Reviews tagging 'Sexual violence'

Violets by Kyung-sook Shin

11 reviews

zoffi's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Sexual violence and Violence

katialena's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicidal thoughts and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Mental illness, Misogyny, Sexual violence, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Rape, Self harm, Blood, and Kidnapping

Major character death? Ambiguous.

saintmaud's review against another edition

emotional sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence

hannah_cogo's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Grief, Suicide attempt, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Death, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Terminal illness, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Kidnapping, Grief, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail

stefieereads's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad slow-paced

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

3.25

It took me a long time to finish it. My first time reading Kyung-Sook Shin's book and turn out less for my taste. Beneran ngerasa frustasi banget sama karakter San-yi nya. Aku paham dia sudah melalui banyak hal dihidupnya, even the traumatic event. To thinking again it's really sad, like the moment she was happy at same time her life back to the sad moment (again). Cerita San-yi berbicara banyak hal menurutku, tentang trauma penolakan dirinya karena identitas dia sebagai perempuan dan karena itu dia juga ditinggalkan orang-orang terdekatnya terutama dari keluargannya. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Sexual violence

sunflowerwork's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective tense slow-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence and Violence

beccaruthe's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-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? It's complicated

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicide, Death of parent, and Abandonment

lesenilpferd's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad slow-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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Misogyny, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Sexual harassment

biblioghoul's review against another edition

emotional sad 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

Graphic: Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual violence, and Abandonment

Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Animal cruelty and Sexual harassment

nini23's review against another edition

4.0

Violets by Shin Kyung-sook has lingered in my mind days after reading. It's left an imprint like afterimages after a camera's flash. I wish San and Su-ae could have used the flower shop as a sanctuary forever. Violet, violence, violator. Unremarkable flowers, unremarkable women. The afterword by the author is very touching, this novel was written in the early 2000s and yet, seeing how the latest South Korean president has been elected in 2022 on promises of fighting against feminism, not much has changed.  The aggression and sexual violence toward women has to stop.

I had previously read Shin's Please Look After Mom in translation. While that was from the missing/lost mother's point of view, Violets interestingly takes the abandoned daughter's perspective. I'll confess to not fully grasping the significance of the childhood incident in the minari fields but it ends where it starts with a fitting symmetry. The loneliness in the middle of busy bustling Seoul experienced by San is piercing in its intensity. 

Hats off to Anton Hur for the translation, I've read his thoughtful insights on translating Korean on his blog. Each word was carefully considered and I found myself sometimes pondering what the original Korean word was, like for 'darling.'

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Misogyny, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Abandonment