Reviews tagging 'Sexual content'

Lieg met mij by Philippe Besson

50 reviews

dakotahreads's review against another edition

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emotional reflective sad medium-paced

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

5.0

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jblawson's review against another edition

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emotional reflective medium-paced

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

5.0

My, oh, my.

This book touched me in the deepest of ways, bringing out something I hadn’t felt in many years: the feeling of being seen in literature.

Though this story isn’t mine, the experience that is Phillipe’s often felt like my own. There is a particular experience that most (if not all) queer people must endure: love that cannot be. A swarming desire that must be compressed. I’ve experienced it myself.

This feeling of love, it transports me; it makes me happy. At the same time, it consumes me and makes me miserable, the way all impossible loves are miserable.

The double meaning of the translated title is pure genius. The nuance of the characters (specifically Thomas) is so well written. The unmistakable love that could not see the light of day ate away at me. The untarnishable mark that is left after a great love (and loss)… this book was so much more than I could’ve asked of it to be.

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augustst's review against another edition

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emotional reflective sad fast-paced

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

4.0

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lou_loo's review against another edition

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emotional inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

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

5.0

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hue's review against another edition

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2.0

It felt rather. . . flat. The narrator tells a lot of details and such but it feels like a long explanation rather than a story to follow. I didn't much care what the narrator was up to nor where the story would go. It could've been sad but since it was written so "clumsily", it wasn't. Didn't leave an impression.

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katieb94's review against another edition

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emotional lighthearted sad fast-paced

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

3.0

Firstly, thank you to Netgalley for letting me read this in exchange for and honest (but late) review. I do feel I wasn’t the right audience for this book however, it was a queer coming of age story and I really couldn’t connect with the characters at all.

I’m also not sure if it’s semi-autobiographical or not.

Another issue I have is with the layout, I just get confused by novels that don’t have speech marks for anything spoken. Even though it was indicated I still
got lost.

The main part of the story is told to use by the writer/narrator as he tells us about his relationship with a boy, Thomas, whilst at high school- including the details of their sex lives too. I liked this part of the book best and seeing their relationship develop was nice to read.

It felt very obsolete though when it came to their adult hood. They drifted away, didn’t contact each other and it isn’t until the narrator meets Thomas’ son that we have any idea what happened after.

It takes a surprisingly sad turn towards the end that I didn’t see coming and there’s no direction it’s going to happen.

3/5 stars.
Sweet little queer romance book.

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risemini's review against another edition

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emotional sad fast-paced

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

4.0

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janewsom8112's review against another edition

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emotional reflective sad fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
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

I am inconsolable

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molly_kate's review against another edition

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emotional sad fast-paced

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

5.0

Content Warnings

q_bert13's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful inspiring sad medium-paced

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

5.0

a memoir of the author's high school years that tell the story of a young 80's romance. Its an absolutely wonderful read and a tear jerker at times. This is the first book I've read by Philippe Besson, but it won't be the last

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