Reviews tagging 'Racial slurs'

Quicksand by Nella Larsen

5 reviews

balfies's review against another edition

Go to review page

dark reflective sad fast-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? Yes

4.75

Helga Crane had a white mother and a black father. She cannot self actualise as an outspoken voice in educated southern black society, nor among the race radicals in Harlem, nor as an ornament in Denmark, nor as a preacher's wife completely surrendered to religion. Belonging and a stable sense of self are unreachable.

First read this during a unit on the Harlem Renaissance I did while I was on exchange in the States. Honestly, one of the finest pieces of American writing on race I've ever read. Nella Larsen is up there with Alice Walker and Toni Morrison, this was so richly detailed and full of vivid imagery, I made notes on just about every page.
Expand filter menu Content Warnings

catherinedsharp's review against another edition

Go to review page

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

1.5

 DISCLAIMER -  I read this text as a set text for university meaning I did not pick this up for myself. It does not fit my usual reading selection so my review may be rather biased. 

Despite being pretty short and relatively basic, I did not enjoy this text. I found it quite hard to get through and neither plot or characters gripped me. Within a handful of pages I found that I could understand the moral of the story and from there, the plot was quite repetitive. Put this together with a rather unhappy/unsatisfying ending (which is the point of the book but still), I found it a difficult book to engage with.

Even so, I did like the writing style; there was lots of description and the writing was accessible. I just didn't really get gripped by the book as much as I thought that I would.
Expand filter menu Content Warnings

eve81's review against another edition

Go to review page

dark reflective sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? N/A
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

Expand filter menu Content Warnings

sofipitch's review against another edition

Go to review page

challenging reflective 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

I really liked this book until the last few chapters. Helga's struggle with racial imposter syndrome really resonated with me. I wondered if there are parts that are outdated now but honestly I don't think so, I think less ppl think the way the characters do but there are still a fair amount of ppl that don't think races should mix, they just know better than to say it out loud (most of the time). The last few chapters or character arc felt really suddenly, like it came from no where, and just underdeveloped. Since this book is very autobiographical it feels like the last part wasn't, and that's why it was underdeveloped, like it's Larsen imagining an alternative future she could have ended up with (and maybe did later, she kind of disappeared after two books which I wish she hadn't, she's very talented.
Expand filter menu Content Warnings

alexiconic's review against another edition

Go to review page

challenging emotional 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? Yes

3.75

Expand filter menu Content Warnings
More...