Reviews with content warning for Domestic abuse - Se a Rua Beale Falasse

Reviews tagging 'Domestic abuse'

Se a Rua Beale Falasse by James Baldwin

19 reviews

mattyvreads's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

Gorgeously written and utterly haunting. One of the best books I have ever read, period.

It’s a not-so-far-fetched fiction which is unfortunately, equally relevant today. It is so much more than a love story, although few succeed in painting as clear and honest a picture of humanity as Baldwin.

It’s hard to write a review for this book because words fail to describe it’s poignance and import. Absolutely everyone should read this book.

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greatexpectations77's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

4.75

I'm a little embarrassed that this was my first James Baldwin book, but I'm so glad that I read it. What beautiful writing and such a tragic story. I feel like it's rare that a male writer has such incredible insight into a female character, but I thought it was such an amazing story about women. I would love to write an essay about it. And how horrifying that 50 years later, the exact same story could happen today in this racist country built on stolen land.

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kelsrock's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

4.5

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owenwilsonbaby's review against another edition

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dark emotional reflective sad fast-paced

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

5.0

"He laughed. "Baby. Baby. Baby. I love you. And I'm going to build us a table and a whole lot of folks going to be eating off it for a long, long time to come.""

My favourite thing about the line I've quoted above is that I've often seen it shared on social media and I've always been intrigued by it, but having just read it in its original context, it suddenly seems so much richer. This sentiment is true of the novel overall. Having only encountered Baldwin's writing in circulated snippets online and Raoul Peck's absorbing documentary I Am Not Your Negro, I was interested but ultimately uncommitted, ignorant of how truly talented and totally absorbing his narrative voice is. As I read this novel, I felt like my entire understanding of his work expanded. This development felt particularly special because I love Barry Jenkins' adaptation of this book so much and yet it now seems like a small fragment of this book's breathtaking story.

This book is so wonderful and so sad. Baldwin is fantastic with character voice. Tish is such a compelling character and her way of understanding and assessing her world was so sharp, at times both beautiful and funny. My copy was dog-eared by the end from the quotes I wanted to remember and include here. The scene near the beginning where Tish and Fonny have their first date in church and realise that "Now, we knew nobody loved us: or, now, we knew who did. Whoever loved us was not here." The way Baldwin writes about love and sex, which makes it sacred and redemptive. The insight into womanhood, gender, violation and agency was incredible. The scene where Joseph and Frank talk about raising kids despite experiencing poverty. The scene where Daniel discloses the things he endured in prison. The searing indictment of America, whiteness, capitalism and the penal system. All of it. I read this in two sittings. I want to re-read it immediately.

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