Reviews tagging 'Sexism'

The Big Sleep by Raymond Chandler

12 reviews

knitterscasket's review against another edition

dark mysterious fast-paced

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

4.0

I read this because of a description of snappy writing in Stephen King's On Writing. I feel like I must have read Raymond Chandler many years ago before I started keeping track. I had to think about the difference between rating a book's quality and my enjoyment of it. It's 5 stars as a genre-defining classic, but minus a star for casual sexism and homophobia.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia and Sexism

Moderate: Gun violence and Violence

ruth_rb's review against another edition

mysterious medium-paced

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

2.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Homophobia, Racism, and Sexism

waytoomanybooks's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious tense 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? Yes

3.0

It’s a compelling read, especially for an an assigned reading assignment. It doesn't meander like the other crime/mystery novels I've read, which I appreciated. I did have to ding it point for the misogyny, homophobia, and racism that I have learned comes with territory of the genre.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Addiction, Alcoholism, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Homophobia, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Police brutality, Antisemitism, Kidnapping, Stalking, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

chriswoody94's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense 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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Gun violence, Misogyny, and Sexism

Moderate: Homophobia and Racism

Minor: Addiction, Racism, and Antisemitism

laliterate's review against another edition

dark funny tense fast-paced

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

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Homophobia and Sexism

gillian_aftanas's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cursing, Death, Gun violence, Homophobia, Mental illness, Racism, Sexism, Sexual content, Violence, Antisemitism, Murder, and Alcohol

daffodilcherry's review against another edition

adventurous dark funny mysterious reflective tense fast-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Gun violence, Homophobia, Sexism, Violence, and Alcohol

Minor: Antisemitism

shuddleston's review against another edition

mysterious medium-paced

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

1.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia, Misogyny, and Sexism

vladdbad's review against another edition

adventurous dark funny mysterious sad fast-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Ableism, Homophobia, Racial slurs, and Sexism

There is a reason Raymond Chandler is still read... He shines a light on the shadows that surround the spotlight, and no one really likes to see that which lurks within those. People talk about the post-War Golden Age, but even at the time the darkness and the rot to which the sequins were sewn was known. Chandler lived a life as a businessman with an unorthodox lifestyle back before that was something you could accept even in yourself, and it shows in his writing. He knows the self-loathing and the desire to make clean that which was never really as dirty as the cover-up made it, and it shows. He understands what money can and can't buy, and what drives real desperation. But he also knows that there can be real redemption found at times, as well, and it is always remarkable to me how his stories have all the good guys playing bit parts away from the spotlight... He knows that there is a better path available, and that taking it rarely makes for an interesting story. Look at the minor characters in his stories, the honest ones or the folks just making do with a bad hand... That is a remarkably diverse crowd, given the sameness of the spotlit degeneracy that drives the plot. Worth a second and a third read... And worth looking at what is shown versus told, like any good writer.

marionhoney's review against another edition

dark mysterious medium-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death and Sexism

Moderate: Alcoholism, Gun violence, Misogyny, Violence, Murder, and Alcohol

Minor: Fatphobia, Homophobia, Infidelity, Mental illness, Racism, and Sexual content