Reviews tagging 'Toxic relationship'

Outlander by Diana Gabaldon

23 reviews

creeepybones's review against another edition

dark emotional tense slow-paced

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

I honestly have no idea what the hype or gross fixation people have with this book. 
I could understand how the basic story line could be romantic; but the toxicity and open sexual violence and misogyny is sickening. 
I did not enjoy it at all. 
As well as it being such a slow read. 
I would not recommend to anyone. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Kidnapping, Medical trauma, Stalking, Murder, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, and Sexual harassment

egrey's review against another edition

Felt too repetitive and triggering 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Trafficking, Murder, and Sexual harassment

anne4discworld's review against another edition

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Gore, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Ableism, Fatphobia, and Kidnapping

mykingdomforabookworthreading's review against another edition

1.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body shaming, Death, Domestic abuse, Gore, Infertility, Infidelity, Misogyny, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Vomit, Medical content, Kidnapping, and Sexual harassment

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body shaming, Chronic illness, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Gore, Gun violence, Homophobia, Incest, Infertility, Mental illness, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Terminal illness, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Excrement, Vomit, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Abortion, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail

kengore's review against another edition

He is too abusive and she is too annoying.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Violence, Death of parent, and Alcohol

katmystery's review against another edition

adventurous emotional slow-paced

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

2.0

This book barely passes the Bechdel test. For something literally narrated by a woman, that is pretty bad.

For the first 40%, this was an engaging historical fic, albeit a bit slow, about a witty former WWII army nurse who finds herself brought back in time to 1740s Scotland. Then, when the romance plot started, suddenly it was all about her 18th century love interest, a character who Gabaldon endlessly romanticized despite his highly abusive and controlling behavior. When I wasn’t horrified by Jamie, I was bored by hundreds upon hundreds of pages of conversations and events that added nothing to the plot or character development, and I quickly grew to be so irritated by the narrator that I just wanted it to end. In addition to all of this, all the women who are sexually assaulted in this book (and there are a lot) are blamed for the assault, and the so-called “feminist” narrator does this, too. She’s barely more progressive than people from the 1700s; for half the book, she doesn’t care about anything but the abusive love interest.

I only finished this because of the sunk cost fallacy. 2 stars for the historical aspects, which were well done.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Torture, Toxic relationship, Medical content, and Sexual harassment

Moderate: Homophobia

Minor: Pedophilia

honestlyyours77's review against another edition

medium-paced

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

5.0

This is a reread as I needed an audiobook to listen to before bed that I didn’t have to 100% focus on.

As always it’s a favorite and I love listening to Davina narrate.

I think at nearly 35 years old it should be reading modern classic status as boy does it stand the test of time!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Bullying, Child death, Chronic illness, Confinement, Infertility, Miscarriage, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Slavery, Toxic relationship, Violence, Medical content, Grief, Religious bigotry, Murder, Cultural appropriation, Gaslighting, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

deutschemausi's review against another edition

adventurous 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? It's complicated

4.0

Spoilers for sure!

This book is excellently written but damn it’s so long 😂

I was a tad bit bored at first but I’d say about a quarter of the way through I was all ears. It does get a bit repetitive every once in awhile but that reqlly isn’t a biggie. 

My biggest issue was the god damn treatment of women.  I know that’s how it was back Then but it’s still incredibly difficult to read. 

I really liked Jaime at first I was so hoping he would be that one guy that was a decent human being and I know it’s an unpopular opinion but he’s a piece of shit. Sorry he really is,

there’s things he does that he says he’s obligated to do or wants to have sex with her where he does not care about her decision, regardless if she ends up enjoying herself or forgiving him does not MAKE THIS OK. gah.  

Also beating Claire so bad that she herself says within an inch of her life just because she disobeys him (which almost led to her own brutal rape yet again so I’m sure she learned her lesson either way)?! And then forgives him the next day??? What is that?! No matter what time point this is, Claire herself is from a future where this isn’t ok and although in her time point violence against women is still a little more prominent then it is today she still knows it’s not acceptable behavior. So why is she forgiving him the day after? 

I do not believe all the defenses of oh it was “spanking”. Spanking and beating someone so bad they can’t do anything more then lay down for several days are two very different things. 

It says and I quote “Gentle he would be, denied he would not.” 

That’s rape. And it maybe wouldn’t bother me as much if 

a. This kinda shit didn’t happen all the damn time in the past and still happens today  

b. This book and show is so god damned popular and Jaime is seen as an amazing partner and husband and person! 

He’s not and he’s scum and I hate that he’s defended. I will not do it. 

And the absolute normalization of molestation and rape is appalling for both men and women.

Given that this book is a representation of the past I can live with that. I think my biggest issue here is that people in today’s world defend him. That’s where my true issue lies.

And I’m sorry he was raped too but just because a rapist is raped doesn’t forgive the rapes they’ve done themselves.

I just don’t get. 

Now saying all that and obviously I didn’t enjoy those parts of the book but it is amazingly written which is why I gave it a higher rating. This writing is impeccable and I don’t think I’ve ever read a book that I can dislike and enjoy at the same time. Gabaldon is a true storyteller and an amazing writer. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Gore, Infertility, Infidelity, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Medical trauma, Murder, Pregnancy, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, War, and Injury/Injury detail

im_jennaaa's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense 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? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Infertility, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Violence, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Car accident, Death of parent, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, War, and Injury/Injury detail

walking_cheese's review against another edition

adventurous dark slow-paced

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

1.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Incest, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual violence, Suicide, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Murder, War, and Injury/Injury detail