Reviews tagging 'Death'

Mi chiamo Lucy Barton by Elizabeth Strout

7 reviews

ashleyjean6's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad fast-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? It's complicated

4.0

This is beautifully written; but so sad. A woman writing about her life and looking back at her traumatic childhood (poverty, abuse) and her escape which brought her to a place she feels out of place in. It's a very humbling book, one that makes you feel seen as a human. It's seems simple, but it's really the opposite. It's difficult to explain. But I want to read more. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Bullying, Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Medical content, Grief, Death of parent, and Classism

happyknitter2020's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.0

A sad reflective story of the log life impact of childhood emotional neglect. Felt like Lucy was sat alongside me & was telling me her story.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Incest, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Grief, Medical trauma, and Death of parent

bookedbymadeline's review against another edition

fast-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

3.0

Easy, quick read at less than 200 pages. I read this in one sitting, and only finished because I have book 2 and have heard it’s better than Lucy Barton, plus as I said it’s a quick read.

Stream of consciousness writing style with chapters jumping from different points of time which could be confusing at times. I’m not a big fan of this writing style because it usually lacks depth and the characters felt one dimensional.

I felt detached to the characters because there’s a lot of telling instead of showing. Maybe it’s because of how short the novel is and it tries to span so much time in so few pages.

The book is an interesting exploration of a childhood lived in extreme poverty, neglect, tense mother-daughter relationships, and loneliness. I did appreciate some quotes that made me think but overall it’s not bad or great, just average and forgettable. I’m hoping other reviewers are right and book 2 (as well as another of Strout’s novels, Olive Kitteridge) is better.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Medical content, Grief, Death of parent, and Classism

Moderate: Death

Minor: Genocide, Homophobia, Murder, and War

shelfofunread's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful reflective sad medium-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? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Medical content, and Death of parent

Minor: Homophobia, Infidelity, and War

notartgarfunkel's review against another edition

emotional hopeful reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Medical content

Moderate: Death, Homophobia, Death of parent, and War

Minor: Fatphobia

rosalind's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad 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? It's complicated

3.0

The whole experience of reading felt like sticking my fingers in someone else’s open wound; intimate, but not in a nice way. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse and Medical content

Moderate: Death, Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, Grief, and Death of parent

Minor: Sexual content and Classism

ellensmith's review against another edition

emotional hopeful inspiring reflective relaxing sad medium-paced

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

5.0

Beautifully and achingly sad and happy and true 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cursing, Death, Homophobia, Grief, and Death of parent