Reviews tagging 'Racism'

Days Without End by Sebastian Barry

22 reviews

dahlialover's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional hopeful sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

Harrowing tale of two men and their lives spent during the early settlement of the United States. A bloody story about the slaughter of American Indians and then the civil war but softened by the caring, contemplative nature of the main character Thomas McNulty and his love for John Cole. Desperately sad in places. Provides what I imagine is a real outlook on how miserable and difficult their lives were then. Not necessarily a joy to read but Sebastian Barry’s writing is exceptional 
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maddummel's review against another edition

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dark tense medium-paced
  • 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? No

2.25

Zupełnie czegoś innego spodziewałam się po tej książce. 85% to opisy brutalnego ludobójstwa i wojny, które do niczego nie prowadzą. Niestety parę tych rozdziałów, które bardziej skupiały się na życiu głównego bohatera nie były na tyle dobre, żeby książkę uratować. A szkoda, bo koncept generalnie nie był zły.
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shinsoukoku's review against another edition

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slow-paced
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.5

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bestknownfor's review against another edition

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dark emotional reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.25

Has a lyrical almost slice-of-life feel to it. Thomas' voice comes through strongly, and the contrast between the everyday mundane and acts of horrific violence all comes together well. The exploration of Thomas' gender is thoughtful and well-done. 

Don't read this expecting a twisty love story - Thomas and John's relationship is very sweet but ultimately not a main focus. It's a portrait of a collection of people whose lives intertwine over years, and it does that very well indeed. 
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jinkx's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

I have never read a book quite like this one. For starters, it is entirely out of my wheelhouse (I am more keen on fantasy genres). The style of the writing has such a specific character voice that shortly after starting, I decided to read along with the audiobook to be able to better appreciate the rhythm and flow of the narration. (This was also my first foray into audiobooks, and I enjoyed the narrator's voice.)

It took longer than it usually would for me to finish this book, but I loved it from beginning to the end. The author uses his ability to craft evocative descriptions for both good and evil. At times they are beautiful, and at times they are awful (...or gross—he does not shy away from gross details at times).  

Parts of this book were very hard for me to read, particularly some points nearer to the end. But still, I loved reading the relationship between Thomas McNulty and John Cole all throughout, from how they first struck a friendship, to how they became family to one another and also to Winona. Eventually, I am sure I will read the sequel, which focuses more on Winona.
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himalayahigh's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional sad fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • 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

3.0

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adelekittey's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional hopeful sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? N/A
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.75

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lolatarantula's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes

4.0

I cant talk about this book for a myriad of reasons because it's a good fucking book in the same way Blood Meridian is a good book. Like, it's an amazing book but I don't think many people would enjoy this book. Anyway, look up the warnings before you read this. It isn't for everyone. 
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shearfeather's review against another edition

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adventurous dark hopeful reflective sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? N/A
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

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streetmuseums's review against another edition

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sorry but i don't want to read a white irish man writing about indigenous people in this way. so fucking weird 
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