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whothehelliskaitlin's reviews
90 reviews
Home Fire by Kamila Shamsie
2.0
I thought for a long time about what to rate this book, and I landed on two stars.
There are a lot of things that this book does not do well. One of these things is representation. The women in the novel are treated as sexual beings and are seen as such by every male character. Even worse, they are "exotic" sexual beings that the men in the novel are entranced by because of their "otherness". Orientalism at its finest. Additionally, though I am not a Muslim so it may not be my place to speak (and please tell me I am speaking out of turn!), I found all of the sex scenes and comments regarding the hijab uncomfortable, unnecessary, and disrespectful. Why was it necessary to have the female character praying naked? To have a sex scene where she wears nothing but a hijab? To have a father ask his son, "How Muslim is she?" It added nothing to the plot or characters and Islam seemed to be treated as an accessory to the characters to make them seem deeper than they are, when it is not being denied as a faith by every male character in the book.
The older sister is boring, the younger sister is a manic pixie dream girl, and the men are every stereotype personified. Besides none of the characters being likable, the writing also tries to be very lyrical, but comes off as confusing. There are many tense changes and fragmented sentences. The paragraphs also change content very quickly in some cases and it is hard to keep track of what the characters are actually doing and saying and where they are.
Despite all of this, the book did stick with me. I thought about the ending for quite a while after I finished it and I still managed to have some sort of feelings regarding some of the characters. I can also appreciate what this book was trying to do regarding Islamophobia and double consciousness, even if I do no think it was done well, so I feel it would be a disservice to rate it as low as one star.
There are a lot of things that this book does not do well. One of these things is representation. The women in the novel are treated as sexual beings and are seen as such by every male character. Even worse, they are "exotic" sexual beings that the men in the novel are entranced by because of their "otherness". Orientalism at its finest. Additionally, though I am not a Muslim so it may not be my place to speak (and please tell me I am speaking out of turn!), I found all of the sex scenes and comments regarding the hijab uncomfortable, unnecessary, and disrespectful. Why was it necessary to have the female character praying naked? To have a sex scene where she wears nothing but a hijab? To have a father ask his son, "How Muslim is she?" It added nothing to the plot or characters and Islam seemed to be treated as an accessory to the characters to make them seem deeper than they are, when it is not being denied as a faith by every male character in the book.
The older sister is boring, the younger sister is a manic pixie dream girl, and the men are every stereotype personified. Besides none of the characters being likable, the writing also tries to be very lyrical, but comes off as confusing. There are many tense changes and fragmented sentences. The paragraphs also change content very quickly in some cases and it is hard to keep track of what the characters are actually doing and saying and where they are.
Despite all of this, the book did stick with me. I thought about the ending for quite a while after I finished it and I still managed to have some sort of feelings regarding some of the characters. I can also appreciate what this book was trying to do regarding Islamophobia and double consciousness, even if I do no think it was done well, so I feel it would be a disservice to rate it as low as one star.
Paradise Lost by John Milton
3.0
It is really hard to give this text a rating as to me it is more of a theological piece of literature, but that being said I will rate it a 3 for a few different reasons. I think that the way that Milton used his religious and political beliefs to write a story was very genius and that there were some very remarkable scenes in the story. The way he connected everything in the story together, from characters to themes to places, was very solid and his imagining of what Paradise and the universe look like was interesting to read.
However, I do deduct points because there are parts in the story where Milton's own beliefs and prejudices (mainly misogyny) get in his own way of the story he is trying to tell. Some things did not mesh together well and although sometimes he would say one thing, he would say something else that negated the first statement. For example, Milton believed no one person should come in between a person's relationship with God (even a priest), yet he says that Adam (men) has a direct relationship to God and that Eve (women) does not and instead worships God through her relationship with Adam. I also think that the pacing was not very stable, as the first few books were slow, the middle was fast, and then the last book was very long-winded when getting to the point.
I would not recommend this book as a casual read as it was hard to grasp without the help of my professor but if you are into theological readings or early literature then it is still an interesting story!
However, I do deduct points because there are parts in the story where Milton's own beliefs and prejudices (mainly misogyny) get in his own way of the story he is trying to tell. Some things did not mesh together well and although sometimes he would say one thing, he would say something else that negated the first statement. For example, Milton believed no one person should come in between a person's relationship with God (even a priest), yet he says that Adam (men) has a direct relationship to God and that Eve (women) does not and instead worships God through her relationship with Adam. I also think that the pacing was not very stable, as the first few books were slow, the middle was fast, and then the last book was very long-winded when getting to the point.
I would not recommend this book as a casual read as it was hard to grasp without the help of my professor but if you are into theological readings or early literature then it is still an interesting story!
