigeru Mizuki
3.5
Cute! I might be biased but this was more charming than I expected. Reminds me of reading fun folktale collections.
The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison
4.5
Really interesting structure here. Extremely nauseating to read at times.
Arrow of God by Chinua Achebe
2.0
I wish i liked this more as someone who really liked Things Fall Apart, but I found this kind of slow and plodding. There's still a lot to dig into that I liked and I understand how the events unfolded at the pacing they did, but it was still kind of a slog to read.