Reviews tagging 'Misogyny'

Cantik itu Luka by Eka Kurniawan

22 reviews

bethanylouise17's review against another edition

challenging dark medium-paced

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

1.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicide, Murder, Sexual harassment, and War

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship

emilyberrios's review against another edition

challenging dark funny informative mysterious tense medium-paced

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

3.0

I don't regret reading this book, but it was certainly a challenge, and I do not plan on ever re-reading it.

In simplest terms: If toxic masculinity were a book, it would be this one. If you thought this book was about the agency of strong beautiful women... you are very wrong (as I was). 

A more complex perspective: This book could also be interpreted as a metaphor. The female characters have no agency, no control over their futures or their bodies. Their beauty is to be brutalized and fetishized. These beautiful women could be a metaphor for Indonesia as a country and the various powers or men who colonized it, waged war against it, loved it, hated it, abused it. While the story telling is not linear (and sometimes very difficult to follow) generally speaking, this is a historical fiction in a magical realism setting which follows generations of women who originate from a girl taken into servitude as the concubine of a Dutch man, a plantation owner. This initiates the overarching plot of revenge, but all the subplots as well. The colonial identity of a country is generally mired in trauma and abuse, and this book reflects that.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Genocide, Gun violence, Incest, Infidelity, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicide, Torture, Toxic relationship, Kidnapping, Murder, and War

raqui's review against another edition

can't take all the horrible stuff anymore 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Violence, Sexual harassment, and War

neridah's review against another edition

dark informative sad tense medium-paced

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

2.25

I regret reading this book 

There is interesting historical and cultural information in here

But it's not worth it 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body shaming, Child abuse, Death, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Incest, Infertility, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicide, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Excrement, Vomit, Police brutality, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Grief, Medical trauma, Stalking, Murder, Pregnancy, Sexual harassment, War, and Injury/Injury detail

mrtvavrana's review against another edition

challenging dark tense slow-paced

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

1.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Incest, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Excrement, Police brutality, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Stalking, Abortion, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Abandonment, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, and Colonisation

thursdd4y's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• 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: Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Incest, Infidelity, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicide, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Excrement, Vomit, Police brutality, Kidnapping, Grief, Stalking, Abortion, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, Classism, and Deportation

susrutha_sam's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective slow-paced

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

4.5

Satirical, magical realism and very well written. Pick out any adjective from the dictionary and it can be used to describe this book. 

A must read! 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Misogyny, Rape, Sexual violence, and Suicide attempt

raquelmozart_123's review against another edition

adventurous dark funny sad tense fast-paced

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

3.75

I wanted to love it so bad but the end could never suffice for all the wrongs and pain I had to go through as a reader (female and non white at that). 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Body shaming, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Incest, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Excrement, Vomit, Police brutality, Kidnapping, Grief, Stalking, Abortion, Murder, Abandonment, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, War, and Classism

allyem_reads's review against another edition

1.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Incest, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Kidnapping, Murder, Pregnancy, Colonisation, and War

Moderate: Body horror, Gun violence, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Sexual content, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Grief, and Classism

haileyybean's review against another edition

dark 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? No

2.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Incest, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual violence, Suicide, and Violence