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mudlizard's review against another edition
Graphic: Fatphobia, Racial slurs, and Racism
Minor: Torture
rorikae's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
Lila Mae Watson is the first female Black elevator inspector. Watson is part of the Intuitionists, a group that uses their intuition to inspect and diagnose elevator problems. The Intuitionists are in direct competition with the Empiricists, who use traditional methods and tools to inspect elevators. When an elevator falls at a building that Watson has recently inspected, she is pulled into the fight between the two groups that encompasses the Elevator Guild elections and a mysterious speculative elevator supposedly developed by the creator of the Intuitionist movement.
'The Intuitionist' is a fascinating speculative work, even more so as Whitehead's first novel. Watson is a complex character surrounded by a flawed and fascinating supporting cast. Whitehead creates a fascinating world with elevators at its core where the characters regard the machines with a religious reverence. The conspiracy at the center of the story is interesting though it's resolution didn't have as much going on as I would have hoped. Whitehead does a great job of taking a speculative concept and making it feel lived in. If you are looking for some slightly weird fiction with good characters and an interesting plot, I would recommend The Intuitionist.
Graphic: Racism, Torture, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Misogyny, Violence, and Toxic friendship
spirotechnics's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Graphic: Racial slurs and Racism
rainbowarpaint's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Graphic: Racism
zosiablue's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
Graphic: Torture and Kidnapping
Moderate: Body horror, Confinement, Racism, Sexism, and Classism
mar's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Racial slurs and Racism
Moderate: Torture
Minor: Fatphobia
sierramatice's review
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Graphic: Racial slurs and Racism
booksthatburn's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
The divide between Empiricists and Intuitionists seems like a simple ideological divide at first, but that central question becomes more complicated as Lila Mae learns more about Intuitionism's founder while investigating the crash. Lila Mae isn't the first Black inspector, and I'm unsure whether she's the first female one, but the combination of the two means that a nearly endless slurry of sexism and racism are directed her way, either singly or in combination. It's consistent but not constant, and whether and how characters disparage her is part of their characterization and contributes to the worldbuilding as a whole. The antagonists attempt to weaponize her identity for their own gain in a variety of ways, whether from things she chose (being an Intuitionist) or things she didn't choose (being Black and female).
There are long sections which contain delightful thoughts about elevators, including but not limited to competing theories of elevators, how the passenger exists in context with the elevator, where escalators fit in as vertical conveyances, and many more.
The mystery is tense and engaging, I was hooked almost immediately, became riveted about a third of the way in, and was completely engaged through to the end. Lila Mae is purposeful and conscientious, which are excellent qualities for the protagonist of a mystery. Excellently layered, I love this.
Graphic: Racial slurs, Racism, and Torture
Moderate: Cursing, Death, Misogyny, Sexism, Violence, Blood, Excrement, Kidnapping, Sexual harassment, and Classism
Minor: Animal death, Drug use, Fatphobia, Rape, Sexual content, Slavery, Vomit, and Car accident
emdogh's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.5
Graphic: Racism
themysteriouserk's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Moderate: Misogyny, Racism, and Sexism