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zwarg's review against another edition
5.0
"Le monde a terriblement besoin de penseurs sans pouvoir, de philosophes affamés et de dormeurs impénitents."
vforvanessa's review against another edition
4.0
I'm not even sure how to review this book. It was short and sweet, cleverly-written, amusing, honest, with a great sense of place. Months after reading the book, I can still conjure up that cramped, sweaty, apartment on rue St-Denis. I don't know what the English translation is like, but I highly recommend the French original to those fluent enough to pick up on its nuance and sly humour.
itsdafina's review against another edition
4.0
I enjoyed the book overall. Many of the topics involving racism and fetishization are still relevant today. Even though I didn’t always agree with the protagonists ethics, I did find myself resonating with is experiences as a Black Canadian and I got a lot of good laughs out of it too.
ventica's review against another edition
2.0
Read as part of my July FOLD reading challenge. I didn’t connect with this book at all, until the one chapter near the end where he’s interviewed ABOUT his book. I’m happy to have been exposed to a new style & genre, but it did nothing for me.
anais272's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0
fowg2024's review against another edition
5.0
I laughed from beginning to end. Many may find the pages crass, boring or something else. For me, it was just an opportunity to get another black man's perspective on interracial dating. Given that this has been such a major part of my identity, I felt a near instant connection to the principle characters. Obviously, it's dated and it's (depending on who you talk to) misogynistic interactions with women may strike many as (to say the least) problematic. While some may find something like this forgivable (at least forgivable enough to get through it) others won't. I can sympathize. But I think that in many ways, the trivialization goes both ways. The desire to not give any of these women names may be matched by the otherness that many of the women view these men. Obviously no one is looking for a permanent mate, given the nature of many of these encounters. With that said, I cannot help feel that even if the author and his roommate were to fall in love with one of these ladies, that the reason why the encounter would not go beyond some athletic bedroom sessions is that black men are only viewed as just a means of completing a white woman's sexual education. Not to say that this doesn't happen the other way too, it just seems to play a part of a larger narrative on black men being a part of white people's education. The author acknowledges as much through the pages here. Couldn't help but break my neck with my nodding. I may be able to lob more criticism at a work like this were there additional works that explored interracial hookups/dating through a more sensitive and nuanced lens. Until those works arrive, this is what I have. And, while it's not perfect, it's a glorious start.
csuch's review against another edition
funny
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
jayceeffe's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
imanit's review against another edition
4.0
Confirmed what I already knew about Mcgill, everyone who goes there is a freak for real. Jokes aside, a really fun and biting book on race, sexuality, and how we stereotype the people around us