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4.38 AVERAGE
4.38 AVERAGE
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Marlon James will one day be nominated for a Nobel Prize and this book, as well as his other work of art, A History of Seven Killings, as well as his perfect control of language, format, history and storytelling will be the reasons. This novel is monumentally painful and heavy to read and I devoured every single page. I find myself more and more turning towards books published years ago when publishing was not split between lack of talent and tiktok madness.
dark
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Another book I can't rate. I am continually disgusted by what some humans are capable of and continually amazed at what others can endure.
challenging
dark
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I really enjoy Marlon James’s writing. The characters are always rich and nuanced. This book was extremely heavy, there was a lot of violence, given the setting, but reading a book set in 18th century Jamaica feels so rare. The story he tells is one the don’t often find and the ending was incredibly nuanced, I wish I had someone to talk through it with!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicide, Torture, Violence
I hated this book. Everything about it. The entire book is written in Jamaican patois, which transports you directly into the West Indies. Due to my own lack of familiarity with the dialect it made for a very difficult read throughout. I didn’t just struggle with the dialect, the entire book was filled with crass vulgarities (that seem purposeful just to shock the reader with its ugliness), plus extreme violence towards women (which I know were horrific experiences that enslaved women faced) but repeated over and over again — probably made to discomfort the reader and reinforce just how BRUTAL it was to live in slavery — but the extent and frequency of the brutality actually made me DNF a number of times.
All that with the fact that I really disliked and didn’t really believe Lilith as a main character. Just no. Not with how she’s turned her back on the Night Women, not with how she feels superior than them when some of them just want to help, not with Robert Quinn, not with how she’s somehow always miraculously the only survivor in every big scene… and the biggest fumble of trying to save Jack Wilkins at the end???? In fact every single character in this book is complex and hard to like. Every single one of them have both kind and evil sides to them with no real hero to root for except maybe Homer?
In terms of reading enjoyment, it’s definitely a 1/5 for me. In terms of historical significance, character complexity, and a study of social hierarchy (men and women both black and white), it’s a solid 5/5.
All that with the fact that I really disliked and didn’t really believe Lilith as a main character. Just no. Not with how she’s turned her back on the Night Women, not with how she feels superior than them when some of them just want to help, not with Robert Quinn, not with how she’s somehow always miraculously the only survivor in every big scene… and the biggest fumble of trying to save Jack Wilkins at the end???? In fact every single character in this book is complex and hard to like. Every single one of them have both kind and evil sides to them with no real hero to root for except maybe Homer?
In terms of reading enjoyment, it’s definitely a 1/5 for me. In terms of historical significance, character complexity, and a study of social hierarchy (men and women both black and white), it’s a solid 5/5.
This book was gorgeous but *hard* to read. Not for its writing style, which flows beautifully, but for the subject matter. The story is told from the point of view of a female slave growing up on a plantation in Jamaica, with full descriptions of all the cruelty (as one would expect, but it's still so crushing to think of the horrors that black people were subjected to). I was 1/3 of the way through the book when I saw it listed on audible and out of curiosity listened to a sample. The reader is so incredibly gifted, I had to buy the audio version as well and I listened to her read it as I read along myself. It really brought the book to life. I would highly recommend reading while listening to the audio book.
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual violence, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Colonisation
While we have read about or know about slavery, we can never ever understand the grotesque depravity that whites had against blacks. I felt shame, I felt my heart torn, I felt the light and strength of their soul shining through.. so disturbing yet so eloquent and beautifully written.
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
N/A