Reviews tagging 'Violence'

Swimming in the Dark by Tomasz Jedrowski

19 reviews

nklimczak's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia, Sexual content, and Outing

Moderate: Drug use, Violence, and Death of parent

Minor: Suicidal thoughts, Police brutality, and Antisemitism

maregred's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful mysterious fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• 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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Content Warnings

Moderate: Drug use, Homophobia, Toxic relationship, and Alcohol

Minor: Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Abandonment, and War

thatswhatshanread's review against another edition

emotional hopeful informative reflective sad medium-paced

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

5.0

An encapsulating story of being queer in the 1980s under socialist rule. While I was expecting a heartfelt summer romance, I also learned a lot about Poland’s politics and demographics in the 70s and 80s, the religious and communist themes throughout the country in spite of the end of German control. 

This is a very moving tale of love within the forbidden and hidden, of innocence lost and found, of the duality of cruelty and kindness in humanity. 

The writing is beautiful, like poetry, flowing like streams of consciousness from our protagonist, Ludwik, intent on finding himself in the world. His inner turmoil over his attraction to the same sex, his struggles with opening up to someone, his freedom from the Party’s ideologies. His love for Janusz and his lust for a different life. My heart broke for him in his journey for happiness and truth. I desperately wanted to give him a hug.

A melancholy novel rich with history and emotional ups and downs. Simply excellent.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Chronic illness, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Hate crime, Homophobia, Infidelity, Sexual content, Xenophobia, Vomit, Grief, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Outing, Gaslighting, and Classism

Moderate: Bullying, Confinement, Terminal illness, Violence, Police brutality, Antisemitism, Medical content, Alcohol, and War

Minor: Pregnancy

notthatcosta's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Overall I really liked this book; the pacing is excellent and the prose swept me up right away. The love story component felt fresh despite being very well trodden ground, particularly due to the political slant and the right/wrong of it feeling somewhat grey. 

I struggled with the protagonist at points, when he was particularly wallowing or dramatic without any sense of lightness or humour like those around him. However, there were moments of self awareness and growth in the narration that redeemed what occasionally veered into Brandon Taylor-esque melodrama.  

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Bullying, Death, Homophobia, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Police brutality, Antisemitism, Grief, Death of parent, and War

sophee_568's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective medium-paced

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

5.0

New all time favorite book. It's devastating. Made me cry. I love everything about this book and I can't wait to reread it. It gives off Call Me By Your Name vibes but without the weird age gap. No misogyny too. 💞

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia

Moderate: Outing

Minor: Violence and Police brutality

kwichris's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful reflective sad medium-paced

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

3.75

I typically don't like reading books that center around romance. This book, however, managed to embed historical context and emotionally complex situations that added more to this story than a simple romance that cannot be. Overall, I was pleasantly surprised at how much I found myself relating to or finding understanding in the main character's reactions/feelings/thoughts regarding the situation they find themselves in - a love that they cannot express publicly, a country divided post-war, and uncertainty of their own future. For a first entry, the author has crafted quite a nice story, and I would recommend it to anyone that likes a little historical context and input that shapes the story.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia and Grief

Moderate: Drug use, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, Violence, Antisemitism, Death of parent, Outing, Alcohol, War, and Classism

Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Genocide, Vomit, Police brutality, and Medical content

abicaro17's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional inspiring reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Wow. This book is amazing. A love story between two very different boys, tells the tale of political unrest and oppression coloring 1980s Poland. Told through second person letters, Ludwik tells the story of his upbringing, life in Communist Poland, and his complicated relationship with Janusz. The writing styles approaches dark subjects with an almost flowery language, making every bit a joy to read. Does it get a tad slow at times? Yeah. Does it absolutely ramp up towards the end? Yes! This is a short yet poignant tale of love and unrest is a worthwhile read! 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Body shaming, Cancer, Cursing, Death, Drug use, Gun violence, Homophobia, Infidelity, Racism, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Antisemitism, Grief, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Alcohol, War, and Classism

writingcaia's review against another edition

emotional sad medium-paced

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

5.0

Beautifully poetic and tragically sad. 
A love story that happens among all impossibilities, communism, poverty for most, waiting for something that might never come, among it all two different souls, one looking for the end of shame, wanting freedom, the other wanting more from life then what seemed due to him find each other. 
In a short book this debut swoop me up and took me to 80’s Poland, to the tragedy of post war, of Cold War, of the Russian occupation, to the winter and summer streets of Warsaw, to the lakes and fields of the country, the bodies of boys, and the lavishness of the rich contrasting with the devastating poor. Most of all it immersed me in feelings of shame from being, from loving, the emotional detachment of forced immigration, the alienation from love and country. 
A great achievement of writing and storytelling.
Just beautiful!!!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia and Sexual content

Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Drug use, Violence, Police brutality, Antisemitism, and Death of parent

hekhate's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Homophobia, Violence, and Antisemitism

Minor: Sexual content

mainon_'s review against another edition

adventurous emotional sad medium-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Homophobia, Infidelity, and Violence

Minor: Drug use, Antisemitism, and War