Reviews tagging 'Torture'

A Fatal Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum: Murder in Ancient Rome by Emma Southon

22 reviews

yaboywillyshakes's review

challenging dark informative reflective medium-paced

2.25

While there are a handful of chapters where the author evokes the humanity of ancient murder victims and makes a decent argument about the way that murder is constructed as a concept by societies, her absolute disdain for the topic of Rome makes the first half of the book very hard to read. The later chapters are too full of somewhat childish pop culture references (largely Harry Potter, which also gives me pause for other reasons) to make the book relevant to larger audiences, and I was not impressed with the level of research in the last chapter specifically. It felt like the author was cherry picking information to support her own ends, and it felt very shallow in comparison with the preceding chapters.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Incest, Rape, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicide, Torture, Abortion, and Murder

It's about ancient Rome and murder, so perhaps the content warnings should be assumed, but the author sometimes shoehorns topics into places where I did not expect them, I wish I had been warned.

daphreads's review

4.0

A really interesting, and truly hilarious and entertaining, reflection of the way we view the Roman Empire vs what it really is. An investigation into the socially constructed concepts of life, dignity, and murder, and how the Romans viewed it as opposed to how we do now 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Torture, Blood, and Murder

another_dahlia's review

dark funny informative medium-paced

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Death, Domestic abuse, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Slavery, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Murder, Colonisation, War, and Classism

tlholmes's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny informative sad tense medium-paced

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child death, Confinement, Death, Gore, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Moderate: Animal cruelty and Animal death

nassuada's review

dark emotional funny informative sad slow-paced

4.5

A really interesting read, particularly when the author covers how the life of women, enslaved people, and children were regarded in Rome. Her writing style really elevates the content and it reminded me of a true crime podcast (but one of the good ones where they actually respect the lives of the victims and don't just use them for entertainment value). 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Body horror, Death, Gore, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexism, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Blood, Death of parent, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Moderate: Child abuse, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Rape, Suicide, Abortion, and War

panireads's review against another edition

challenging dark informative medium-paced

3.0

Maybe I am not the target audience for this book, but as I like reading history , especially classic history I expected to like it a lot. I was put off by the language used, and the ( an in my opinion unneccesary ) constant pop culture references.  

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Slavery, Torture, and Violence

simixfe's review

dark emotional funny informative medium-paced

3.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Blood, Death of parent, Murder, Abandonment, and Sexual harassment

Moderate: Fire/Fire injury

Minor: Animal cruelty, Animal death, and Antisemitism

shelfofunread's review against another edition

dark funny informative fast-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Sexual violence, Suicide, Torture, Violence, and Murder

anneshamitha's review

adventurous dark informative medium-paced

4.75

I really liked this book. I love how it grounded Rome in the slave state that it was, and never lost sight of that. I also appreciated how she walked us through her sources, including those that conflict, instead of presenting a singular narrative as fact. Unfortunately, she tries way too hard to be cool. This almost turned me off entirely, but because the actual substance of the book was so good it kind of felt like rolling your eyes at a professor who tries to be too hip, but that you like anyway because you’re actually learning. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Slavery, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Grief, Murder, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Moderate: Ableism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, and Genocide

j_squaredd's review against another edition

dark funny informative medium-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Slavery, Torture, and Murder