Reviews

Romance in Marseille by Claude McKay

quenchy_cactus's review against another edition

challenging dark fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• 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

3.0

I think this will be a book that’s gonna stick with me for a while… I don’t know why…

It was the first classic I read, front to back, and I’m very proud of myself.

The racism was a bit chocking honestly.

The ending made me feel empty. Lafala just leaving was so mean and Aslima being heartbroken was so sad. Her death at the end was very unfortunate😢 (However I was very confused during the book about her alliance, if she was on Tintín or Lafala’s side. I guess the sad part about the end was knowing how much she loved Lafala)

I understood the meaning of the word “pig” when it came to anything sexual between Aslima and Lafala, but it was still sooo weird 🐷

mimi13's review

adventurous informative reflective fast-paced

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

3.75

loveday's review

4.0

Lilymouse gave this to me for my bday and I rly loved it. Especially final flirtation between La Fleur and Aslima.

zeeship's review

4.0

This book felt akin to other classics from the early 1900s that were required reading in high school, in a good way. My 15-year-old self would have much rather read this, and had discussions about the social and symbolic meaning of themes in this book, than The Great Gatsby. This story was visually stunning, and I'll have pictures in my head from reading it for years to come.

the_alchemy's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective fast-paced

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

2.75

drewminyard's review

reflective sad 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

2.0

mittland's review

adventurous dark emotional hopeful lighthearted reflective sad slow-paced

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

4.0

 apparently my edition had like 50 extra pages at the end of only analysis so it hit me hard when i realized the last chapter indeed was the Last Chapter. very rich and interesting text, so i understand the need for discussion 

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Ableism and Racism

oz617's review

2.0

In all honesty, it's probably a better book than I'm giving credit for. It was nice to read about a disabled character, and depictions of queerness, in a fairly matter of fact way. But the actual story and style were incredibly boring to read, to the point of me skimming most of it, and the language (though standard for its time) now seems so outdated that it was deeply uncomfortable to read.

lapsedmarxist's review

4.25

mckay writes with such rawness and passion. it truly is insane how much he is able to cover in a short story. no page, no paragraph is wasted although im sure many would disagree. nonetheless, i will admit i did struggled in the beginning. i was not sure the story would be cohesive enough. needless to say mckay pulled it off. and im not quite sure how. with soo many elements and characters and themes it just doesn’t seem possible. this novel is one of those that you grow to like and appreciate over time.

joeldrama's review

3.0

Easier to read than I expected; I just want to know why there was so much porcine imagery throughout it