Reviews tagging 'Sexual violence'

Women by Charles Bukowski

5 reviews

isabellakost's review

dark reflective slow-paced

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

2.75

No plot, just vibes. The first 2/3 of the book are slow and incredibly repetitive. Henry Chinaski is a hatable narrator and his voracious appetite for increasingly problematic lovers gets a little old. If it weren’t for the last 1/3 of the book (where Chinaski starts doing some self-reflection), I would’ve given this book 2 stars. Still, I wouldn’t recommend this to anyone apart from, say, a fellow novelist looking to explore an interesting style of writing. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexism, Sexual content, and Sexual violence

Moderate: Alcoholism, Racial slurs, Racism, and Alcohol

lienhsin's review against another edition

challenging dark sad tense fast-paced

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

2.0

henry chinaski -- the king of premature ejaculations and fucking premature women. this was a madhouse to read. wild, disturbing and criminal. henry chinaski is going to hell. may the pantheresses be free of men like him. i hope people vomit on his grave. if you found this book relatable.... i'm deathly afraid of you. this is fanfiction for men just like him. the horror of it all is the realization that this is reality. there are people who truly live like this. an alternative title for this book should be WHORE because henry chinaski didn't see these people as women, but as objects of his gross sexual desires. i did enjoy the short chapters and the fast paced format. this is my first bukowski book and i described it as writing for people with adhd. i hypothesize the sentences are short and curt because he's a poet. overall i found this torture to read but i promised i wouldn't hate the person who recommended it to me. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Body shaming, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Infidelity, Misogyny, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Transphobia, Vomit, and Gaslighting

ameliechen's review

dark sad tense fast-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? Yes

3.0

A perfect read if you want to feel hateful
I understand Bukowski writes to be disliked but I still cannot find the appeal of his vulgar, low-level style.
Nothing happens (beside drugs, rape, Chinaski being an awful person) and you will not be able to find a deeper meaning.
Easy to read, fascinating but incredibly horrible at the same time.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Rape, Sexism, Sexual violence, Vomit, Alcohol, and Sexual harassment

bugfriend's review

reflective slow-paced

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

2.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Drug abuse, Drug use, Infidelity, Misogyny, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Alcohol, and Sexual harassment

Moderate: Racism and Toxic friendship

Minor: Excrement, Vomit, Abortion, and Pregnancy

jtaveras's review

dark funny medium-paced

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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Body shaming, Drug use, Racial slurs, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, and Alcohol

The writing is great if you can get passed the misogyny and sexual abuse