dottiekat's review against another edition
Found it difficult to get into but only my second American literature book. Would need more devoted time like on holiday to really feel involved with the story. Might go back to it again one day but as its from the library my time is limited on reading it so i moved onto an easier read
cozis's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
kvelpr's review against another edition
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
jodieorange's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
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
4.0
picked this up after months of not reading it and so glad I finished it!
mandamnyc's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
medium-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
4.0
mrears0_0's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
adored this
earthlight's review against another edition
i dont have the words and im not even gonna try.
_cararichardson's review
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- 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? Yes
4.5
I really enjoyed savoring this book. This book talks about discrimination, complex relationships, and surviving in an increasingly difficult world. Baldwin’s writing is really poetic, reflective and nuanced. None of the characters are like-able, per se, because they’re very real. They’re complicated and messy and make poor decisions. The racial and societal observations in this book are still relevant to today, not much has changed (Although his opinions of women are quite indicative of his time). I also loved the musical aspect in this book, the jazz club scenes and lyric interpolations were great and really set the scene. My only complaint is that it is quite slow, and it’s definitely a book that is “no plot just vibes” so it may not be everyone’s cup of tea. I will say that the last 50 pages or so were really quite beautiful and were a standout of the book.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Racial slurs, Suicide, Domestic abuse, Sexual content, and Alcohol
kate_cunningham's review
challenging
emotional
reflective
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
4.25