Reviews tagging 'Abortion'

Woman at Point Zero by Nawal El Saadawi

9 reviews

icarusandthesun's review

challenging dark tense slow-paced

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

2.5

'you criminal. you deserve to die.'
- 'everybody has to die. i prefer to die from a crime i have committed rather than to die for one of the crimes which you have committed.'

a tale filled with great horrors, pain and truth.
this book was very special, something i've never read before, and wise in an unconventional type of way.
i liked the story in its simple complexity, but the pacing threw me off quite frequently. the storyline and structure were sort of jumpy and the lifeless ease with which the events were described took away most of the impact.

an important story, but the writing style was not for me.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny, Rape, Sexual harassment, Sexual assault, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Sexism, Violence, and Sexual violence

Moderate: Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, and Police brutality

Minor: Pregnancy, Religious bigotry, and Abortion

lizzardbeth99's review against another edition

challenging dark sad tense

3.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Infidelity, Abortion, Addiction, Murder, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Child abuse, Misogyny, Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Blood, Death, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Gore, Grief, Incest, and Kidnapping

bdilley28's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative reflective fast-paced

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

4.0

I thought this book was very well written, and the different POVs tied together really well. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Misogyny, Murder, Sexism, Sexual violence, Abandonment, Abortion, Adult/minor relationship, Grief, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Classism, Death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Incest, Rape, Sexual harassment, Emotional abuse, Child abuse, and Sexual content

el219's review

4.5

Disgusting and so essential to read; nawal was such an icon may continue to rest in peace and power

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Pedophilia, Emotional abuse, Incest, Misogyny, Child abuse, Rape, Physical abuse, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, and Sexual violence

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Child death, Grief, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Abortion and Death of parent

ivannna_u's review

challenging dark emotional reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder

Moderate: Rape, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, and Physical abuse

Minor: Abortion and Death of parent

uselessreader's review

adventurous dark emotional inspiring reflective sad

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

3.0

 

Feminism! The protagonist is a woman, who basically is abused all throughout her life by men (physically, sexually and verbally)

Spoiler

(beaten by her father, molested by her uncle, beaten and raped by her husband and then again raped by multiple men, …) , runs away a couple of times and ends up working as a sex worker, during which she again experiences abuse at the hands of men.

All of this turns her into a bitter woman, who hates men and is full of anger at the ways in which they treat women. The book portrays many of the horrible ways in which women have to suffer daily (because of misogyny and the patriarchy and religion) and functions as an outcry against this injustice. 

 „However, every single man I did get to know filled me with but one desire: to lift my hand and bring it smashing down on his face.” (p.14) 

“All women are victims of deception. Men impose deception on women and punish them for being deceived, force them down to the lowest level and punish them for falling so low, bind them in marriage and then chastise them with menial service for life, or insults, or blows.” (p.117) 

 “(…) men force women to sell their bodies at a price, and that the lowest paid body is that of a wife.” (p.124) 

 

I have to say though, I didn’t care much for the writing. It is not particularly beautiful or clever and was very (!) repetitive. I know that this was done on purpose, to create a desired effect, but to me it just felt very lazy and clumsy. Maybe it is the translation that isn’t the best, but I wouldn’t know. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Misogyny, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, and Sexual violence

Moderate: Abandonment, Murder, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, and Trafficking

Minor: Abortion

glumgirl's review

dark emotional reflective tense fast-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape

Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Abortion, and Child abuse

claudes's review

dark emotional inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Violence, Slavery, Sexual violence, Misogyny, and Murder

Moderate: Domestic abuse

Minor: Abortion

libbygranger's review

dark emotional reflective sad fast-paced

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

Ooft, this book was intense. Even with its 128-page-count, Woman at Point Zero took me a long time to get through because it was such an emotional read. Based on a true story, this devastating tale of one woman’s fight against the oppressions of the patriarchy is as harrowing as it is lyrical. Saadawi’s prose is gentle and pensive, even when describing the acts of violence inflicted upon our main character, Firadaus.  

More of a nonfiction vignette than a novella, Woman at Point Zero is an important modern classic in Egyptian literature that explores maintaining dignity and strength in the face of  oppression. But please check out the content warnings before you go into it! 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Incest, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Stalking, Toxic relationship, and Violence

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship and Death

Minor: Abortion and Child abuse