Reviews tagging 'Misogyny'
The Personal Librarian by Marie Benedict, Victoria Christopher Murray
10 reviews
erinwolf1997's review against another edition
- 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? It's complicated
3.0
Graphic: Abortion, Racism, and Misogyny
Moderate: Antisemitism and Classism
kaycie51782'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
4.0
This book covers a lot of deep topics, and it doesn't hold much back. Be warned: there blatant racism, misogyny, heavy alcohol consumption, abortion, abandonment...
My main criticism of the book is that it's told in first person, but it very deliberately and overtly points things out. I think telling it in omniscient third person would have felt less like I was hearing a summary than a story. It's like in video games where the next person you need to talk to is highlighted, the author basically points and says "Look at this" instead of molding it into the story.
The book is less about what is in the library (though it is discussed) and more about how she loves through the world carefully, deliberately, and choosing to hide in plain sight. It was a fascinating look at life in 1900s New York as a woman, moving in orbit around the ultra rich (Morgan, Carnegie, Vanderbilt, etc.) but being constantly terrified of having it all taken away.
Graphic: Abortion, Antisemitism, Miscarriage, Slavery, Racism, Sexism, Alcohol, Classism, Grief, Death, Infidelity, Misogyny, and Racial slurs
kcrockford'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? It's complicated
4.25
Moderate: Abortion
Minor: Grief, Misogyny, Death of parent, Sexism, Toxic relationship, and Racism
karyan1's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
Graphic: Racism
Moderate: War, Abortion, Antisemitism, Homophobia, Lesbophobia, Sexism, Infidelity, Misogyny, Sexual content, Death of parent, and Classism
readbycarina's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Graphic: Abortion, Racism, and Medical trauma
Moderate: Alcohol, Antisemitism, Grief, Lesbophobia, Pregnancy, Abandonment, Misogyny, Sexual content, and Slavery
Minor: Death of parent and War
meganpbennett'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? It's complicated
3.0
This book has all of those things, following the fictionalized life of Belle de Costa Greene, the librarian for J. P. Morgan's library. Only, Belle de Costa Greene.... was a black woman, passing for white in a world where being caught meant death. Not much is known about her, though Morgan's life is rather well documented. My hometown library did a "one book, one community" read with this book, and I thought it would be a good opportunity to read a book I would not have otherwise picked up to read. It was a very interesting read, though I found it to be rather on the slow side.
Graphic: Abortion, Toxic relationship, Homophobia, Antisemitism, Infidelity, Misogyny, Racism, and Sexism
susannah_knox'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
3.5
Moderate: Medical trauma, Alcoholism, Homophobia, Racism, Abortion, Antisemitism, Death, Grief, Misogyny, Sexism, Alcohol, and Infidelity
chloemakesbooks's review against another edition
Cons: dragged out ending, anti-climactic, suffers from historical fiction's cardinal sin, name-dropping, barely passed the Duvernay test
Graphic: Abortion
Moderate: Homophobia, Misogyny, Abandonment, Classism, Infidelity, and Racism
Minor: War
courtsbooks'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
4.0
Graphic: Abortion, Antisemitism, Misogyny, Racism, Sexism, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Abandonment, Death of parent, and Infidelity
Minor: Hate crime
wonderwomanbookish6'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? No
4.75
Graphic: Alcohol and Bullying
Moderate: Racism, Sexism, Misogyny, Gaslighting, Abortion, and Infidelity