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morenowagain's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Death, Gore, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Police brutality, Antisemitism, Grief, Religious bigotry, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, and Classism
amalas_bookstop's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
The way Richard Wright was able to write a character like Bigger, whose only accomplishment is becoming what the world thought of him is heartbreaking. There were no winners or losers in this story, it completely showed how we all fall short and the consequences that come from that.
Parts of this story had me holding my breath, and the panic and fear bigger felt throughout this whole story was so well written you could not help but feel it.
This book is a solid 4.5 stars. Very well done, but at the same time unfortunate that this needed to be written. A must read.
Graphic: Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Violence, Police brutality, Antisemitism, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
njlb's review against another edition
- 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? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Racial slurs, Racism, and Murder
Moderate: Sexual assault
Minor: Rape and Antisemitism
loverofwisdomandmen's review against another edition
4.25
Graphic: Addiction, Death, Gore, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual content, Violence, Blood, Antisemitism, Murder, and Alcohol
readingwithcoffee's review against another edition
- 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
3.75
Graphic: Hate crime, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Xenophobia, Antisemitism, Murder, and Sexual harassment
lizawood's review against another edition
- 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? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Death, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, and Sexual assault
Moderate: Alcoholism
Minor: Antisemitism
michaelion's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.75
If you're planning on reading this, brace yourself. In my edition, there was an excerpt where Wright tells the readers of a book club that the first draft of this book was 576 pages. Which actually makes me like this book less, because it could've easily been 200 pages shorter and been a tighter, sharper, better story. It was a drag to get through reading. In the third section of the book alone, one character monologues for 23 pages with no breaks. After a certain point you simply have to start skimming. But, I promise, you're not missing much.
I gave this rating an extra .25 for Jan and Max. It sucks that the characters I like most were the not-like-the-others whites!
Graphic: Misogyny, Racism, and Rape
Moderate: Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Racial slurs, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Violence, Murder, Gaslighting, and Classism
Minor: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Xenophobia, Blood, Antisemitism, and Alcohol
directorpurry's review against another edition
- 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
4.0
Graphic: Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, Blood, Murder, and Classism
Moderate: Antisemitism
Minor: Misogyny