Reviews tagging 'Confinement'

The Postcard by Anne Berest

11 reviews

tracie_mcd's review

dark emotional informative mysterious reflective sad slow-paced

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

2.0

While appreciating the story and the history and  certainly understanding the devastating heartbreak and loss, I did not entirely understand the hype for this book. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Physical abuse, Racism, Torture, Police brutality, Antisemitism, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Alcoholism, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Classism

kerri_m's review against another edition

5.0

I've read many books about the catastrophe, and this is one of the best.

It's a story about identity, survival, memory, responsibility, hope. It's about telling their story. It's about not looking away (even when the telling makes you shake and feel sick). 

While many of the details may have been imagined and the research process likely went in a slightly different order, it's miraculous that the Rabinoviches got as much information as they did. We will never hear countless stories of other lives that were stolen.

Reading it now, in 2024, feels like a call to action.

Indifference is universal. Who are you indifferent toward today, right now? Ask yourself that. Which victims living in tents, or under overpasses, or in camps way outside the cities are your ‘invisible ones’? The Vichy regime set out to remove the Jews from French society. And they succeeded.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Confinement, Death, Genocide, Gun violence, Hate crime, Violence, Antisemitism, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, War, and Deportation

Moderate: Addiction, Body horror, Drug abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual assault, Suicide, Grief, and Abandonment

theresa_timber's review against another edition

dark emotional informative mysterious sad tense slow-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Antisemitism

Moderate: Bullying, Child death, Confinement, Death, Genocide, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual content, Dementia, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, and War

knit_the_resistance's review

challenging dark emotional informative mysterious sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.75

The Postcard is an extremely difficult book to read, as are most books about the Holocaust. It's dark, and sad. But it's also a complex family history, and a mystery. I enjoyed it, and I was upset by it. I recommend it as an analog book rather than a digital copy so you can go back and forth and check on who different characters are. 
Also, there are sections you shouldn't read before bedtime.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Child death, Confinement, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Genocide, Rape, Suicide, Antisemitism, Dementia, Grief, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Deportation

bookworm_ohsea's review against another edition

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Death, Genocide, Racism, Violence, Xenophobia, Antisemitism, Death of parent, Murder, War, and Deportation

leslie_overbookedsocialworker's review

emotional mysterious reflective sad medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Confinement, Death, and Antisemitism

Moderate: Genocide, Hate crime, Racism, Sexual violence, Suicide, Police brutality, Grief, Religious bigotry, War, and Deportation

kristapeters's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional informative mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Death, Drug use, Genocide, Hate crime, Forced institutionalization, Antisemitism, War, and Deportation

dnpatterson2's review

dark hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Genocide, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Violence, Police brutality, Antisemitism, Grief, Religious bigotry, and War

Moderate: Addiction, Bullying, Child death, Confinement, Drug abuse, Drug use, Sexual content, Suicide, Torture, Toxic relationship, Medical content, Death of parent, Pregnancy, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Infertility, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Forced institutionalization, Excrement, Dementia, and Classism

szmay's review

adventurous dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Genocide, Hate crime, Racial slurs, Forced institutionalization, Xenophobia, Police brutality, Antisemitism, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Grief, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, and Deportation

Moderate: Hate crime, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Torture, Violence, Xenophobia, Police brutality, Medical content, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Murder, War, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Mental illness, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Excrement, Police brutality, Medical content, Religious bigotry, Murder, and Pregnancy

estam1's review

emotional inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Confinement, Death, Drug abuse, Genocide, Antisemitism, Death of parent, and Deportation