Reviews tagging 'Emotional abuse'

El dios de las pequeñas cosas by Arundhati Roy

35 reviews

johnatetheapple's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny informative inspiring reflective sad 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

5.0

This book is black magic, its dark spell distills humanity into mere mortal words in a way that leaves you feeling speechless, uncomfortable, and utterly amazed. 

This book weaves a complex story of intertwined narratives which feed off each other. The disorganised way in which the story is revealed to us serves to put us in the same mental haze the characters no doubt live through, suspended between the past and the present, their demons haunting them around every corner.

This book genuinely changed something inside of me, and it has rightfully earned the spot amongst the most remarkable book I’ve ever read in my life. 

The book has a slow-pace, with the events unfolding leisurely. The author pulls you into many worlds and many perspectives in quick succession, and I was fascinated with the journey. I followed her through these numerous portals with the utmost pleasure. But fair warning that it may at times be disorienting, and at others completely overwhelming, so I don’t recommend reading this book all at once or very quickly. Pace yourself. 

I feel like I was genuinely pulled into the world of Ayemenem, with its grief and love and laughter. Speaking of, this books was surprisingly funny, which is not something I’ve noticed any reviews I read mention. Yes, it is poignant and life-changing and harrowing, but it’s also hilarious at times, which caught me unawares. 

I feel like I know these people intimately, and if I could only have one complaint it’s that I wish we saw more of Velutha especially, and more of adult Rahel and Estha, because I feel like I was starving for more of them but was left mostly hungry. 

All in all, this book should be read by everyone and taught in schools, studied in universities. I am ready to write a 70-page dissertation on it.

I am genuinely tempted to bulk order copies of this book and simply begin handing them out to everyone I know. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content, Grief, Death, Sexual violence, Sexism, Rape, Emotional abuse, Domestic abuse, Incest, Violence, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Death of parent, Classism, Child death, Police brutality, Pedophilia, Misogyny, and Murder

ile94's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense slow-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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Police brutality, Child death, Pedophilia, Child abuse, and Violence

Moderate: Domestic abuse and Emotional abuse

Minor: Incest

ctmy04's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional 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

amazing message and spectacular portrayal of a deeply generationally traumatized family in malayam, india. tackles very hard topics and strong emotions, not for the weak-hearted.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Sexism, and Pedophilia

Moderate: Child abuse, Child death, Incest, Death, and Infidelity

jeslis's review against another edition

dark reflective sad slow-paced

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

4.5

Notes:
- Extraordinarily clever writing, absolutely top notch of the books I've ever read before. Returning to previous sentences and motifs in a new context to add layers of meaning was mind-blowing to read.
- Quite slow paced, I felt like every time I read 20 pages I lived about 500 lifetimes. And yet the effect  definitely matched the book really well, I just prefer faster paced books to read in general.
- Overall just extremely clever and emotive — speaks volumes to the writing talent.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Sexual assault, and Pedophilia

Moderate: Child death

Minor: Incest

r0ry_'s review against another edition

slow-paced

• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

What on gods green earth was that. 
Incest porn is not my thing tbh. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Sexual content, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, Child death, and Grief

Moderate: Alcoholism, Incest, Emotional abuse, and Police brutality

ppp's review against another edition

adventurous emotional mysterious relaxing sad slow-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Police brutality, Domestic abuse, and Child death

Moderate: Sexual content, Emotional abuse, Confinement, Abandonment, Classism, Pedophilia, and Racism

Minor: Incest

leoniefnk's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad medium-paced

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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Incest, Pedophilia, Police brutality, Sexual assault, Child abuse, Death, Grief, Child death, Sexual violence, and Vomit

Moderate: Abandonment, Blood, Child death, Classism, Death, Sexual harassment, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Gore, Grief, Incest, Infidelity, and Police brutality

Minor: Cursing, Car accident, War, Body shaming, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Violence, Vomit, Animal death, Blood, and Injury/Injury detail

hannah_cogo's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense slow-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Sexism, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Alcoholism, Blood, Death, Murder, Police brutality, Abandonment, Child abuse, Child death, Classism, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, and Incest

apintch's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Minor: Rape, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, and Physical abuse

kibiiiariii's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional funny hopeful reflective sad slow-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Animal death, Child death, Chronic illness, Gore, Incest, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Racism, Toxic relationship, Vomit, Ableism, Blood, Child abuse, Grief, Rape, Death, Mental illness, Adult/minor relationship, Emotional abuse, Confinement, Sexual harassment, Fatphobia, Abandonment, Classism, Cursing, Homophobia, Sexual assault, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual content, Violence, Domestic abuse, Sexism, Gaslighting, Infidelity, Kidnapping, Murder, and Pregnancy