Reviews with content warning for Grief - You Will Not Have My Hate

Reviews tagging 'Grief'

You Will Not Have My Hate by Antoine Leiris

10 reviews

bashsbooks's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad medium-paced

4.0

You Will Not Have My Hate is a poetic reflection on a violent, sudden, and tragic loss. Leiris invites the reader in to his world (and his son's) after losing beloved wife and mother Hélène to the November 2013 terrorist attacks. Leiris has such a fine and visceral way of describing grief, of showing how he felt it so acutely. I was most taken by the part where he asks if he will have the right to be a complex and nuanced person after this tragedy and the subsequent popularity of his Facebook post addressed to the culprits.

If I had one criticism, it would be that at times, Leiris seems to refer to his wife as if she were a lost possession of his and Melvil, or to suggest that his grief was somehow greater than that of her other close loved ones, like her mother. I don't know if that's a translation thing or what. But it struck me as awkward, and it happened more than once.

Content Warnings

dexlud's review against another edition

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fast-paced

4.75

This is a beautiful, provocative, powerful memoir of Antoine Leiris and how he won’t let what happened to his wife at the hands of terrorism affect his son. It depicts how he won’t give them hate, as that’s what they want. My eyes were watering during most of this book, and it is a very quick read.

Content Warnings