Reviews tagging 'Suicide'

Empuzjon by Olga Tokarczuk

3 reviews

abookishtype's review against another edition

challenging informative mysterious reflective slow-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? It's complicated

4.0

In the years before a cure was available for tuberculosis, those who could afford it would retreat to sanatoriums in the mountains or somewhere where the air was supposed to be better. Patients could receive all kinds of treatments, ranging from enforced rest to hydrotherapy to whatever the doctors in charge could think up. None of this actually cured the patient; only antibiotics could do that. The Behmer Sanatorium, in the mountains of Silesia, seems to be one of the more benign sanatoriums until our protagonist, Mieczysław, starts to see hints that something sinister is going on among the townsfolk of Görbersdorf. In Olga Tokarczuk’s slow-burning new novel, The Empusium, we are treated to a strange blend of folk horror and historical fiction along with Mieczysław. This book is beautifully translated by Antonia Lloyd-Jones.

Read the rest of my review at A Bookish Type. I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley, for review consideration. 

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Content Warnings

Minor: Suicide

cute_emo_bookboy's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious reflective sad slow-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

3.25

Now I don't know how to reffer to the main character... lol... we say no to misgendering fictional characters

Really nice book... at least the first ¾. I really liked the mysterous charm that this book had, also the emotions and trauma of the main character but by the end, I didn't feel that tension

He/she, how do you prefer to call them, just put on some female clothes and left? Like, what? The gender implications were nice but it just didn't fit in this book. I'm saying this as a trans person

I thought that the paranormal stuff will be more important to the plot. Also, I've seen some people having problem with Tokarczuk's "feminism". Personally, I thought that these dialogue like "if women dislike something then it's good" were more like a joke...? Okay then...

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny and Terminal illness

Moderate: Child abuse, Sexual content, Suicide, Medical content, and Medical trauma

Minor: Vomit and War

ekfmef's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective sad medium-paced

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

5.0

Wow. Wat een boek. Ik kan deze leeservaring eigenlijk niet onder woorden brengen. Flarden blijven na-ijlen en rondzingen in je hoofd. 

Enerzijds is het een verrukkelijke persiflage op De Toverberg. Ik denk dat dit boek niet half zo leuk is als je niet bekend bent met dat boek. De ellenlange misogyne dialogen zijn een stuk beter te plaatsen als je weet welke kritiek er wordt ge-uit door de dialoog überhaupt op deze manier vorm te geven.

Anderszijds is het ook eng, koud en slijmerig. Op een goede manier maar niet op een cozy queer manier. En toch is dit boek echt enorm queer. Het blijft jammer dat queer verhalen niet gewoon in termen van geluk beschreven kunnen worden maar als het gaat om lijden dan kan Tokarczuk dat wel echt adembenemend. Er zitten echt zoveel lagen in dit verhaal... 

Dus ja, je kan dit boek zien als het queeren van de Toverberg, maar dat betekent niet dat het allemaal regenbogen en maneschijn is, anders zou het ook geen Tokarczuk zijn denk ik. Jeetje. Echt vakvrouwschap in net iets meer dan 300 pagina's. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Death, Suicide, Violence, and Medical trauma