Reviews tagging 'Alcoholism'

Clytemnestra by Costanza Casati

38 reviews

ashhearddwrites's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Sexism, and Murder

Moderate: Alcoholism, Rape, Slavery, Death of parent, Pregnancy, and Alcohol

Minor: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Incest, and Sexual content

phantomgecko's review against another edition

challenging dark sad medium-paced

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

4.5

Hoo boy, Clytemnestra's whole story is so frustrating. Like, her story was written a few thousand years ago, and the novel follows the important plot points. It's an exasperating experience to read a story where you know what's going to happen next not because it's predictable but because you've already heard the story before. But the novel has nuance and emotion and motivation and feeling not included in the original myth.

Throughout the whole, Clytemnestra scoffs at prophecy and gods and asserts her will. But...as the reader...you know, you already know, what's going to happen... idk, I can't really capture what I'm trying to say. There's the dramatic irony of it all in a sort of meta way.

Anyway, anyone who says Clytemnestra was a "bad wife" or "wicked queen" can fight me. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Child death, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Incest, Infidelity, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Violence, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Lesbophobia, War, and Classism

kingsteph's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense 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? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Alcoholism, Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual violence, Slavery, Violence, Blood, Grief, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Lesbophobia, Abandonment, and War

heatherjchin's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Homophobia, Incest, Infidelity, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Grief, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Sexual harassment, War, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Alcoholism

rustmaiden's review against another edition

dark informative reflective tense medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Infidelity, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Grief, and Murder

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Animal death, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Incest, Infidelity, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Grief, Stalking, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, War, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Torture, Vomit, and War

raptorq's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional tense fast-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Violence, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Moderate: Sexual content

Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, and Incest

jcinf's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark reflective sad tense fast-paced

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

3.5

I really enjoyed the narrator/speaker for this book. Engaging, but not overdone so it doesn’t sound overacted. 

Very long and at times a little slow, but quick to pick back up again. 

To me, the ending was especially strong. 

I can’t put my finger on what I didn’t enjoy as much. Perhaps it feeling redundant at times due to being so long? Not sure.  If I remember, I’ll come back here and change my rating when I think on it more. 

Edit: coming back to this review and I can’t remember what this book was about at all. Maybe I read too many books this year that I can’t keep track. Maybe it’s the audiobook tax. But I’m knocking this rating down because 4 stars seemed high for a book I wrote such a vague review about. Lol. Especially when ranked against other 4-star reads. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Violence, Blood, Murder, and War

Moderate: Sexual violence

Minor: Alcoholism, Rape, and Slavery

savvylit's review against another edition

adventurous reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated

3.0

"Gods do not care about us. They have other concerns. That is why you should never live in the shadow of their anger. It is men you must fear. It is men who will be angry with you if you rise too high, if you are too much loved. The stronger you are, the more they will try to take you down."

Clytemnestra is a fascinating glimpse into the life of a lesser-known yet significant figure from Greek mythology. Clytemnestra was closely connected to so many other famous Greeks: Helen, Penelope, Agamemnon, Odysseus. In telling Clytemnestra's story, Casati weaves a compelling tale of a woman who is fierce, determined, and powerful.

Ultimately, though, I felt that this novel was simply too long. I loved the dynamic between Helen & Clytemnestra at the novel's beginning. I loved Clytemnestra's interactions with her children towards the end. However, everything in between felt like filler and did not keep my interest. As aforementioned, Clytemnestra is compelling as a whole - but the story could've been told in a more concise fashion.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Homophobia, Infidelity, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Lesbophobia, Alcohol, War, and Injury/Injury detail

a1exander's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark sad slow-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Death, Infidelity, Rape, Sexism, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Murder, and War

Moderate: Alcoholism, Animal death, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Homophobia, Incest, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Death of parent, Lesbophobia, Outing, Alcohol, and Classism

heather667's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional sad medium-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Infidelity, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Blood, Grief, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, and Classism

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Body shaming, Fatphobia, Homophobia, Incest, Lesbophobia, Alcohol, and War

Minor: Animal death and Pandemic/Epidemic