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whittaker's review against another edition
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
I am determined to finish this book at some point but for now it's a DNF. I picked it up used on eBay thru a recommendation on booktube - but I really just couldn't get through it. Some of the stories were good - admittedly they were so good that they make me want to finish it, but there were several that just tarnished the whole collection. And this is because they painted taboo topics in a normal light - which is difficult for me to read, to be quite frank (and by taboo, I mean explicitly incest and pedophilia). I think perhaps it's due to the perception of the book that I saw in reviews, on how wonderful it was. Several of the stories just really were gross, and I'm sure I'm in a minority for thinking that way, after all it has a 3.5 star rating. I don't believe that no one should read this book, but I think myself personally struggled with the topics mentioned, and I think the book rating would've increased tenfold had this small percentage of stories been cut in the edit. Unfortunately a 2 star for me, although no hate to Miranda July and her writing style, some of the stories are the reason why its not a 1 star. I just cannot reconcile the fantastic stories with the triggering stories for me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Incest and Pedophilia
cheye13's review against another edition
challenging
dark
tense
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
1.0
I didn't enjoy these at all. I liked the penultimate story "Birthmark" best, and yet it was still a 2-3 star. The longer stories seemed to drone and the short ones ended too abruptly, as if the stories should trade structures.
The writing itself is decent, but I couldn't get beyond the content. Nearly every story involved some kind of sexual taboo, ranging from infidelity to incest. The topics alone don't necessarily ruin stories for me, but the taboos seemed to be more for shock than function. This collection likely went over my head. With focus, I can maybe see where this may function as a catharsis for sexual traumas (perhaps the normalized portrayal of traumatic experiences makes one feel less alone?), but it didn't hit that button for me.
Before reading, I specifically researched content warnings and found none, which is probably why this was a let down. I feel I may have been able to "get" the stories a little more had I been prepared for the challenging content. As far as synopses go, theres quite a gulf between "old man is socially awkward" and "old man is only sexually interested in teenagers."
The writing itself is decent, but I couldn't get beyond the content. Nearly every story involved some kind of sexual taboo, ranging from infidelity to incest. The topics alone don't necessarily ruin stories for me, but the taboos seemed to be more for shock than function. This collection likely went over my head. With focus, I can maybe see where this may function as a catharsis for sexual traumas (perhaps the normalized portrayal of traumatic experiences makes one feel less alone?), but it didn't hit that button for me.
Before reading, I specifically researched content warnings and found none, which is probably why this was a let down. I feel I may have been able to "get" the stories a little more had I been prepared for the challenging content. As far as synopses go, theres quite a gulf between "old man is socially awkward" and "old man is only sexually interested in teenagers."
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal death, Incest, Infidelity, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, and Sexual content
Minor: Adult/minor relationship
There's a lot of nuance with taboo topics in this collection, so labeling sensitive content gets a little tricky, and so does sorting them into intensity levels. And while these challenging topics aren't portrayed in a positive manor, they're not strictly "challenged" either. A general note – if you find certain content triggering or troubling but you're determined to read this anthology, proceed with caution.