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e715's review against another edition
3.0
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Hate crime, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, and Pregnancy
Minor: Alcoholism, Slavery, Car accident, Abortion, and Alcohol
cleo_vii's review against another edition
5.0
Immediate reactions/thoughts: how one's circumstances shape oneself (nurture over nature); whether Maya's experiences were normal in their diverted-ness, or if she was unusually nomadic; the traumas embedded in the families, social customs, and cultures of Black Americans (and liberation in Mexico), as well as in her personal history (pockmarked with darkness that would warrant trigger warnings in the 2020s); the frequent juxtaposition of imagined "success" rather than the reality (e.g., a self-described 'military dietitian' living in a mansion vs a cafeteria cook living in a trailer) delineating cultural worlds (the façade drops with the intrusion of the oppressive culture); and other thoughts but I'm quite tired now.
Maya is, as always, incredible.
Graphic: Racism, Rape, and Sexual assault
Moderate: Alcoholism, Blood, Abandonment, and Alcohol
Minor: Abortion
crybabybea's review against another edition
3.75
Despite its importance, I found it a bit of a tough read; probably because of the older style of writing that came across at times as disjointed. As a coming-of-age story, it's enjoyable and easy to get through, with plenty of moments of unbelievably beautiful prose that really showcase Maya Angelou's poetic talents.
Graphic: Alcoholism, Pedophilia, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Pregnancy, and Abandonment
jalexpulliamkepler's review against another edition
4.0
Graphic: Child abuse, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Religious bigotry, Lesbophobia, and Classism
Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Hate crime, Infidelity, Medical content, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Suicidal thoughts and War
theelliad's review against another edition
3.5
This was required reading for my module last year and despite really enjoying what I read of it, I never got round to reading the full book until now. Angelou’s writing is so beautiful and captivating, especially when read by herself, I literally had to finish this in one sitting! I’m not typically a non-fiction reader and so the narrative exploration and descriptive attention to detail felt as immersive and entertaining as any fiction. Her coming to terms with herself, her trauma and the struggles of those around her is made both painful and relatable even for those who have never or will never experience the things she did. This is a case study in self writing and Angelou truly is someone to be studied and remembered. I don’t however understand the purpose of making an autobiography 7 <200 books? Perhaps that is just how storygraph classifies it but this book alone definitely didn’t feel complete which was annoying, I would happily have endured a longer cohesive piece instead of having to spread the reading across multiple books. (note post finishing: apparently there is audio editions of all 7 in one so that’s my bad i just didn’t realise it had 7 parts so didn’t think to look) Overall an enjoyable read :))
Graphic: Ableism, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, and Sexual content
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Blood, Car accident, Gaslighting, Abandonment, and Classism
Minor: Abortion and War
aqtbenz's review against another edition
Graphic: Alcoholism, Child abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Pregnancy, and Abandonment
chriswoody94's review against another edition
5.0
Graphic: Child abuse, Mental illness, Racism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Grief
Moderate: Alcoholism, Death, Sexism, Violence, Murder, and Pregnancy
a_bloom's review against another edition
4.25
Graphic: Pedophilia, Racial slurs, Rape, Sexism, Sexual violence, and Abandonment
Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Body shaming, Death, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Sexual assault, Blood, Grief, Medical trauma, and Abortion
Minor: Gun violence, Hate crime, Incest, Infidelity, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Slavery, Toxic relationship, Transphobia, Xenophobia, Pregnancy, and War
lily1304's review against another edition
4.25
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Hate crime, Pedophilia, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, and Murder
Moderate: Alcoholism, Infidelity, Pregnancy, Alcohol, and War
caribbeangirlreading's review against another edition
4.0
Graphic: Alcoholism, Child abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Car accident, Suicide attempt, Pregnancy, Abandonment, and Alcohol