Reviews tagging 'Racism'

East of Eden by John Steinbeck

46 reviews

lief_'s review

challenging emotional reflective slow-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide, War, Racial slurs, Death, Murder, Abortion, Colonisation, Death of parent, and Racism

Moderate: Infidelity

alexashabit's review against another edition

reflective slow-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racial slurs and Racism

kmhst25's review

Misogynistic garbage dressed up as philosophy. I forced myself to finish all 600 pages of this trash so I could come here and tell you not to. The takeaway is supposed to be that all men contain good and evil. We are apparently supposed to take the men part literally, since it excludes the female antagonist of the novel, who is the male epitomy of female evil in the most comically stupid and over-the-top manner. 

Conveniently, almost all of the evil committed by men in the book is committed against women, including (trigger warning: rape)

a woman being gang-raped to death while giving birth.

But hey, the book says, don't hate those men! They loved that baby! This book is the moral equivalent of saying that all prisons should be abolished, and responding "Who cares?!" when someone asks "But what about all the serial killers and rapists?" This is a book by a man for men who can only perceive the world as a male place; it lacks any humanity.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Sexual violence, Infidelity, Trafficking, Racial slurs, Murder, Grief, Rape, Violence, and Misogyny

Moderate: Pregnancy, Sexism, and Alcohol

Minor: Suicide and Animal cruelty

libbykerns's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful reflective 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

a magnificent, sprawling novel of human wrestlings and starkly beautiful prose. there were sections that i wish tied in better to the overall narrative—but this was a wonderful read. it will stay with me for a long time. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Racism, Suicide, and Murder

seana02's review

dark emotional reflective sad medium-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

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Content Warnings

Minor: Suicide and Racism

readasaurus_rex's review

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense slow-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

5.0

Devastatingly beautiful and honest. A brilliant exploration of the story of good and evil, Cain and Abel. Heartbreaking and deeply moving by turns. Steinbeck’s observations of humanity are so deadly accurate and familiar. I am blown away by this novel. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racial slurs, Racism, Abortion, Suicide, and War

zworlund's review

adventurous challenging dark hopeful reflective sad medium-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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racial slurs, Racism, Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, Alcohol, Emotional abuse, Cursing, Death of parent, Rape, Suicide attempt, Death, Pregnancy, Sexual assault, Infidelity, Physical abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Violence, War, and Xenophobia

codecat's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective slow-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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Racism, Grief, and Racial slurs

Minor: War, Rape, and Suicide

ventenne's review

emotional reflective slow-paced

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

4.0

i think i’ll come back and reread east of eden at some point because of how it got me thinking, but it wasn’t something that fundamentally changed my worldview…

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Death of parent, War, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Abandonment, Gun violence, Suicidal thoughts, and Grief

Moderate: Addiction, Drug use, Racism, Drug abuse, Sexual content, Pregnancy, Alcoholism, and Racial slurs

junglejelly's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective sad slow-paced

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

4.25

Wanting a challenge and a classic, I picked up Steinbeck's East of Eden and got both.

The writing style is so easy to read and follow which helps with the slow pace of the novel.

The characters are the best part of the novel, I became very emotionally invested in them whether it was happiness or anger. These sets of families will not leave me for a long time.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship and Racism

Moderate: Death of parent, Suicide, Murder, Death, and Violence

Minor: War and Abortion