unfortunatecircus's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
I don't know what to say. the last like, 10 pages completey pulled the rug from under me so to speak. that did not end how I ever imagined.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Torture and Violence
Spoiler
graphic description of torture near the end and violent deaths of animals, and also stabbing + brief hospital descriptionrenniewest's review against another edition
dark
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
4.0
i saw a review that said beatrice and virgil is essentially the flip book that henry pitches in the story, and the more i consider it the more i’m convinced it’s true. i never would have guessed the direction this was heading in, and it took a minute for me to realize, and when it did i felt the horror and disgust that many other reviewers felt after finishing. but one thing that sticks with me is beatrice and virgil and their story which is so entirely devastating and human. yes, the integrity of the play is tarnished by the monster who wrote it, but the glimpses we are shown in henry’s point of view serve to cement beatrice and virgil a place in my heart. yann martel writes beautifully and every time i am amazed.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Animal cruelty, and Animal death
pirate's review against another edition
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Torture, Violence, Injury/injury detail, Animal death, Genocide, Death, Child death, and Antisemitism
doublydaring's review
challenging
dark
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.0
If you are Jewish do not read this book
I have trouble finishing this book because it made me feel sick but I have to for school. When I finally finished I was brought to tears not of sadness or joy but of disgust. The contents of this book were disturbing to me. In the Q&A Martel describes being fascinated by the Holocaust. One is fascinated by a carousel or an enchanting piece of music I simply couldn't take the language. My main problem with this book is the comparison abused animals wiped out by Extinction. The Jews in the Holocaust were not killed by the careless habitat destroying greed of humanity they were killed by a deliberate hateful action. You might bring up Maus as a Counterpoint in Maus the Jews are portrayed as mice there's one very important difference. In Maus the Germans are cats the English are pigs the French are frogs, everyone is an animal. In Beatrice and Virgil, the Jews are animals and the Germans are people. Another defense to be made for this book is that Henry doesn't agree with the views of the taxidermist, but it's not a question of agreeing or disagreeing this book is a portrayal of obscene gratuitous pornographic antisemitic violence.
I have trouble finishing this book because it made me feel sick but I have to for school. When I finally finished I was brought to tears not of sadness or joy but of disgust. The contents of this book were disturbing to me. In the Q&A Martel describes being fascinated by the Holocaust. One is fascinated by a carousel or an enchanting piece of music I simply couldn't take the language. My main problem with this book is the comparison abused animals wiped out by Extinction. The Jews in the Holocaust were not killed by the careless habitat destroying greed of humanity they were killed by a deliberate hateful action. You might bring up Maus as a Counterpoint in Maus the Jews are portrayed as mice there's one very important difference. In Maus the Germans are cats the English are pigs the French are frogs, everyone is an animal. In Beatrice and Virgil, the Jews are animals and the Germans are people. Another defense to be made for this book is that Henry doesn't agree with the views of the taxidermist, but it's not a question of agreeing or disagreeing this book is a portrayal of obscene gratuitous pornographic antisemitic violence.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Antisemitism, Blood, Body horror, Genocide, Hate crime, Racism, Religious bigotry, Torture, and Violence
lanid's review
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Torture, Violence, and Death
Minor: Suicide, Genocide, and Animal cruelty
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