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chris_reads's review against another edition
- 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
4.0
Graphic: Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Dementia, and Classism
Moderate: Cursing, Fatphobia, Gun violence, Homophobia, Infidelity, Misogyny, and Dysphoria
Minor: Emotional abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Religious bigotry, and Murder
mattyvreads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
Let’s start with the successful elements of the book, for me. First of all, much like the Trees, the concept of the book itself is brilliant. So much promise of premise. The plot is engrossing and the themes are effective. I think it’s a pretty genius idea.
I appreciate that Everett offers an often nuanced critique of ubiquitous and covert forms of racism. He points towards dangerous micro-aggressions directed at Black Americans and harmful stereotypes that unfortunately prevail today.
I appreciate the experimental nature of the interwoven stories and extended metaphors. Even when those are unsuccessful for me as a reader, I think it’s intriguing how the author constructs those tangential narratives.
Ultimately, though, I did not like this book. I really tried to like it, too.
I think Everett is extremely heavy handed in his writing. Large sections of the book are nearly unreadable, as he needlessly occupies pages and pages with Monk’s purposefully boring and long winded writing. There are pages of lists: Monk’s former books, books that have inspired his character, documents, etc.. Also, Monk offers literary critique of everything he reads; criticism that is wholly irrelevant to the story. All of the aforementioned details add nothing to his character, and are horribly and (seemingly) intentionally boring. It’s really unpleasant to read, and it’s completely masturbatory.
We read the entirety of Monk’s story “Fuck,” which is supposed to be horribly written, as much a parody as it is an exposé of racist and unserious readership. Although it is attempting to satirize that style of work, and effectively emphasizes white Americans’ ignorance and discrimination, it also perpetuates many harmful stereotypes and invokes intersectional trauma without care.
In that story, “Fuck”, there are three separate instances of sexual assault, which the reader is forced to engage with in excruciatingly graphic detail. There is casual violence against women, misogyny, anti-Asian rhetoric, ableism, homophobia, etc.. Clearly, the author is trying to draw attention to those things, but the criticism does not go far enough. This is evidenced by the fact that, in Monk’s real life, he has homophobic and misogynistic thoughts and opinions. Therefore, is the story within the story effective as satire? I would argue: not wholly.
Monk is a pretty unpleasant protagonist. He’s just an asshole, to be honest. He’s casually fatphobic, he’s homophobic, he’s mean to his brother and the housekeeper. All of his negative attributes do not particularly make me want to root for him by the end.
I understand that Everett likes a vague ending to his books, leading the audience to wonder what happens next. Still, there are so many huge moments that the reader is not privy to, it seems unfinished.
On top of all of this, there are gratuitous sex scenes including two memories of prepubescent sexual interactions, which are very uncomfortable to read. Didn’t like that at all.
Yeah, not for me….
(Note: Maybe it’s blasphemous to say, but I loved the movie adaptation American Fiction. For me, it amplified the best parts of the story, and edited out the parts that frustrated me so greatly, as a reader.)
Graphic: Ableism, Homophobia, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence
Moderate: Fatphobia, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Antisemitism, Medical content, and Dementia
stephe's review against another edition
- 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
4.0
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Body shaming, Cursing, Fatphobia, Homophobia, Mental illness, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Police brutality, Abortion, Murder, and Classism
Without spoiling the story, nearly all of the graphic content is intentionally and satirically lurid and outlandish, not depictions grounded in the world of the story.kreglow's review against another edition
- 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
4.0
Graphic: Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Homophobia, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Excrement, Police brutality, Medical content, Dementia, Kidnapping, Grief, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Cultural appropriation, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
sarahbiegelsen'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
4.25
Graphic: Chronic illness, Cursing, Death, Gun violence, Hate crime, Pedophilia, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Sexual content, Terminal illness, Violence, Medical content, Dementia, Murder, Pregnancy, and Cultural appropriation
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Fatphobia, Homophobia, Infidelity, Rape, Sexual assault, Death of parent, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Body shaming, and Antisemitism
nopnutspls's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Death, Gun violence, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, and Murder
Moderate: Death of parent
Minor: Fatphobia and Homophobia