Reviews tagging 'Violence'

Tar Baby by Toni Morrison

5 reviews

culpeppper's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

Too many shifting perspectives for me, but I love stories that amp up tension that results in many dramatic confrontations. There's truly delicious tension between all the characters, and though I didn't love all the aspects of the story, I really appreciate the greater narrative at work here. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Toxic relationship, and Classism

Moderate: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Rape, Sexual violence, Violence, Stalking, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Alcohol, and Colonisation

Minor: Fatphobia, Gun violence, Infidelity, Mental illness, Slavery, Death of parent, and War

lizardddd's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious reflective tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racial slurs, Racism, and Violence

nadia's review against another edition

challenging emotional slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

A really solid read! I didn't know anything about Tar Baby going in, avoiding the blurb on the TSG page and the back of my book, and found myself quickly immersed, with the characters coming to life. As always when I get back to Morrison I'm like: "okkkkkurrr, now this is writing. Wow."

I didn't fully get the significance of everything, especially some of the more magical realism elements (I think that's what you'd call them), including the ending, but I was able to mostly follow everything and appreciated all of the main themes of the book.

I think my current Toni Morrison ranking is:

1. Song of Solomon
2. Sula
3. Tar Baby
4. The Bluest Eye

My Beloved reread — the only Morrison I'd read before starting this chronological read — is next!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse and Racial slurs

Moderate: Racism, Rape, Violence, and Fire/Fire injury

zotty's review against another edition

emotional reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Racial slurs, Violence, and Death of parent

waybeyondblue's review

challenging dark tense medium-paced

• 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, and Violence

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Racial slurs, Slavery, and Sexual harassment