jarshi's Reviews (189)

I am trying to be more eloquent than screaming, "HUH?!" and then rolling over to die. 

Where do I even start? When I finished the book, my mind was so painfully full and shockingly empty. I was so upset I couldn't even sleep. 

 

It unnerved me how accurately this book conveyed my own experiences of attending a PWI on scholarship. And at times I had to put the book down and take a lap because things hit too close to home. 

 

The code-switching to assimilate into an environment full of rich white people who appear to have never struggled a day in their lives. Being paraded around university parties and info sessions to show everyone how “eloquent” my non-white cohorts and I were, and how we are so grateful that the university gave us poor black and brown people the opportunity to study at their esteemed institution. The way that same institution seems to turn on you the minute you start struggling with the academic rigor and inflated expectations. Hell, I’ve even had the same experience of being chewed out by a female professor when I attempted to reach out for support and solidarity. And even with all this, I still loved the classes, my field of study, and having access to so many resources. It feels as though you’re being held hostage because without the university’s money and connections, you’re out on your ass. 

 

Maybe I couldn’t relate to the characters in terms of the more fantastical aspects of this story, but the circumstances that were more grounded hit me right in my pride. 

 

I don’t think there is a single bad thing I have to say about this book. No notes. 10s across the board. No chops for Ms. Kuang as usual.
 
 

I believe this is the first book with a “Love Letter to New York” type beat that didn’t make me immediately roll my eyes and close it. I don’t think there was a character in this entire book that I fully hated. 

Anyways, I had fun with this one!

Did the art style kind of change? Ignore me.

Clark's intention for this book was to show that fantasy stories about wielding swords and slaying monsters can exist outside of the fantastical worlds of white people where people of color barely exist. He wanted to show that black people can be the protagonists of these stories.

I think that in his quest to convey these ideas, Clark has made one of the most compelling modern fiction stories I've ever read. Clark was able to craft a story that centers on slavery and black pain without it being fetishized. I love that Clark decided to make the protagonist a black woman, as I think that introduces a deeper, more intersectional aspect to the themes of anger, hate, and trauma stemming from slavery, racial violence, and systemic oppression.

Another thing that Clark succeeded in (whether intentional or not) was highlighting just how strange the KKK actually is. They wear white sheets and chant while standing around burning crosses. They give themselves ranks and funny names. When you think about it, and when you put all of that within the context of a story like Ring Shout, the whole absurd ritualism of it all becomes so obviously apparent. They're fucking crazy. And it's even crazier that they claim to do it under the guise of *checks notes* Christianity and believing that they were... highly enlightened. Insane.

Anyways, I think this story is so good! The incorporation of Black-American culture, rituals, and magic as a means of goodness and strength instead of being stereotyped as primitive was so nice to read.

This book made me really interested in learning more about African-American folklore.

After decades of confinement and general brooding, a goth entity of dreams and nightmares escapes captivity. What happens next will shock you. (NOT CLICKBAIT!)

Morpheus in the first 20 issues is like that Egyptian ghost from Courage the Cowardly Dog only goth. Here, I’ll prove it to you by paraphrasing an interaction between Morpheus and John Constantine:

Morpheus: ~Return the sand~
John Constantine: What’s yer offer?!

See? The same thing.

Anyways, issue 20 was my favorite out of this bunch.

Onto the next one.

Okay, so I’ve finally made it through all the Murakami content that I own. Now, if you catch me reading anything else by this man, consider that a violent act of self-harm and a cry for help.

I cannot believe that man made me sit through him writing about a dude being sexually attracted to his mother I’LL KILL HIM!

Even though this book is very much a metaphor for gender roles and societal expectations, I don’t think it’s such a stretch to say that the ideas presented in this story could apply to a number of groups.

I mean, not to push, but when I thought about this book from the perspective me and my autism and how people seem to perceive my existence it kinda hurt a lot more.

This story would've been better if it had been longer and if the writer had allotted enough time to establish the main characters and their lives a bit more.

Yeah, Mr. Morimi, you not slick tryna brush that sexual harassment scene off like it was nothing.