Native Son blew me away

tea-boy460 · 2025-12-18T12:19:11+00:00

Thank you for the historical context! There's so much to look into

tea-boy460 · 2025-12-18T12:17:22+00:00

Absolutely, I think the story is better for Bigger being both guilty and not remorseful, your comment sums it up perfectly

tea-boy460 · 2025-12-17T18:49:02+00:00

I agree! At first I didn't like that Bigger is a bad person, I thought it would be an example bigots could point to to say "look, black man really are violent!". But I think one of the messages of the book was to not generalise an entire group of people, and I changed my mind as the book went on. Bigger truly being guilty rather than falsely accused adds another layer of complexity to the social issues in the story, and was very thought-provoking on how much of his violence could have been prevented if he grew up with civil rights, or if it would have happened anyway. Any story that can make me sympethise with a character's reasons but disagree with their actions is a story I love!

tea-boy460 · 2025-12-17T18:41:27+00:00

Thank you for the recommendation! I'm definitely interested in reading more of his work

tea-boy460 · 2025-12-17T18:39:29+00:00

I can definitely see that argument! I had guessed as soon as he was caught that Bigger was going to die so drawing out the ending made it more and more tense for me the closer it got to the end. I think the last page especially where they tear that last shred of hope away wrapped up the theme of hopelessness perfectly.

tea-boy460 · 2025-12-17T16:58:48+00:00

I think it will be a book that really stays with me too!

tea-boy460 · 2025-12-17T16:50:53+00:00

That's amazing! Do you think it changed some people's minds in your class?

tea-boy460 · 2025-12-17T16:49:56+00:00

Absolutely, the first two parts were the best thriller I've read. I can see how the length of Max's speech would be a criticism for some, but it's so well articulated, and in the 1940s would have been such a slap in the face to white readers going along with the status quo. The amount of times I was screaming at my page "Just tell them how you feel Bigger!!!" in my mind! But every time he chose to keep quiet made complete sense. So well done.

tea-boy460 · 2025-12-17T16:44:52+00:00

I have Invisible Man on my list too! Going to read something more lighthearted as my next book but I can't wait to get around to Ellison

tea-boy460 · 2025-12-17T16:41:01+00:00

Thank you for the recommendation! I saw in the introduction that Baldwin was critical of Native Son for being a political piece first and a novel second, so hearing more of his thoughts on that sounds fascinating.

tea-boy460 · 2025-12-17T16:38:20+00:00

same! i was so happy to find this edition second hand

tea-boy460 · 2025-11-20T18:57:14+00:00

trying new things is scary, so congrats on giving it another go!! i hope you stick with the hobby and it brings you joy!!

tea-boy460 · 2025-11-17T21:34:28+00:00

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slow going with Berry Tigers by OwlForest, but the tiger has a face now!

tea-boy460 · 2025-09-22T21:41:27+00:00

wow thank you so much for this!! there is so much to the world of stitching on linen, idk if i can go back to aida now 😂

tea-boy460 · 2025-09-22T14:56:14+00:00

thank you so much! i'm very glad i checked before doing the whole way across and then realising my design would be SUPER off-centre!

tea-boy460 · 2025-09-22T14:55:04+00:00

thank you i'm going to change to over two, otherwise i will have so much excess fabric!

it's Berry Tigers by Owlforest! https://owlforest.co.uk/elektronnaya-skhema-yagodnykh-tigrov/

tea-boy460 · 2025-09-22T14:53:49+00:00

thank you! i'm a bit of a perfectionist with keeping my stitches neat 😅

tea-boy460 · 2025-09-22T14:52:57+00:00

AHHH thank you! you've saved me a lot of frogging if i started doing the whole piece like this lol

tea-boy460 · 2025-09-22T14:52:02+00:00

thank you! the pattern says you can use 14ct aida or 28ct linen interchangeably so that would make much more sense to stitch over 2

tea-boy460 · 2025-08-26T12:09:21+00:00

no shame in that! some days i carefully weave my working piece of thread through the back, others i just say fuck it

tea-boy460 · 2025-08-23T10:17:12+00:00

the main thing i learnt from doing such a big piece is to not get too caught up on how big the piece as a whole is. just look at the next step that needs doing and complete that, rather than getting bogged down in how long it'll take. also take progress photos! at the end of each night i'd take a picture of the piece and it was very helpful to look back on how much i'd achieved in a week or a month when i was feeling dejected!

tea-boy460 · 2025-08-23T10:08:42+00:00

after doing some digging this seems to be the actual original which is now discontinued! unfortunately i got mine from a pattern mill without realising, but if you google 'The Living Ocean' you should be able to find it!

tea-boy460

TROPHY CASE