Reviews tagging 'Sexism'

Another Country by James Baldwin

11 reviews

dizzzybrook's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-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? Yes

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cursing, Death, Racism, Rape, Sexual content, Sexual assault, Domestic abuse, Homophobia, Sexual violence, Emotional abuse, Sexism, Physical abuse, Suicide, Toxic relationship, and Violence

mayze's review

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny, Cursing, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Biphobia, Classism, Death, Drug use, Mental illness, Self harm, Sexism, Suicide, Abandonment, Alcoholism, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Racial slurs, Sexual violence, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Hate crime, Sexual content, Grief, Homophobia, Racism, Rape, Alcohol, Forced institutionalization, and Physical abuse

Another amazing book by James Baldwin. Another Country tells the story of a social circle of NYC bohemians in the 1950s. Rufus a black jazz musician, Vivaldo an Irish-Italian write, Cass a wealthy liberal housewife, Ida a singer and Rufus' younger sister and Eric, an actor who just returned from some time off in France. While reading this book it's easy to understand why it's held in such high regard. The gripping writing and its clever way to interweaving different themes (racism, sexism, homosexuality/bissexuality) was decades ahead of its time and still does it better than the average book who tries to connect themes today. The characters were well written, they all have clear faults (some of them heinous) and even though none of them were overall likeable, I didn't find them particularly unlikeable either. They just felt like three-dimensional characters were the complexity and themes of the plot make some of their actions understandable from their POV. As usual, Baldwin's descriptions of NYC are very effective, you can easily picture Seventh Avenue, the dive bars the characters are fond of, coast towns in Southern France, and even how chaotic and smelly the characters' living quarters are. I highly recommend this, it's very uncomfortable at times but I feel that readers can learn a lot from it and easily put themselves in the characters' shoes even if they don't necessarily agree with their actions.

lazlio's review

challenging dark emotional reflective tense medium-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? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Sexual harassment, Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual content, Racism, Racial slurs, Physical abuse, Misogyny, Suicide attempt, Rape, Sexual violence, Alcohol, Violence, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, Sexism, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Mental illness, Infidelity, Grief, and Death

slayalicious's review

challenging dark informative reflective tense 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? Yes

3.5

The book is meant for a certain type of person who loves literature and can withstand the boring parts and long chapters.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cursing, Toxic friendship, Drug use, Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Emotional abuse, Alcohol, Domestic abuse, Violence, Death, Homophobia, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Gaslighting, Sexual content, and Grief

bg_oseman_fan's review against another edition

challenging dark 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? Yes

4.0

This book was a well written but challenging read. At times it was hard to parse the emotions of the characters, which seems so volatile. Modern readers might struggle to understand the way Baldwin writes about love and sexuality if the context of the period he is writing in is not taken into account. the human heart and mind are strange and complex creatures, and Baldwin’s writing makes clear how muddled and confusing that make our world. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide

Moderate: Addiction, Racism, Sexism, Alcohol, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Infidelity, Cursing, Suicidal thoughts, Grief, Alcoholism, Death, and Misogyny

morgmj's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Sexual violence, Sexism, Sexual assault, Domestic abuse, and Emotional abuse

martinj's review against another edition

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Domestic abuse, Racial slurs, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, and Racism

Moderate: Sexism, Forced institutionalization, and Suicide

piperclover's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

I have no idea how to rate this because I read it for class, not pleasure. I never would've picked it up for pleasure but there's a lot worth analyzing for essays

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence, Racism, Racial slurs, Sexism, Suicide, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Infidelity, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, and Suicidal thoughts

amkclaes's review

dark sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

this is maybe the best book ever written, it is so beautiful and gut wrenching and tender and horrifying, and each character feels so completely real, as if baldwin could know others better than they know themselves, each small tic and feeling going completely within the character's universe, it was just haunting, in the best way

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Grief, Infidelity, Mental illness, Racism, Alcohol, Cursing, Death, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, and Toxic friendship

signeskov's review against another edition

dark reflective tense slow-paced

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

4.25

‘“Pray? Who, pray? I bet you, if I ever get anywhere near that white devil you call God, I’ll tear my son and my father out of his white hide! Don’t you ever say the word Pray to me again, woman, not if you want to live.”’

This novel is not for the easy-hearted, its main themes being racism and human estrangement. Sex, misogyny, toxic masculinity, and violence is the interwoven fabric of the story, and the characters are one big, unlikeable mass of suffering. Often, these elements of the book disgusted me or provoked some pretty heavy reactions in me. Despite Baldwin’s identity as a black gay man, one must announce that the book is still a product of its time - though this of course also adds to the historical depiction of racism and patriarchy, which definitely interested me. Finally, this is a novel that doesn’t say a whole lot as you’re sitting with it, but only truly revealed itself to me as I finished it and had left it to brew for some days.

What brings this novel up from a pretty standard 4 rating to a 4.25 is Baldwin’s writing. It is simply put immaculate, constantly blending love and hate into shattering contrasts of existential crisis, human loneliness, and, of course, racism. It is forceful, violent, and at once beautiful - and is sure to stay with its reader for a while as a literary shot of refreshment to the brain.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny, Racism, Sexism, Suicide, and Domestic abuse

Moderate: Drug use, Homophobia, and Alcohol