Reviews tagging 'Torture'

La strada by Cormac McCarthy

38 reviews

bungo_books's review against another edition

challenging dark sad slow-paced

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

4.0

Love the authors writing

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Gore, Gun violence, Rape, Self harm, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Cannibalism, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Abandonment, and War

linthemountains's review against another edition

challenging dark sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Minor: Torture and Cannibalism

swizz1estick's review against another edition

Got about 40% through and it’s just not my kind of thing. Also the audiobook narrators’ child voice just made me hate the kid character. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Rape, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, and Cannibalism

absurdpineapples's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Cursing, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Rape, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Blood, Excrement, Trafficking, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, and Pandemic/Epidemic

krmreads2024's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

One of the best books ever written. A harrowing journey between father and son, with seemingly no end to misery and pain, and the state of this world that is unsalvageable. It’s a tragically beautiful story that shows humanity at its most depressing. McCarthy leaves you flawed and sobbing by the end in the best way possible.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Torture, Violence, Grief, Cannibalism, Death of parent, and Murder

beanjoles's review against another edition

dark reflective slow-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

3.0

This feels sacrilegious to say, but I think I would have enjoyed this book more had I not watched the Last of Us... because TLoU just did it better. Same vibes, similar landscape, but the show was so engaging and this book was just... not. That said, some of the writing was quite beautiful. 

The audiobook read by Tom Stechschulte is fantastic, though. I'm glad I read the book in that format. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent

Moderate: Suicide and Torture

Minor: Kidnapping, Grief, and Injury/Injury detail

anteatterc470's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• 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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Cannibalism, and War

Moderate: Suicide and Torture

linda_ws's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense fast-paced

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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent

Moderate: Death, Violence, Grief, Cannibalism, and Fire/Fire injury

Minor: Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, and Pregnancy

tkroeker's review against another edition

challenging dark sad tense fast-paced

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

3.75

This book is a challenging read. The writing is solid throughout, at times impeccable. At its best it is straight poetry, which contrasts with raw matter-of-fact depictions of unimaginable brutality and loss of humanity. It is a clever device McCarthy uses to mirror the abstraction that traumatized people must undergo in order to avoid their own insanity. It’s well worth the read if you can stomach it. Stars docked for preference more than quality. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Gore, Slavery, Suicide, Torture, Kidnapping, and Cannibalism

jakessrn's review against another edition

challenging dark sad 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Cannibalism, Death of parent, and Murder

Moderate: Torture