Reviews tagging 'Racism'

The Well of Loneliness by Radclyffe Hall

26 reviews

delidousias's review against another edition

4.25

ohhhhh my God. this is a book that I do not think I will be able to recommend to anyone in my life, but it cut me right in my bones. The protagonist and I are very different people, but sometimes I would hear her describe an emotion exactly as I’ve felt it without having had the words for it. and she does it 100 years before me! I guess I never really believed that there were like. lesbians before the 70s. there’s an indigo girls song about connections through time when you’re reading and i was feeling this forreal. as a disclaimer: this book is flawed! i think the author was conservative and there are undercurrents of that in this book. despite how beautiful some of the passages in this book are, it was disappointing when some of those prejudices would come out and it would take me out of it. 

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Content Warnings

Minor: Antisemitism and Racism

leah_bee's review against another edition

challenging sad slow-paced

3.75

about a quarter of it could be cut. got suddenly racist at the end. the title is fitting to how depressing it is. important read bc it was like the only book gay women were reading for a while and inspired a lot of future lesbian lit but wow i need to go kiss my girlfriend after that ending

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia

Moderate: Racial slurs, Racism, and Suicide

sofipitch's review against another edition

reflective sad slow-paced

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

4.0

Difficult to sum up in a short or coherent summary. The way this is written is more reminiscent of a 19th century romantic novel, which I really enjoyed but that might be off-putting to some. At the same time it feels old it still captures the same feelings many queer ppl have today. Stephen is an incredibly compelling character, justing following her makes for a good story. Stephen often feels at the mercy of who she is surrounded, incredibly loved by some, but when she loses them she becomes worse than alone. The biggest disappointment in this novel is the prejudices the author did bake in, racism, classism, antisemitism. For a book that the big blinking neon theme is equality and tolerance, it's more casual cruelties feel starker.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Transphobia, Dysphoria, and Lesbophobia

Moderate: Suicide, Racism, Racial slurs, Homophobia, Antisemitism, and Classism

Minor: Drug abuse

bethanwx's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense 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

3.0

The first half of this book is worthy of 5 stars. Stephen's relationships with Philip and Puddle are so beautifully written, and Hall really makes you root for Stephen. However, the book later conveys a white supremacist outlook held by Hall. For a book which advocates for the acceptance of queer people, the inhumane description of black characters is not only disgusting but is itself antithetical to the novel's advocation. The novel's depiction of Mary also feels incomplete. She is used as a porn by everyone, including Stephen, who is attracted to her young and naivite, even noticing that she looks younger than her age in a troubling age difference trope.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, War, Death, Lesbophobia, Misogyny, Sexism, Suicide, Xenophobia, Grief, Fatphobia, Homophobia, Death of parent, Racial slurs, and Racism

Moderate: Pedophilia

laurenw's review against another edition

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Alcohol, Addiction, War, Alcoholism, Death, Death of parent, Outing, Homophobia, Suicide, Toxic relationship, and Racial slurs

Moderate: Animal death, Gaslighting, Religious bigotry, and Classism

Minor: Biphobia and Antisemitism

libraryofindra's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Chronic illness, Lesbophobia, Toxic relationship, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, War, Death of parent, and Dysphoria

Moderate: Animal death, Suicide, Mental illness, Racial slurs, and Racism

Minor: Sexism, Racial slurs, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Toxic relationship, Racism, and Medical content

seth5678's review against another edition

dark emotional sad medium-paced

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

5.0

It's a very hard book at times to get through but it also speaks to feelings that I as a queer person have felt.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide, Toxic relationship, and Homophobia

Moderate: Animal death and Racism

In the later of this book there are a few racial slurs used, including the "hard r". As well there is a reference to social darwinism in regards to a black character. Over all where this book succeeds in what it portrays of queer people, it serverly lacks in it's depiction of POC. As such, I wouldn't recommend this book to queer POC.

arrr's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

5.0

Complicated, problematic revolutionary, contemplative. Before white folks had language for so many queer experiences. Huge influence on contemporary lgbtqia2s+ literature, I kept finding easter eggs others have referenced. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Racial slurs, Racism, Transphobia, War, Homophobia, Classism, Death, Death of parent, and Suicide

coatpocketcreature's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad slow-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Transphobia, Grief, Self harm, Racism, Homophobia, and Suicide

nikodemus's review against another edition

dark emotional inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Homophobia, Death of parent, Dysphoria, Transphobia, and Racism