Reviews tagging 'Sexual content'

L'amica geniale by Elena Ferrante

27 reviews

sadhbhprice's review against another edition

emotional 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? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Homophobia, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Violence, Murder, Sexual harassment, and Classism

Moderate: Body shaming, Rape, and Grief

Minor: Pregnancy

harpirl's review against another edition

3.0

Ok, I had to read the top book of the 21st century. Two friends growing up in Naples in the 50s and 60’s. The friendship is a bit of a complicated one. There was nothing significant or good about their friendship. They seemed to be always trying to outdo each other and never quite getting over their pettiness with one another. Maybe this changes in the other books, although I have my doubts. The writing was good and I went through it quickly. But, is it as it is claimed the greatest book of the 21st century?  Not by any stretch of the imagination 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content

Moderate: Emotional abuse

carojust's review against another edition

challenging hopeful reflective slow-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

3.75

We're introduced to childhood friends Elena and Lila, growing up near Naples. Their relationship illustrates so much of what we endure in adolescence -- a competitiveness, inferiority, envy, awkwardness, a desperation to feel understood. And with all these feelings, Elena looks upon Lila with such purity of love and admiration. She is shaped by her friend's ideals and interests, and has a hard time finding her own identity beyond Lila's. Together, they try to navigate their difficult families, poverty, and the affections of boys. 

This book drew me in slowly. Ferrante has incredibly dense prose, yet succinct. She describes her own character's writing this way, and its charm is inescapable. It takes so long to read, but you feel at home with the characters and cadence. 

I wouldn't say this is a book where much happens, though it covers many years in their lives; there are repetitive themes and relationships that emphasize the rural, everyday life these characters trudge through. I think there's still a lot of subtle meanings I haven't picked up on, and need to sit with. But what I'm left with is a feeling of admiration for these two girls, who set their own standards high amidst a time and environment set against them.

Will continue reading the rest of the quartet and see how this goes!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Infidelity, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Death of parent, and Sexual harassment

lexcellent's review against another edition

dark emotional 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? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Bullying, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Violence, Grief, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Sexual harassment, and Classism

slefebvre95's review against another edition

emotional hopeful reflective sad slow-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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Sexual content, Violence, Murder, and Sexual harassment

Minor: Homophobia

capra's review against another edition

reflective slow-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Sexual content

purnuhja's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective sad slow-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

a beautifully complex coming of age story! I think Ferrante did a great job exploring female relationships, as well just relationships in general, poverty and class politics, cycles of violence and misogyny.  it was hard to start and I struggled with pacing sometimes, but I loved the story and all that it had to offer. definitely don't think that Elena and Lila should be friends, there's so much toxicity in every relationship, but I also believe they need each other in this neighborhood that can't escape it's past. Ferrante does a great job balancing that line and just painting a vivid picture with her words. it can be frustrating and heartbreaking at times, but I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves coming of age stories.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Sexual assault, and Sexual content

Minor: Sexual assault

miller8d's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

4.25

This book is brilliant in a way that makes me say “This is the story of a real life,” not “omg I love this book.” Like, I don’t really feel like I read a fictional story. (I actually have no clue if it’s autobiographical or not but I won’t google it because I don’t want to spoil it). Perhaps for that reason, this book took me an incredible long time to read. Like, months on end of picking it up and loving it, but being unable to pick it up again because it was so difficult to read. I don’t even think it was actually difficult literature for me, but instead so emotionally dense and detail-heavy that I couldn’t pay anything but 100% attention while reading, otherwise I’d have to go back dozens of pages to figure out why I was confused. Also,

this is perhaps the only book or story I’ve ever known which accurately depicts how tumultuous and confusing and painful it can be to survive childhood and grow up. I absolutely loved her depiction of how the child’s mind can equally spin fantasy and horrific terror on the same coin— not simple boogieman stuff, but much scarier, finding awful and disturbing fears in/around the mundane figures of your social world and daily life, even when there’s nothing truly wrong there.

Beautiful book.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Grief, Stalking, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail

risemini's review against another edition

emotional reflective medium-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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Homophobia, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Stalking, Death of parent, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, War, and Injury/Injury detail

angelinlagace's review against another edition

adventurous emotional lighthearted reflective relaxing medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Minor: Sexual content