Reviews tagging 'Fatphobia'

The Book of Form and Emptiness by Ruth Ozeki

46 reviews

bmunsh's review against another edition

challenging emotional mysterious reflective sad tense slow-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

4.75

Overall, a super ambitious that executes marvelously. Every character is complex but Ozeki does a good job showing how each character is completely rational from their own point of view, while irrational from the point of others. 

At the end of the day, it’s a very realistic portrayal of how real people would act, which I appreciated. Anabelle is expertly constructed. Benny actually acts like a 14 year old. It also respectfully approaches homelessness and mental illness, which was nice. 

Minor points deducted because the ending was a little bit too happy and neat, and it feels like the heaviness that had led up to it was all for nothing (not that I didn’t love the book overall). I really thought it was leading up to Benny ending up in prison or permanently in the psych ward, and I didn’t love the “and now, everything is better!” aspect. 

I really liked the monologue by the psychiatrist about “why is it so hard to believe what he says is the truth”/the whole “what is the truth” motif used throughout the novel. 

I know this book received some minor criticism for romanticizing mental illness, but I think I can’t deduct points for how it was written.

 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness

Moderate: Fatphobia, Self harm, Sexual assault, and Suicidal thoughts

al_excellent's review against another edition

emotional hopeful slow-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Minor: Child abuse, Drug abuse, Fatphobia, Sexual assault, Death of parent, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

ojudson39's review against another edition

challenging emotional inspiring reflective sad slow-paced

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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Mental illness, Violence, Grief, Death of parent, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

Moderate: Alcoholism, Drug use, Fatphobia, and Self harm

hollydollyiow's review against another edition

challenging emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective sad slow-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

4.75

This was a really beautiful book, one I think I’ll recommend lots and return to a few times.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal death, Body shaming, Bullying, Confinement, Death, Drug use, Fatphobia, Mental illness, Forced institutionalization, Car accident, Death of parent, and Alcohol

stormeno's review against another edition

emotional hopeful mysterious sad slow-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

Graphic: Mental illness, Death of parent, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal death, Bullying, Drug abuse, Self harm, Grief, Abandonment, and Alcohol

Minor: Domestic abuse, Fatphobia, Sexual assault, Xenophobia, Police brutality, and Mass/school shootings

chamomiledaydreams's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective 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

4.0

This is the second Ruth Ozeki book that I've read, and while I prefer "A Tale for the Time Being," I can't deny how poignant and well-crafted "The Book of Form and Emptiness" is.  I love the way that it splits its focus between Benny and his mother Annabelle, and I like how a book narrates the majority of the plot, with Benny's own voice gradually becoming more book-like as he matures.  Having a book as a character in a book—and establishing that that book is the same one we're reading—seems like an easy way for an author to come across as obnoxiously meta or to confuse their audience.  But Ruth Ozeki incorporates such elements with skill and to a beautiful effect.

The Zen Buddhist elements in this novel are fascinating, as well, and I appreciate how we get snippets of books within a book.  The characters' struggles and their stories prompted me to reexamine my own life, and they made me feel inspired and galvanized in a way that not many books accomplish.  I wrote down at least a dozen quotes while reading, and I'm impressed by how attached I grew to Annabelle and how quickly, too.  It's not a question of her versus Benny, but at many points in the novel, I understood Benny's embarrassment but still felt firmly on Annabelle's side, wanting to tell Benny things, like, "She's trying her best!" and, "Do you have any idea how amazing your mom is, dude?"

Overall, this is a fantastic book, and I'm looking forward to reading more by Ruth Ozeki in the future.  There's something about her style and the subjects that she chooses to focus on that makes the cogs in my brain whir like a symphony.  I hope to be able to write stories that are even a fraction as powerful and engrossing as hers someday! 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Fatphobia, Mental illness, Self harm, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Death of parent, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Addiction, Animal death, Bullying, Drug use, Blood, Car accident, and Classism

orlagal's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring mysterious reflective 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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Vomit, Police brutality, Antisemitism, Medical content, Grief, Mass/school shootings, Medical trauma, Car accident, Death of parent, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, and Pandemic/Epidemic

cymbopogon's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional slow-paced

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

3.75

I'm still not sure whether I liked this book or not.

It was much darker and heavy with psychological issues than I was expecting.

I did not particularly enjoy having insights from the Book + interruptions from Benny + Tidy Magic (Kondo method but by a zen nun) in addition to the book itself. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Eating disorder, Mental illness, Self harm, and Death of parent

Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal death, Body shaming, Drug abuse, Drug use, Fatphobia, and Forced institutionalization

coolfoolmoon's review against another edition

emotional hopeful informative inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

4.5

Very respectful of people with different minds. Very kind. Very well reseaeched into the intersections of people's lives and how their mental illnesses or impairities can / may be affected by outside factors. Very very, very real, living, loving book. 🥰 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Animal death, Confinement, Mental illness, Self harm, Grief, Death of parent, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Moderate: Addiction, Animal cruelty, Bullying, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Fatphobia, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual content, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Police brutality, Medical content, and Car accident

Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Cancer, Homophobia, Pedophilia, Rape, and Pandemic/Epidemic

warning_about_sophie's review against another edition

emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad fast-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

Incredible and deeply moving. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Dementia, Grief, Car accident, Death of parent, and Abandonment

Minor: Fatphobia and Racism