Reviews tagging 'Alcoholism'

House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski

86 reviews

arjunarora_42's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense slow-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? Yes

5.0

The weirdest book I’ve ever read. A journey of troubled people through the impossible to find that which really matters.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Drug abuse, Drug use, and Grief

Moderate: Sexual violence

the_sweetest_ash's review against another edition

challenging dark tense slow-paced

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

Moderate: Alcoholism, Drug use, Sexual content, and Suicidal thoughts

Minor: Gore, Racial slurs, and Rape

gondorgirl's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Bullying, Child abuse, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gun violence, Infidelity, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Fire/Fire injury, and Alcohol

Minor: Animal cruelty, Animal death, and Car accident

greevianguy's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• 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: Animal cruelty, Body horror, Child abuse, Confinement, Cursing, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Alcoholism, Rape, and Suicide

Minor: Ableism

rozex's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious reflective slow-paced

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

4.5

This book is a mind fuck and a half. It's a feeling of discovering it with one of the characters, while being there while it's edited. It's questioning what has or hasn't been influenced by what characters. It's the feeling of *everything* (including you, somehow) influencing the book. 
It's a bit of a slow start, and can feel like you're reading an essay instead of a book. Yet every time it gets tedious (or even exciting), Johnny Truant interjects with his (quite frankly disturbing) tales, leaving you questioning what is real or fake or both. The story that Zampano is fascinating and thought provoking, sometimes leaving you praying for the characters or what they represent. 
If you are interested in a challenging read, then prepare to be challenged. 
It has a bit of triggering content at times, so be warned. 
Not suitable for people under 18, I think. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Drug abuse, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

Moderate: Rape, Death of parent, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Animal cruelty, Bullying, Child abuse, Forced institutionalization, and Death of parent

hedsek's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense slow-paced

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

4.5

So many thoughts, so little energy. Maybe I'll return here at some point.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Body horror, Death, Drug use, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Grief, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

Moderate: Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Bullying, Child abuse, Confinement, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Infidelity, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual violence, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Medical content, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Ableism, Cancer, Eating disorder, Pedophilia, Excrement, Vomit, Cannibalism, and Car accident

fl0ralaura's review against another edition

challenging dark 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? It's complicated

3.75

This book, in form alone, is wildly inventive and imaginative. When I heard it took the author 10 years to write, I believed it instantly because this is so much detail and so many hidden clues and puzzles between these pages. I love “weird books”, books that play with form, and books that riff off the familiar. I was shocked by how touching I would find aspects of the story especially Karen.

That being said, this book is disturbing and creepy. The first half in particular caused related nightmares of unheimlich architecture. The Minotaur story, especially as it relates to themes of fatherhood and shame were particularly moving. 

My one real critique is that in parts of the second half it drags a bit and I, at times, found Truant’s purple prose boring. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child abuse, Death, Drug use, Infidelity, Misogyny, Sexual assault, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, and Death of parent

Moderate: Cancer, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, and Alcohol

justawholeapple's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective medium-paced

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

5.0

A labyrinthine trek through heartache, loss, and meaninglessness that defies defintion and rewards multiple close reads.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Mental illness, Sexual content, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Rape, and Suicide

Minor: Alcoholism

corsanglais's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional reflective tense slow-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Death, Drug use, Gore, Gun violence, Mental illness, Sexual content, Violence, and Blood

Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Panic attacks/disorders, and Physical abuse

Minor: Rape, Suicidal thoughts, and War

pennergy's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious slow-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Gun violence, and Mental illness

Moderate: Alcoholism, Drug use, Sexual assault, and Suicide