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veronyqueso's review against another edition
challenging
reflective
fast-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
3.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Grief and Death of parent
fatfrog's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
fast-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
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief and Death of parent
dizzyindecision's review against another edition
challenging
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? No
2.0
There were a handful of sentences that I loved/thought were beautiful but I hated pretty much everything else. idk. maybe I’m not big brained enough to appreciate it. Definitely could have done without all of the references to incest. 🤢
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief and Death of parent
Moderate: Incest
jarshual's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
3.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death of parent, Death, Grief, and Mental illness
self_scare's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Grief, and Death
Moderate: Mental illness and Schizophrenia/Psychosis
- there are no official or explicit themes of either mental illness or psychosis in the book, however much of the novel is the narrator processing and reflecting on their deep grief, and for a large (very metaphorical) chunk of the book they are very detached from reality in a dissociative way that some do after experiencing trauma — I wanted to give a paranoia/delusions content warning for that portion of the book that it dips in and out of reality and can be quite disorientating. - other than that, the way the author deals with things that may qualify for one psychiatric diagnosis or another, is very holistic and de-pathologising/de-stigmatising as it is framed as part of the human experience for many people. No ableism or stigma applied by author.habertoes's review against another edition
emotional
funny
reflective
sad
medium-paced
4.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death of parent and Grief
samarakroeger's review against another edition
challenging
reflective
sad
medium-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
2.75
I think Sheila Heti just isn't really for me. I read Motherhood earlier this year, which I was also pretty meh about. In both books I did NOT vibe with the heavy religious themes and spirituality included. I don't know, her books make me think, but not really in a good way. This one I also found kinda boring and tuned out of it frequently. It's a weird-ass book about losing your dad (kind of). Heti just seems so "fake deep" to me and is trying so hard to be intellectual without really saying anything.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent and Grief
woolgatherer's review against another edition
reflective
sad
medium-paced
2.75
Well, this was a short and deceptively simplistic read. You don’t need to use overly complicated language to dive deep into philosophical themes, as Heti proves in Pure Colour. I think what was a miss for me, though, was I wasn’t quite sure what point she wanted to get across, or if there even was a point, considering that there isn’t really a plot (a lot of fragmented writing, which I don’t mind), nor was there much character development (which I kind of minded). It admittedly reached a point where everything felt superficial in the book’s attempt to be profound. And yet, I kept reading, in part because I found the language engaging.
One thing I can say with certainty is I was very weirded out by the incestuous nature of the narrator and her dead father’s relationship? I don’t know, but it was definitely not on my bingo card to read that his spirit ejaculated into her.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief and Death of parent
Minor: Incest
savvylit's review against another edition
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
How to describe this incredibly unique book? A transcendent fable. A celebration of mortality. A bizarre meditation on grief. A guidebook for humanity. A loving ode to trees. A manifesto on the necessity of art. A novel filled with truth and clarity. Unforgettable.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent and Grief
Minor: Incest
redrosemoth's review against another edition
challenging
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent
Moderate: Grief
Minor: Incest, Toxic relationship, and Suicide