Reviews tagging 'Body shaming'

De geniale vriendin by Elena Ferrante

17 reviews

lindseyhall44's review against another edition

reflective medium-paced

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

4.5

My Brilliant Friend is a highly regarded international treasure, focusing on a female friendship in 1950’s+ Naples. While I cannot relate to Elena (our narrator) in a environmental or physical sense, her connection with Lila embodies so much of my own relationships from adolescents to now. It’s resonance with readers spanning multiple years highlights Ferrante’s brilliant (haha see what I did there) ability to articulate the human experience, many events of which I am still trying to put together with words.
I cannot wait to continue on with the rest of the Neapolitan series, and Ferrante’s backlist in general.
After checking trigger warnings, I would highly highly recommend if you enjoy character based novels!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Violence, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Moderate: Mental illness, Murder, and Gaslighting

lindsaccount's review against another edition

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, and Violence

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Emotional abuse, Sexual content, Blood, Grief, Alcohol, and Classism

Minor: Gore, Homophobia, Death of parent, and Sexual harassment

jessthanthree's review against another edition

emotional reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• 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

Graphic: Child abuse

Moderate: Body shaming, Domestic abuse, Toxic friendship, and Classism

breadwitchery's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective medium-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual content, and Violence

Moderate: Body shaming, Bullying, Death, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Blood, Murder, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Ableism, Child death, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Infidelity, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, and War

mariebrunelm's review against another edition

reflective medium-paced

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

2.5

When I opened My Brilliant Friend, I literaly recoiled from the list of characters, ha ha. But I was curious to read this immensely succesful book and to dicsover for myself what it was about. I was curious to read about Naples in the 1950s and the two friends, Elena and Lila, who had captivated so many readers.
Eventually, I was lost among all those characters, I didn't enjoy the writing style and I was tired of reading again a story about children growing up. However I kept reading because the pages turned themselves and because I liked how the author described a friendship like many others - in which the members grow together, apart and close again, without knowing how to define the bond that tie them together but without being neither able nor willing to cut it.
 

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Content Warnings

Minor: Body shaming, Gun violence, and Sexual assault

boy_topics's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad tense fast-paced

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

4.5

Coming from an Italian family, this book hit close to home. The way the stories are told remind me of those my father and his siblings have recounted over the years. Ferrante is a beautiful writer, even in translation her storytelling is cutting. This book spoke to me and my heart. It is the first in a long time that I haven't been able to put down. I cannot wait to continue on with this series. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Violence, Grief, Stalking, Death of parent, Murder, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

abbystevenson's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective medium-paced

• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, and Sexual content