Reviews tagging 'Racism'

Antarctica by Claire Keegan

15 reviews

veposve's review against another edition

dark mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

• 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? It's complicated

4.75

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Animal death, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Hate crime, Infidelity, Misogyny, Racism, Rape, Sexual violence, Kidnapping, Car accident, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Alcohol

withlivjones's review

dark mysterious medium-paced

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

4.0

An eerie and unsettling collection of short stories. Some of the prose is so well-crafted and stunning. There were one or two skips in the collection, but most of the stories were really strong and have got me completely hooked on Claire Keegan’s writing! 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Suicide, Kidnapping, and Death of parent

Moderate: Animal death, Rape, and Murder

evenchicago's review against another edition

dark mysterious sad tense medium-paced

3.0

---

Content Warnings

Minor: Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Kidnapping, and Grief

randiymkje's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious sad medium-paced

• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

3.75

---

Content Warnings

Minor: Racial slurs and Racism

ruthieem's review against another edition

medium-paced

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

2.0

I guess not really for me… Just kinda boring not very engaging honestly

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Racial slurs, Racism, and Rape

tomaxhull's review against another edition

• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

Several of these stories were excellent - deft with language, capturing small details of life (especially life in Ireland, and the tense relationships between men and women) incredibly vividly. I was gearing up to give it 4 or 5 stars. Then one felt weirdly racist:

dropping the n word, through character voice, but not remotely necessarily -- and seeming to depict a black man being accused of rape in a way you assumed would lead somewhere and was instead left ambiguous.

Huh, I thought, maybe I missed the point. Then another one was also casually derogatory about black people, in character voice. Then the final story in the collection, about a child going missing,

mentioned her being enticed away by a black stranger. This detail appears to have no relevance, and what actually happened is not resolved.

I... what? What's going on here? Really weird. I wish I could recommend this work but I truly can't.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny, Racial slurs, and Racism

kelticj's review against another edition

2.0

I’m currently making my way through Claire Keegan’s works. Up until this point I really enjoyed them, however, one short story in her debut Antarctica uses the n-word (racist and unnecessary ESPECIALLY as a white woman from Ireland?!) and portrays a black man as a predator. Why do hardly any reviews mention this? (I know why—that’s rhetorical) 
Edited to two stars for this because really?

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Racial slurs and Racism

mhairi1's review

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Racial slurs and Racism

booksjessreads's review

dark mysterious tense slow-paced

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

4.25

This is yet another stunning piece by Claire Keegan. I am growing to love short-story collections and this one is up there with one of my favourites. I also really enjoyed going back to her first published work to see her beginnings, and they are strong. 

There were several short stories that just completely grabbed me, they are compelling and beautifully written. Keegan absolutely has such an impeccable way with words and has the capability to bring these stories alive in your imagination. I really liked how the collection really focused on relationships with others, be those romantic, familial or friendships, and the complexities of them. The stories are very dark, capturing the absolute worst side of the human condition, but they were intriguing and suspenseful and kept you wanting more.

Furthermore, stories were not just set in Ireland, but in the UK and America as well. I felt the American stories were somewhat less compelling, especially the use of racial slurs in the final two stories. Whilst their intention may have been used to help set the scene of the times in that story, their use was unnecessary. I appreciate that this was written in the 90s and that she is an author who has continually written about social injustice, but it is something to be aware of when reading.

I still did really enjoy this read. It isn't my favourite of hers, but certainly an interesting collection that I would recommend.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Racial slurs, Racism, Suicide, and Death of parent

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Domestic abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Grief, and Murder

psahds's review against another edition

dark funny reflective sad medium-paced

• 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

3.75

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Toxic relationship, and Violence