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Content snapshot
Flag an inaccuracy →What's in this book, at a glance — five things readers want to know before they start.
Violence
A lot
Violence; the Detroit riots; murder
Language
Barely any
Mild language
Sexual Content
Some
Sexual content; exploitation
Substance Use
Some
Drinking and drug use
Emotional Intensity
Some
Themes of class, race, violence, and American dreams deferred
What this book is about
Oates's 1969 National Book Award-winning novel follows the Wendall family through poverty, violence, and the Detroit race riots. Features intense violence, sexual content, and Oates's unflinching portrait of working-class despair. For mature adults.
Notes for sensitive readers
Reader-flagged moments and themes that may affect your experience.
Graphic violence including murder
Sexual exploitation
Detroit riots
Reader Verification
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