House of Hollow by Krystal Sutherland
4.0
This book had a very eerie atmosphere that I loved very much. Sutherland did a very good job of putting the grotesque into the modern London setting without it seeming unfitting. Her way of rotting nature and making it seem both haunting and beautiful was very fun to read and I liked seeing how she made it a central attachment to the characters and the setting. The Grimm's fairytale vibe of this book was wonderful and the mystery kept me engaged. And while the plot twist might have been easy to guess if you're familiar with this genre of books, reading about the characters and their powers, their unraveling story, was still as mesmerizing as the characters' appearances in the novel. It was also a very easy story to get into and very easy to read.
I took off a star, however, for just a few small reasons. While the story is told from the youngest sister's perspective, she falls flat compared to the older sisters described in the book and I feel like we as readers barely know anything about her or her personality. I also grew frustrated with her at certain points because she could admit that she and her sisters had weird powers but yet for some reason couldn't believe that they might be involved in something otherworldly.
Also, there were at least three different instances in the book where it mentioned a character using the bathroom. I mean, once I get it, twice okay, but three times? Kind of a weird plot device LOL.
Still an enjoyable book though!
I took off a star, however, for just a few small reasons. While the story is told from the youngest sister's perspective, she falls flat compared to the older sisters described in the book and I feel like we as readers barely know anything about her or her personality. I also grew frustrated with her at certain points because she could admit that she and her sisters had weird powers but yet for some reason couldn't believe that they might be involved in something otherworldly.
Also, there were at least three different instances in the book where it mentioned a character using the bathroom. I mean, once I get it, twice okay, but three times? Kind of a weird plot device LOL.
Still an enjoyable book though!
Small Island by Andrea Levy
5.0
I loved everything about this book. It brings such a looked-over perspective from WWII to the forefront and makes for an interesting and moving read. Most war books focus on the fighting, but the glimpses into how it affected the daily lives of civilians and especially how it affected the lives of people not part of the West made it unique. This book does the work of bringing attention to how nuanced the relations during the war were and that it was not simply the "Good" versus the "Bad". It also calls attention to British "amnesia" and ignorance and shows how harmful it is. And not only is the book thought compelling and informative but it does all this while being a genuinely engaging read.
Every character in the book is extremely thought out and complex and you get to see how they all grow and change throughout the book. While reading it I felt my feelings for the characters changing and shifting the more I read about them. They all felt like real people which is important when writing about complicated issues and they all evoked strong emotions in me ranging from hatred to laughter. I also really loved how the plot of the book was laid out, switching from the past to the present so that the reader slowly gets all the pieces to the big picture. Levy really created a wonderful, wonderful novel that more people should know about!
Every character in the book is extremely thought out and complex and you get to see how they all grow and change throughout the book. While reading it I felt my feelings for the characters changing and shifting the more I read about them. They all felt like real people which is important when writing about complicated issues and they all evoked strong emotions in me ranging from hatred to laughter. I also really loved how the plot of the book was laid out, switching from the past to the present so that the reader slowly gets all the pieces to the big picture. Levy really created a wonderful, wonderful novel that more people should know about!
Nature Poem by Tommy Pico
3.0
I enjoyed the different style of this book and how it strays from the "savage narrative" as Pico puts it and the usual formatting of typical poems about nature. The poem touches on many different ideas and the intersectionality of existence and of society's problems. While the pop culture references and vulgarness of the poem help make it what it is and get its many messages across, I must confess that I did not understand some of them which took away from the poem (which is no fault to the author) while still, other lines and wording made me cringe. While I did genuinely enjoy the poem, I do not think that I would ever bring myself to reread it.
Passing by Nella Larsen
4.0
I really liked the writing of this novel. I don't know if it's just me, but novels written in the 1920s just give off a certain vibe where you can tell it was written in that time. I could imagine in my head early Harlem and the dresses and parties of the time. Larsen's way of writing her characters helped them seem like real dimensional people with motivations and secrets, and the tensions (both sexual and antagonistic) between them were very tangible. Clare felt like a tragic movie star character that I would hear about in real life. She was not, however, an enjoyable character as she seemed very superficial and I do not believe that any of the characters in the novel really were (which may have been the point, but nevertheless was hard to ignore as they were all self-centered in different ways). Irene was very selfish and manipulative and Brian was too cynical.
The fact that the novel's settings and characters were so well established aided in getting across the grand issue of racism discussed in the book in the little number of pages that it has. The dynamics of black culture and passing were portrayed in great length through Clare, Irene, and Brian as well as the idea of who can truly be safe in American society and at what cost. Larsen as an author also developed the story along really well with different literary elements and I enjoyed trying to psychoanalyze these characters. The ending of the book was both a surprise and not, however it was nothing I was mad at and kept with the feel of the novel.
