Reviews tagging 'Toxic relationship'

Rosemary's Baby by Ira Levin

28 reviews

tipp_njam's review against another edition

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

4.5

The characterisation is written into the story and the author does a good job of maintaining unease throughout the story even after the climax. 
I felt a lot of things throughout the book, like unhappiness etc but I was never mad about it, everything seemed to have a purpose.
Rosemary as a character was super annoying but her passiveness was something that made the novel feel more interesting because you get to see how easily she gives up on her resolve in favour of her idealistic desires of family/life/her future. 

Overall, I really enjoyed this read (despite everything) and it was quite horrifying. 
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foldingthepage_kayleigh's review against another edition

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

4.5

This was a tense gothic tale that really dug into power dynamics in relationships, the dehumanization of women, and the horrors of disempowerment. It also showed the lack of autonomy that is often pushed upon pregnant people, as if your body is no longer your own, and the world is invited in to control you. Overall, I’m very glad to have read this book, an interesting social commentary with the tense gothic horror that makes you want to keep turning the page. And Mia Farrow as the narrator was excellent and added to the vintage vibes of the book.
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aingealwroth's review against another edition

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dark emotional tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

1.75

1.75*
While this hasn't aged the best (the problematic aspects of misogyny and racism are so harsh) it still has a place as a "classic" and the horror aspects hold up well. Granted, most of the horror is in the ending because Rosemary's psychotic break results with her in giving into the gaslighting, but alas, it's still horrifying. Has a stronger level of "eerie" than most horror stories that this spawned in the subgenre of "demonic kids" and is one of the better examples.

TLDR: Original movie held very close to the original material, just presented things as more subjective.
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casparquarius's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Diverse cast of characters? No

5.0

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camischroeder's review against another edition

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dark 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? Yes

4.0

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bokslukaren's review against another edition

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dark

3.5

A very chilling and unsettling story full of gaslighting and manipulation, but I didn't like the ending. As a reader, you begin to question what is said to be true and what conspiracy might be in the works, alongside Rosemary.
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mockingjayx16's review against another edition

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challenging dark mysterious sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.75

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morenowagain's review against another edition

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challenging dark sad medium-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

4.0

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automatic_rae's review against another edition

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dark mysterious tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

An interesting concept, but not my cup of tea.
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stephanieanneauthor's review against another edition

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

5.0

Believe it or not, I haven't seen the movie yet (but it is on my list). But movie or no movie, I had to give the book a try as I'm a fan of Levin's writing style. I will note that the sound quality of the audiobook is less than stellar, but other than that this book is phenomenal. 

As someone who's lived through it, I love stories that involve gaslighting as it adds to the tension and discomfort. And I wanted to scream at some of the obstacles Rosemary encountered. In those early chapters, I wasn't too sure how I would feel about her, but I came to love her character arc. I've also noticed recently that I tend to be more drawn to domestic horror stories. There's something delightfully unsettling about home life gone wrong, and situations that should be safe and comforting, but are not. 

Can't wait to watch the movie now!
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