Reviews tagging 'Religious bigotry'

Honor by Thrity Umrigar

77 reviews

jenhfultz's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional informative sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? N/A
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Hate crime, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racism, Sexism, Violence, Vomit, Islamophobia, Grief, Religious bigotry, Stalking, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

alexxis88's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad medium-paced

• 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? It's complicated

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Hate crime, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Islamophobia, Grief, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Murder, and Fire/Fire injury

genesismt's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad medium-paced

• Loveable characters? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, Islamophobia, Grief, Religious bigotry, Murder, and Sexual harassment

avajane02's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad tense 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? Yes

4.5

An absolutely heartbreaking look into the class and gender divides in India from the perspective of a

Muslim

Indian-American reporter who returns to India to cover a story in place of her white American friend/coworker, who is recovering from surgery. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Hate crime, Misogyny, Sexism, Violence, Islamophobia, Grief, Religious bigotry, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Classism

Moderate: Alcoholism, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Police brutality

wwsimon93's review

challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad tense 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? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Islamophobia, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Moderate: Death of parent

jessv's review against another edition

dark tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

2.0

I was surprised by my reaction to this book given the average star rating being very high. This book feels like white saviour poverty porn, despite the author and the protagonist having grown up in India (before moving to the USA) and despite the protagonist wondering at one point if she herself is perpetuating poverty porn by covering Meena's story for an American newspaper. Many of the Indian characters in this story are given very little dignity or agency. The protagonist is so disparaging about the country as a whole - which I understand comes from a traumatic incident she experienced as a child - but ultimately it feels like this book is a disservice to the very real and important issues that occur in India. It's possible to describe horrible crimes against women or religious conflict without dialogue like "what is wrong with this backwards country?" I think it wouldve been more effective from the perspective of someone living there (eg Meena's chapters). The only positive was an easy-to-read writing style and a fast-paced story that I finished quickly.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Islamophobia, Religious bigotry, and Murder

Moderate: Sexual assault

leortal's review against another edition

emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Hate crime, Sexism, Violence, Xenophobia, Islamophobia, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Murder, and Classism

tillie__'s review against another edition

challenging emotional 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? Yes

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Hate crime, Racial slurs, Racism, Religious bigotry, Murder, and Fire/Fire injury

Moderate: Sexual assault

Minor: Death of parent

lyndsay_bibliophile's review against another edition

informative sad tense fast-paced

• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

3.5

Overall, "Honor” is a powerful and thought-provoking story of honor, justice, and the strength of the human spirit. It’s a story that will stay with you, prompting self-reflection and sparking important conversations.

The book excelled in its raw representation of the struggle for justice, forcing me to confront uncomfortable truths about societal blind spots.

However, Smita's character left me conflicted. While Umrigar captures her initial journalistic detachment really well, Smita's lack of empathy at times felt jarring. I wished for a deeper connection to her.

On a personal note, Mohan's urge to defend India resonated deeply. It made me reflect on how we often apologize or justify aspects of our own cultures or the actions of others due to a misplaced sense of responsibility.

However, some crucial details of the story sometimes felt neglected and exploring them would have added depth to the narrative. Similarly, the abrupt shift from tragedy to a budding love story in the final chapters felt disjointed.

Despite these minor drawbacks, "Honor" remains a compelling read. Umrigar's writing is beautiful and insightful, spotlighting the complex realities of social injustice and female resilience. The lingering questions and impactful lessons learned make this book a worth reading.

I recommend this book to those who appreciate complex stories with themes of cultural clashes, legal drama, and a fight for justice.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Racism, Violence, and Religious bigotry

Moderate: Sexual assault

sabs98's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

I appreciate the subject matters of this book. The story of Smita’s complex relationship with India is one that would resonate with many children of immigrants like it did with me. Of course, Meena’s story is an important one to tell; bringing awareness and increasing visibility to social issues is vital to creating change. 

I think the relationship that developed between Smita and Mohan was rushed, despite the over explanations of the reasons Smita should be with him. I also found it hard to believe that Smita could decide to stay in India while still carrying her trauma the way she was: it seems she hadn’t even begun to process or resolve it until she told the story of it to Mohan.  

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny, Religious bigotry, Murder, and Fire/Fire injury

Moderate: Grief