Reviews tagging 'Misogyny'

Small Pleasures by Clare Chambers

3 reviews

alisonannk's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexism, Toxic relationship, Mental illness, Misogyny, Pregnancy, Rape, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Ableism, Abandonment, Blood, Chronic illness, Death, Abortion, Confinement, Medical content, Medical trauma, and Sexual assault

Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Toxic friendship, Cancer, Grief, Homophobia, Infidelity, Lesbophobia, Body shaming, Dementia, Outing, and Toxic relationship

epellicci's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense slow-paced

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

3.5

I found Small Pleasures - set in and around 1950's London - to be a slow paced, tension building book. It took me until a little over 50% of the way through to feel truly invested in the story, and even then I struggled to feel attached to the characters.

Spoiler

Jean was pitifully transparent, and I found her resentment towards various other characters annoying and undignified. I also thought that the focus on Gretchen was surprisingly slim. As the initiator of the case I was expecting her to be far more central in the writing - however I did enjoy the way that Chambers revealed her history via Jean's investigation.

I was really disappointed by the ending, and found it jarringly disconnected from the rest of the story - defeating the point of the much of the drama and previous events of the book. But then I suppose that was somewhat the point. The theme of fragility, the at times hopelessness of the human condition, and darkness was present throughout - the lightness of family life and romance far more fleeting. In the end, I found Small Pleasures somewhat lackluster but appreciated the examination of human nature all the same. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Rape, Abortion, and Miscarriage

Minor: Misogyny, Lesbophobia, and Infidelity

kirstyplumb's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.75

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Abortion, Blood, Grief, Infidelity, Medical content, Medical trauma, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Rape, Religious bigotry, Sexism, Sexual assault, and Sexual content

Minor: Cancer, Chronic illness, Confinement, Death, Death of parent, Dementia, Homophobia, Infertility, Terminal illness, and Xenophobia