Reviews tagging 'Mental illness'

Sur les ossements des morts by Olga Tokarczuk

16 reviews

kirkspockreads's review against another edition

dark mysterious reflective sad tense slow-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? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Chronic illness, Gun violence, Mental illness, and Murder

Moderate: Fatphobia

welaneyding's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Chronic illness, Gun violence, Mental illness, Violence, and Murder

lzasne's review against another edition

dark mysterious reflective medium-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

Albeit an atmospheric read, fares as shittily as a flockful of bird droppings as a crime novel, and unfortunately, that was the intended purpose of my reading. But even more problematic than that is the constantly antagonizing, preachy tone adopted throughout the narrative and the main character's blatantly deranged psyche left uncharted. All in all, its irredeemably dichotomic and superficial understanding of ethics combined with poor attempts at quirkiness made the book a slog to get through.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, and Murder

Moderate: Mental illness and Sexism

Minor: Drug abuse, Religious bigotry, and Gaslighting

mpanac's review against another edition

challenging dark 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

Moderate: Animal death, Death, and Mental illness

bedtimesnack's review against another edition

dark funny mysterious sad medium-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Death, and Murder

Moderate: Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Blood, Grief, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

Minor: Ableism, Child death, Confinement, Fatphobia, Misogyny, Racial slurs, and Sexism

noahfence's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

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

5.0

yeah, so. prepare to enter the world of janina duszejko. like, really prepare. its not for the faint of heart.

i have never read anything quite like this book. it is a story that will question your perception of madness, animals, astrology and religion—and you will probably finish it with a very different view of the world.

the plot follows the story of the sickly, elderly woman janina duszejko and her life in a lonely polish village on the border of the czech republic. the book drags you along on her investigation into the strange, unsettling murders of several members of the town’s hunting society, filling you with intrigue, awe—and perhaps horror, depending on your attitude towards animals. do you treat them like they have souls, or not? are you willing to face their wrath?

drive your plow over the bones of the dead is everything i could ever ask for in a book. the weather is strange, the animals are vengeful, the stars are sentient. it is a beautifully dark exploration into feminism, animal rights and murder, and although at first it may just seem like the story of a lonely old women, the prose grips you by the throat and really doesn’t let you go. you will come away from the book wondering if your horoscope could show you how you will die, and if you should really continue eating meat.

drive your plow over the bones of the dead is a deliciously dark read. so go on—take the plunge. 🤭

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Death, and Murder

Moderate: Body horror, Chronic illness, Cursing, Gun violence, Mental illness, Sexism, Violence, Blood, Medical content, and Grief

Minor: Drug use, Misogyny, Excrement, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, and Alcohol

ramreadsagain's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious 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

4.25

A great work of literary mystery eco-fiction. I was intimidated by this book at first as it’s won so many prizes but once you get used to the narration and flow it was really easy to read.

I enjoyed the plot, and the main character was written so vividly. Really liked the mystery too, and how it developed. 

Also super recommend for vegans and/or people into astrology. 

My only complaint is that, while the plot was engrossing, it never really evoked any emotions from me. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death and Death

Moderate: Mental illness and Murder

Minor: Medical content and Alcohol

basonok's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious 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? It's complicated

3.0

I lost track of the plot of the book midway through. I wanted to like this book but ableist and fatphobic commentaries ruined the book for me. I could see the author’s background in psychology possibly seeping into the writing, but it was in such an ignorant and irresponsible way towards neurodivergence and mental illnesses. While attempting to make a social commentary on the value of certain age groups, people with chronic illnesses and other groups in society, it was written poorly in my opinion and had at times the opposite effect in devaluing the appearance, mannerisms, and capabilities of other characters in the story (especially those not in the main character’s friend group). 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood

Moderate: Ableism, Body shaming, Fatphobia, and Mental illness

horizonous's review against another edition

mysterious medium-paced

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

3.0

Great sense of place, interesting main character, but I just didn't care about the horoscope passages or William Blake's poetry and to me it was also very obvious where the story is going. However, this won't be my last book by Olga Tokarczuk.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death and Chronic illness

Moderate: Death, Misogyny, and Medical content

Minor: Alcoholism, Infidelity, Mental illness, Vomit, and Death of parent

◦ Medical content = Dentistry
◦ Mental illness = Depression
.. and some passages about insects

cecim17's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad medium-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Chronic illness, Death, Mental illness, Car accident, and Murder