Scan barcode
kathryngardyne's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Graphic: Death, Racism, Slavery, Violence, Kidnapping, Murder, Colonisation, and Injury/Injury detail
fieldofhats's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.5
This was one of the more entertaining and exciting texts I have read for my Brit Lit class, though I don’t feel comfortable giving it more than 2 stars. I think this may have been very progressive for the early 18th century, but it’s very racist in the modern sense, which is uncomfortable at the very least. Oroonoko is constantly praised for his western features and interests, and it’s implied that he’s only beautiful because of that. And, through a series of nonsensical contrivances, he is “forced” to kill his wife and then brutally torture himself in a fit of insanity, before he is eventually put to death. This was one of the worst endings I have ever read in a book, period. Aphra Behn was going for an honor-bound duty-or-death type of thing, but it didn’t work because it wasn’t necessary. He didn’t need to kill his wife (or himself, though that’s at least a common literary theme) to take revenge. One might say that this is just a product of its time and that this is how all premodern literature is, but I call bullshit on that. In the literary world Shakespeare, the King Arthur myths, The Canterbury Tales, etc., this was just plain bad.
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Gore, Misogyny, Racism, Slavery, Grief, Murder, Colonisation, and Classism
Moderate: Self harm, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Cultural appropriation
amymegan2023's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Graphic: Death, Physical abuse, Racism, Slavery, Suicide, and Colonisation
bvrealis's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.25
Graphic: Racial slurs and Racism
Moderate: Death, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexism, Torture, Violence, Blood, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Pregnancy, Colonisation, and Deportation
madelinebooks1's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Graphic: Death, Hate crime, Racism, Rape, and Colonisation
vanillaphantoms's review against another edition
- 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? No
2.0
Graphic: Death, Racism, Slavery, Violence, Colonisation, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Gore, Trafficking, Murder, Pregnancy, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Rape, Sexual assault, and Suicidal thoughts
kables_reads's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
Graphic: Death, Slavery, Violence, and Colonisation
mariekeroos's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Racism, Slavery, Xenophobia, and Colonisation
abrose2001's review against another edition
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Graphic: Death, Racism, Slavery, Torture, Violence, and Colonisation
Minor: Rape
lquel's review against another edition
2.0
Graphic: Body horror, Confinement, Death, Gore, Hate crime, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Suicide attempt, Murder, and Pregnancy