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hoppingpages's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
tense
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
The protagonist set my head on fire.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
moonandmadness's review against another edition
dark
reflective
tense
fast-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
3.75
If Wright had decided to write a thriller, I'm sure I would've collapsed while reading it. The writing is plain but with a rushing quality that sweeps you up, making it easy to read despite the subject matter. The empathy that this novel manages to curate even with how unlikeable the main character can be is impressive - and is clearly communicated. There are some shades of subtlety, however I'd generally class it as an unpolished novel, doing a good job of putting across its viewpoint, but without fully refining itself as a piece of art. Overall, a good novel.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gun violence, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual violence, Violence, and Murder
ellenmurr16's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-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
2.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Child death, Death, Gun violence, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Violence, Murder, and Sexual harassment
kliu55's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Native Son is a classic book I can always return to and rediscover some new aspect I hadn't noticed before. The nuances of this book are what make it so brilliant-- Bigger's name, Mrs. Dalton's blindness, Mr. Dalton's job, the representation of communism, Mrs. Thomas' namelessness, the list goes on. With such a complicated relationship to Bigger, readers are can never be comfortable fully supporting or hating him. The ending speech where Wright arguably inserts himself makes matters all the more complicated.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Sexual violence, Torture, Toxic relationship, and Murder
rlchen383's review against another edition
challenging
dark
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
This book stunned me. From the outset, you root for Bigger but have a sinking feeling in your gut that something has to go wrong. Tragically it goes wrong in a horrible way, and he is left fleeing from everyone he knows and more people who paint him as the prototypical dangerous Black man. In my "Black Manhattan" class, we read this and watched some of the HBO adaptation, which was striking in its cinematography but also in how it spliced together sections of this novel. Need to revisit both later
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual violence and Murder
hawkrose18's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
CAWPILE: 4.71
So I am pretty sure that I am not supposed to like the main character, but I really didn't like Bigger. I really didn't like how he was justifying his horrid actions to himself, and I understand why it was that way, but I just didn't like it. I know that Bigger was an uneducated Black man in the 1930s so his actions and thoughts made sense, but Bigger just got on my nerves so much and I don't know if that was the intention or not. I did like some of the lines in here and the commentary was pretty decent in my opinion, but I just was kind of grossed out by the thoughts and actions that Bigger had about/towards women because most of them were unnecessary in my opinion. I'm not an own voices reviewer and I did have to read this book for school so take that into account when reading this review. I don't think that this book is necessarily meant for me, but in the long run I am glad that I did read it, I just wish I liked it as much as I was expecting myself to like it.
So I am pretty sure that I am not supposed to like the main character, but I really didn't like Bigger. I really didn't like how he was justifying his horrid actions to himself, and I understand why it was that way, but I just didn't like it. I know that Bigger was an uneducated Black man in the 1930s so his actions and thoughts made sense, but Bigger just got on my nerves so much and I don't know if that was the intention or not. I did like some of the lines in here and the commentary was pretty decent in my opinion, but I just was kind of grossed out by the thoughts and actions that Bigger had about/towards women because most of them were unnecessary in my opinion. I'm not an own voices reviewer and I did have to read this book for school so take that into account when reading this review. I don't think that this book is necessarily meant for me, but in the long run I am glad that I did read it, I just wish I liked it as much as I was expecting myself to like it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, and Murder