Reviews with content warning for Racial slurs - Citizen: An American Lyric

Reviews tagging 'Racial slurs'

Citizen: An American Lyric by Claudia Rankine

34 reviews

bricharis's review against another edition

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dark emotional reflective medium-paced

5.0

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sairywhy's review against another edition

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challenging emotional informative reflective tense fast-paced

4.25

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rieviolet's review against another edition

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challenging reflective fast-paced

2.5

I am sorry but this book was really not for me. I did not get along with the writing style nor the way it was structured, these sort of fragmented and episodic reflections were too difficult for me to follow, I mostly felt confused and clueless about what was going on.
Honestly, I understood maybe a third of what I read and while that is certainly on me, it really hampered my fruition of the book and the general appreciation of the reading experience.

I also struggled with the final section in verse and most of it went over my head. I admit that I am not a devoted poetry reader and, when I actually read it, I am usually drawn to a more prose-like and matter-of-fact type of poetry.

I think a book like this is just too much experimental for my personal taste. However, I did appreciate the section focusing on Serena Williams and the racism she experienced in her career as a tennis player, it might be because it was the part that more closely resembled a traditional and straightforward essay.

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eve81's review against another edition

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challenging dark reflective sad fast-paced

5.0

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hunterlovesneilperry's review against another edition

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challenging dark reflective sad fast-paced

4.5

At certain times, I had to read paragraphs over and over again because I didn’t really understand them. But when I did eventually crack them, it was all fine and I continued in. Rankine can WRITE let me tell u. Her prose and use of words are truly one of a kind, and I will gladly read her again!
As a white person, I do try to put my reading where I would not usually, because you don’t see them a lot. I did really enjoy it, and of course there are times when you sit there and go «I will always be shielded from this.» But I think being aware of those and this and all of it, will perhaps make it easier for those of privilege to listen to the ones wothiut.

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peachmoni's review

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challenging sad fast-paced

3.5

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readbycarina's review against another edition

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challenging emotional fast-paced

4.25

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cvanwerven's review against another edition

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challenging informative reflective fast-paced

5.0

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klor's review against another edition

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challenging emotional reflective sad fast-paced

3.75

In a trip to California about 4 years ago, a friend asked me, "What age did you realize that other people existed (outside of your own life)?" That was a constant reminder throughout reading the first half of the book and throughout, especially as Rankine details the various microagressions that happen in her daily life and slowly expanding that into the larger scale things such as biases and police brutality. Sometimes we just want to be seen, but properly.

While the scripts in the middle of the book left a lot to be desired, the writing points out a clear picture in between the various vignettes of what it's like to live as a black person in today's world. I'd love to reread this book in the future as I think it's something that grows on you with time.

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viaviaggi's review against another edition

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challenging informative inspiring reflective sad fast-paced

5.0

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