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silver_lining_in_a_book's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Love is never any better than the lover. Wicked people love wickedly, violent people love violently, weak people love weakly, stupid people love stupidly, but the love of a free man is never safe. There is no gift for the beloved. The lover alone possesses his gift of love. The loved one is shorn, neutralized, frozen in the glare of the lover’s inward eye.
I think the quote above speaks for itself. There is no wonder that Toni Morrison is so beloved amongst both book readers and those who do not tend to read quite as often. This book is so moving, striking and shocking. Being Morrison's debut novel, I get the sense that she has not yet come into herself as a writer, but the writing is gorgeous nonetheless and accomplishes exactly what the author sets off to achieve from the start (according to the author's note). For the time in which it is written, this book and its narrative are exceptionally innovative, the language is exciting and memorable, and the characters are multidimensional and complex.
Overall, I am disappointed that I did not read this sooner. Morrison is an absolute treasure!
Graphic: Excrement, Pedophilia, Sexual violence, Sexism, Sexual content, Racism, Death of parent, Infidelity, Physical abuse, Alcohol, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Drug abuse, Adult/minor relationship, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Pregnancy, Rape, Addiction, Mental illness, Classism, Religious bigotry, Drug use, Child abuse, Bullying, Misogyny, Incest, Miscarriage, Gun violence, Sexual harassment, and Hate crime
lizcheyenne'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: Sexual violence, Racial slurs, Rape, Racism, Pedophilia, Domestic abuse, and Body shaming
Moderate: Abandonment, Child abuse, Death of parent, and Death
Minor: Ableism and Animal cruelty
mel_j's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
Graphic: Death, Death of parent, and Rape
Moderate: Racial slurs, Racism, Xenophobia, Adult/minor relationship, and Alcohol
Minor: Animal cruelty
zsyh's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Toxic relationship, Racial slurs, Racism, Death, Animal cruelty, Death of parent, Mental illness, Sexual assault, Pregnancy, Violence, Miscarriage, Child abuse, Rape, Sexual harassment, Incest, Adult/minor relationship, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Misogyny, Domestic abuse, and Animal death
cheuksin's review against another edition
5.0
Some parts invoked a similar level of discomfort as when I read Lolita
Other parts more like the colour purple
Love is never any better than the lover. Wicked people love wickedly, violent people love violently, weak people love weakly, stupid people love stupidly, but the love of a free man is never safe. There is no gift for the beloved. The lover alone possesses his gift of love. The loved one is shorn, neutralized, frozen in the glare of the lover’s inward eye.
Graphic: Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Child abuse, Racism, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Rape, and Incest
Moderate: Sexism and Sexual harassment
Minor: Child death, Infidelity, and Death of parent
camillebrianna'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
5.0
Graphic: Rape, Sexual assault, Alcoholism, Animal death, Alcohol, Death, Death of parent, Incest, Animal cruelty, Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Infertility, Miscarriage, and Racial slurs
ldpaige's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Morrison tends to lean to the macabre and the countercultural, which is normally for me. This just didn't translate the way I would have liked for it to.
Graphic: Sexual assault, Pedophilia, Death of parent, Mental illness, Abandonment, Rape, Sexual violence, Pregnancy, and Incest
lisesenb's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Graphic: Rape, Pedophilia, Racism, Violence, Child abuse, Racial slurs, and Sexual assault
Moderate: Abandonment, Alcoholism, Animal death, Bullying, Child abuse, Body shaming, and Adult/minor relationship
Minor: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Cursing, Death of parent, Grief, Incest, Classism, Mental illness, Colonisation, Excrement, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Death, and Pregnancy
stinkylilbaby's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Child abuse, Death of parent, Incest, and Sexual assault
emrockwell14's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Domestic abuse
Moderate: Sexual assault, Rape, Alcoholism, Violence, Pregnancy, Incest, Death of parent, and Classism
Minor: Miscarriage, Animal death, and Blood