Reviews tagging 'Sexism'

The Street by Ann Petry

13 reviews

amalas_bookstop's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

Woah this story felt too real! I had to put it down for a while before I could finish it. Lutie’s circumstances are absolutely heartbreaking and all encompassing. I could physically feel the heartbreak and loneliness. 

Ann Petry was able to tackle racism, classism, colorism, socialism, etc. She navigated flawlessly and her writing left no crumbs. This book is a perfect example of allowing the reader to discuss and think about these topics without having the narrator spoon feed the topic to us. This book is a must read. I will definitely read more from her. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racism, Sexism, Violence, Murder, and Classism

Moderate: Sexual assault

Minor: Infidelity, Grief, and Abandonment

charris0903's review against another edition

challenging emotional informative reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Bullying, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Hate crime, Infidelity, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Grief, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

clarkg's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective tense slow-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? Yes

5.0

If you are looking for a story about overcoming adversity a la "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn", this is not it. Told primarily from the perspective of Lutie Johnson, a single mother trying to improve her circumstances in 1940s Harlem, "The Street" explores how the ceaseless structural barriers presented to low-income Black Americans shape their decisions, relationships, and imaginations. Ann Petry is undoubtedly one of the great New England writers and her sharp, insightful, and masterfully descriptive prose are central to this book's stellar execution. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Death, Domestic abuse, Infidelity, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicide, Blood, and Classism

Moderate: Alcoholism, Child abuse, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

beansprout562's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful sad tense medium-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? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexism and Murder

Moderate: Racism

miqnightrain's review

challenging dark reflective sad slow-paced

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

1.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Sexual assault, Violence, and Stalking

walkie_check's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Murder, Sexual harassment, and Classism

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Child abuse, Child death, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Trafficking, Grief, Stalking, Gaslighting, and Alcohol

Minor: Bullying, Confinement, Hate crime, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Toxic relationship, Police brutality, Medical content, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, War, and Injury/Injury detail

brittburkard's review against another edition

dark reflective sad tense slow-paced

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Physical abuse, Racism, Sexism, Sexual assault, Stalking, Murder, and Sexual harassment

Moderate: Racial slurs, Abandonment, and Sexual harassment

jwells's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense

In her introduction to my edition, Tayari Jones says that The Street has elements of pulp crime fiction. I'm not sure if she meant it as a compliment - possibly as a neutral observation - but it might help explain how this book can be so unrelentingly grim, but at the same time, so hard to put down. I got swept up in Petry's storytelling, so that every time I looked up from the book, I was surprised (and relieved) to see my own life around me instead of Lutie's. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, and Sexual harassment

Moderate: Animal cruelty and Violence

N-word used, when quoting racist white people

mariaviola's review against another edition

dark emotional sad 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

4.5

“from the time she was born, she had been hemmed into an ever-narrowing space, until now she was very nearly walled in and the wall had been built up brick by brick by eager white hands.”

after finishing the street, all i can say is that this was a heartbreaking read, and what made it so heartbreaking was all of its honesty. there is no sugarcoating here—here is the story of a poor black single mother living in the 1940s and the things she goes through in trying to build a better life for her and her son. it’s raw and painful and some characters you will just want to hug and others you will want to beat the sh*t out of. it’s not very fast-paced but it’s a must-read in my opinion.

→ my rating ♡ 4.5/5 stars ←

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Murder

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Domestic abuse, and Abandonment

literaryhedgehog's review against another edition

challenging emotional informative reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

Simply put, The Street is breathtaking.
I’m her depiction of 1940s Harlem, Petry creates a narrative that is viscerally human. Her masterful use of multiple perspectives allows her characters to come to life as fully realized and independent human beings, while also showing how they are objectified and dehumanized by one another. The depiction of race, class, and gender is frank, beautifully articulated, and still very relevant to life in the 21st century. I have never seen a better depiction of the daily life of a woman, including the joys and anxieties of motherhood.

I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a reflective/serious read. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Infidelity, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Sexual assault, and Violence