Reviews tagging 'Mental illness'

The Bass Rock by Evie Wyld

19 reviews

serendipitysbooks's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious reflective medium-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

4.0

 
Bass Rock is the interwoven stories of three women from three different eras - Sarah in the 1700s, Ruth in the post World War II era, and Viviane in contemporary times. The stories of all three women unfold on the rugged coast of Scotland and, sadly, male violence plays a key role in the stories of all three women.

As I read I couldn’t help admiring the skill and control with which the story was crafted. The structure was really interesting. Each chapter opens in the present, then moves back through Ruth’s story to Sarah’s, before moving forward via Ruth to Viv again. Interspersed are accounts of other, nameless, women being attacked. Each woman’s story is narrated in a different fashion - Viv’s by herself in the first person, Ruth’s in the third person but from her perspective, while Sarah’s story is told in the first person the son of a vicar who provided her with shelter. Careful readers will notice links between the women and their stories - objects, characters, lines and more recur. Additionally, the atmosphere is suitably dark and ominous. The location is isolated, the coastline rugged and threatening, the weather frequently dark, wet and windy. Then there is the slightly spooky house and strange noises in the night.

I was delighted to see tickling included as an integral part of this story. All too often tickling is perceived as innocuous and good fun. Sometimes it is. But, if unwanted and non-consensual, it is definitely not. Wyld did a great job of emphasising that fact, portraying it as part of a continuum of violence against women.

While each individual story isn’t necessarily unique, linking them together and recounting them as one increases their power and highlights the persistence of men’s violence against women. Despite centuries of advances in many areas male violence continues to blight women’s lives.

I can’t say I enjoyed this book. Enjoyed is too trite. And I was too busy raging. As I should have been. But I was definitely engrossed by it, and I admired the skill with which it unfolded and the power that it carried. A worthy winner of the 2021 Stella Prize. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Rape, and Sexual violence

Moderate: Mental illness and Miscarriage

rosalind's review

dark mysterious reflective tense fast-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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, Death of parent, Murder, and Alcohol

Moderate: Body horror, Child abuse, Infidelity, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Rape, Self harm, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Grief, Pregnancy, and Gaslighting

Minor: Confinement, Cursing, Drug use, Suicidal thoughts, Vomit, Car accident, and Abortion

mscarlettc's review

challenging dark emotional 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? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Stalking, Abortion, Murder, and Abandonment

sarahvdn's review

mysterious reflective tense slow-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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder

Moderate: Alcoholism, Death, Emotional abuse, and Mental illness

thewitchsreads's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious 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? No

3.75

Ik vond het tof dat het drie verhalen waren over vrouwen en dat uiteindelijk bleek dat die verhalen met elkaar verbonden waren. Verder vond ik het wel nogal vaag zo nu en dan. Vooral in het begin moest je heel goed opletten wie nou wie was. En er zaten ook korte hoofdstukjes tussen die niet over één van de drie vrouwen ging en toen snapte ik al helemaal niet meer waar dat over ging. Verder mooi beeldend geschreven.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship

Moderate: Child abuse, Infidelity, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Rape, Self harm, Blood, and Pregnancy

Minor: Abortion

kez's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.0

A disturbing read which, as a female, left me feeling sad, angry, afraid and determined all at once. Evie Wyld weaves together the stories of three different women across three time periods to show how violence perpetrated by men against women manifests itself. From very subtle things like an unwanted tickling, to extreme violence and murder, the actions and reactions of the characters are thought provoking. So much about the way women are blamed when they are actually the victims is described by Wyld, and reminds me that there is still a long way to go in making society a safer place for women.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Blood, and Murder

Moderate: Mental illness, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, and Death of parent

tink's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense slow-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

3.0

3.5 stars.
I had to reflect on this one for a while after finishing it. It's not an easy read. Tough issues (check any trigger warnings before reading) and it took me a while to get into the rhythm of it. It felt like I was just settling in when it was over. I would read more about Maggie though.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, and Pregnancy

demo's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense slow-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

This is the best representation of gaslighting I've come across in any fiction but it is naturally also the most distressing.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Death, Domestic abuse, Infidelity, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Forced institutionalization, Grief, and Pregnancy

Moderate: Pedophilia

hardcoverhearts's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense 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

4.5

What a visceral read! Three women’s stories are connected to a place on the Scottish coast. In three different timelines, Wyld tells stories of women’s lives in relation to violence - domestic violence, random misogyny, emotional abuse, gaslighting, and more. Her ability to access true terror serves to remind us of exactly how we tend to gloss over the impacts of violence. Incredibly interesting structure, characters and style at play as she makes you see and feel these women. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, Stalking, and Murder