Reviews tagging 'Violence'

Light in August by William Faulkner

5 reviews

just_sara's review against another edition

challenging sad medium-paced

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

2.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism

Moderate: Misogyny and Violence

roxyunderscored's review against another edition

challenging emotional mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Hate crime, Racial slurs, Racism, Violence, Police brutality, Religious bigotry, Murder, Abandonment, Colonisation, and Classism

Moderate: Gun violence, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Suicide attempt

Minor: Sexism, Slavery, and Death of parent

leahgustafson's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional slow-paced

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

I have never read any Faulkner or Southern Gothic so I was curious to give this one a try. It’s no secret, Faulkner’s writing is absolutely incredible. How he can describe  such desolation while making it sound beautiful is such a gift! 

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However, this book explores the darkest, ugliest aspects of humanity. During the initial portion of this book, I really loved  Lena and was very interested in how her story was unfolding. Unfortunately, she is not the main focus of the book, and while I loved that the book came full-circle and ended with her, I was left wanting more of her story. Some people find this book hopeful, but I finished it feeling nothing but darkness.

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The structure of this book was also somewhat annoying because there is SO much backstory. We start in the present, get a TON of backstory, zoom back to the present, then jump to more backstory of an entirely different storyline. I frequently enjoy books with multiple perspectives and nonlinear timelines, but this didn’t flow as nicely for me.

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I’m chalking this one up to a learning experience. I tried something new (Southern Gothic), and it’s just not for me. That’s okay. To be honest, I probably would have added this one to my very small DNF pile if it had not been my monthly book club book… I wanted to be able to participate in the discussion. 

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I did not rate this one because there is a huge disparity between the quality of the writing and the story itself. 

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Check out what I’m reading next on Instagram @LeahsLitReview! 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Racism, Violence, and Murder

cadewillis's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racial slurs, Racism, and Violence

rozereads's review against another edition

challenging dark sad slow-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Misogyny, Racism, Violence, Religious bigotry, and Murder