Reviews tagging 'Violence'

Die Bibliothek der Hoffnung by Kate Thompson

5 reviews

calamitywindpetal's review against another edition

adventurous emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• 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: Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Violence, and War

Moderate: Alcoholism, Sexual content, Stalking, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Gun violence and Murder

amberlfaris's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• 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: Death, Domestic abuse, Violence, and War

Moderate: Suicide and Death of parent

theadorek9's review against another edition

emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Miscarriage, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Antisemitism, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Abandonment, Alcohol, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

shawnna_reads2's review against another edition

challenging emotional informative 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? Yes

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Grief, War, and Injury/Injury detail

beautifulpaxielreads's review against another edition

dark emotional informative reflective sad medium-paced

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

3.5

The Little Wartime Library is a heartwarming - if flawed - fictionalised look at life during the Second World War for the residents of London's East End.

It is told from the viewpoint of two women - Clara Button, the librarian of the underground library at the disused Bethnal Green tube station shelter, and her assistant, Ruby Munroe. Clara is a widow with a passion for making reading accessible to everybody, whilst hiding a tragic secret about her late husband. Ruby presents a cheery, devil-may-care attitude, but this is a front. She grieves the

loss of her sister in a tragic accident

and constantly worries about

her fragile mother, married to Ruby's stepfather, who is an abusive, violent alcoholic

.

If that wasn't enough, there are multiple bombing raids, a

would-be rapist on the loose

, a misogynistic, small-minded bully of an administrator

making Clara's life hell

, and two young evacuee sisters fleeing the Nazi occupation of Jersey.

Kate Thompson is an accomplished writer, and is clearly passionate about libraries and the role they play in society. The chief thing that I felt was really well done is depicting the changing roles of women (granted, mostly white women, but still) during this period in history - using the books they read as inspiration to make changes in their own lives.  Also depicted well is the trauma of the bombing raids and the senseless loss of life, and also the glimpse we got into the lives of the East End's Jewish population. This novel had more depth to it than I was expecting, which was refreshing.

I mentioned earlier in my review that this novel was flawed. The reason for this, I feel, goes to the fact this novel was far longer than it needed to be, and there was too much of well, everything. Thompson, as I have already stated, is a highly competent author, but in my opinion, she tried to cram too many issues into the novel - which meant some of them weren't given space to breathe.  The happy endings given to each character felt too predictable and in the case of

Clara's relationship with ambulance man Billy

, very problematic.

Overall, this novel has a lot of passion and heart - but it could have done with some editing.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Violence, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Murder, War, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Cursing, Genocide, Infidelity, Sexual content, Suicide, Antisemitism, Death of parent, Pregnancy, and Deportation

Minor: Cannibalism

This novel is set in and around London's East End during the Blitz. Bombings and rocket attacks are frequent occurrences and many people are killed, including children. There are also descriptions of

the Bethnal Green Tube Disaster, a crowd crush event in 1943 in which women and children were trampled and asphyxiated

. A main character's - Ruby's - sister

dies as a result and Ruby suffers panic attacks

. Strong warnings for domestic abuse -

Ruby's mother is married to a violent alcoholic who frequently physically abuses her and on one occasion almost kills her. He is prevented from doing so by another who accidentally kills the husband in an act of self-defense.

Some graphic descriptions detailing the Nazi occupation of the island of Jersey, including restrictions to civilian life, and deportation of the island's Jewish population to concentration camps. There is a scene in which

a Holocaust survivor is shown to have prematurely aged and having severe mental health issues as a result. An East End housing estate, home to a significant Jewish population, is targeted by a Nazi bombing raid and many people are buried in the rubble.

There is also a brief - but not graphic - scene in which

a man masturbates in the library, and then proceeds to flash Ruby, resulting in him being removed from the premises.