The fact that the novel's settings and characters were so well established aided in getting across the grand issue of racism discussed in the book in the little number of pages that it has. The dynamics of black culture and passing were portrayed in great length through Clare, Irene, and Brian as well as the idea of who can truly be safe in American society and at what cost. Larsen as an author also developed the story along really well with different literary elements and I enjoyed trying to psychoanalyze these characters. The ending of the book was both a surprise and not, however it was nothing I was mad at and kept with the feel of the novel.
No-No Boy by John Okada
3.0
Okada's novel is a thoughtful representation of the Asian American experience and the effects of WW2 and it is sad that he did not get to witness the praise for his book while he was alive. His style of writing is something that I have truly never experienced before. He bounced between third and first person, from insider to outsider, from dialogue to long internal monologues. It took a while to get used to but I appreciated what it did to explain the characters and their setting and to try to get readers to expand their thinking and understanding of their place in the world around them. I also enjoyed the description of the places, I could picture Seattle and see the smokey clubs.
There were a few things, however, that I did not enjoy as much. The main character, Ichiro, was perhaps the most boring character in the novel even though he was granted a rich backstory to pull from. I did not feel a connection to him and while I sympathized with his situation I did not feel his emotions. Additionally, most of his dialogue was incredibly monotone: "No." "Ya." "Okay." However, all the other characters were tremendously interesting and I loved getting to peer into their minds and see glimpses of them. And Kenji, ugh, my favorite.
On top of this, Okada did not have a good representation of women in his book. Most of them are deemed as crazy/dumb/weak/harsh, even the ones who appear for only one page. Okada goes as far as to imply that the main character's life and his father's life would be better without women in them. The only half decent portrayal of a woman in this book was Emi, who is also portrayed as a cheater and whose emotions are always changing.
Also, the ending was a little rushed to me as the whole book was slow-paced, and then the last three chapters it's like BAM BAM BAM ACTION finished. Overall, I appreciate Okada's courage to write such a taboo topic for the time in which it was produced, but otherwise, it was a pretty average book experience.
There were a few things, however, that I did not enjoy as much. The main character, Ichiro, was perhaps the most boring character in the novel even though he was granted a rich backstory to pull from. I did not feel a connection to him and while I sympathized with his situation I did not feel his emotions. Additionally, most of his dialogue was incredibly monotone: "No." "Ya." "Okay." However, all the other characters were tremendously interesting and I loved getting to peer into their minds and see glimpses of them. And Kenji, ugh, my favorite.
On top of this, Okada did not have a good representation of women in his book. Most of them are deemed as crazy/dumb/weak/harsh, even the ones who appear for only one page. Okada goes as far as to imply that the main character's life and his father's life would be better without women in them. The only half decent portrayal of a woman in this book was Emi, who is also portrayed as a cheater and whose emotions are always changing.
Also, the ending was a little rushed to me as the whole book was slow-paced, and then the last three chapters it's like BAM BAM BAM ACTION finished. Overall, I appreciate Okada's courage to write such a taboo topic for the time in which it was produced, but otherwise, it was a pretty average book experience.
Dutchman and the Slave: Two Plays by LeRoi Jones
1.0
I know that Baraka was a very intelligent man and one who greatly influenced the Black Arts movement, however his brilliance and fight against racism are clouded by his own prejudices. I have read four of his works, including these two plays, and they are all littered with rampant anti-semitism, misogyny, and homophobia. It almost distracts the reader completely from the point of the work. Additionally, his works are often very convoluted and busy and while I know the purpose of the style it does not always work in his plays and almost comes off as pretentious where you have to dig deep to see what he is even saying. The plays do have important things to say about anti-blackness and the black experience but these factors of his work I could not ignore, it made them unenjoyable for me.
The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison
5.0
Lovely written book. Touches on important messages and the format is a really engaging way to tell the story. It does however get difficult to read at times due to the content. Definitely trigger warnings for this book.
Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe
4.0
This was very different from what I usually read and while it is not the first one that touches on issues of race it is the first one I have read that touches on colonialism as it is happening instead of post-colonialism. I enjoyed the very straightforward narration of the novel as it kept the story constantly flowing and how Achebe intertwined folklore stories to help move it along. I did think the last half of the novel happened very quickly and was wrapped up before I was ready, however, I enjoyed the genius that was the last two pages which commented on how the Commissioner would frame the main character Okonkwo's story as if the whole novel wasn't Okonkwo's story which helps to re-emphasize the main points and truths of the novel.