Reviews with content warning for Sexual assault - Paul

Reviews tagging 'Sexual assault'

Paul by Daisy Lafarge

10 reviews

happyknitter2020'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
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

A dark story about a complex young woman in France, caught up by a controlling older man with stories about his travels, when she finds out he has sexual abused young girls.

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bigbizliz1991's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional tense medium-paced

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

5.0

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aislingreadssomebooks's review against another edition

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dark medium-paced

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

4.0

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syubeebee's review against another edition

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challenging reflective tense medium-paced

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

4.5

i liked this, it was a very quick and easy read, easy to get lost into
i liked all the talk about the french southern countryside, brought back many memories. i eventually wondered how i would feel about these passages if i hadn’t had my brain knowing it’s beauty already, if you see what i mean
great story, sometimes a little confusing with how fast she becomes infatuated with paul, but that what charismatic toxic people do
somehow, paul reminded me greatly (or not so greatly maybe) of my ex, from his first apparition they had the same aura, oh well
anyway, it has a eerie atmosphere, as if time had stopped and she was in a bubble, i understand when people say this book feels claustrophobic, i struggled to see if at the beginning but then it makes sense (it’s quite faint, but read the book to understand :) )
a book well worth reading, can be challenging not bc of its writing but because of its topic and a few events

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stasiana's review against another edition

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challenging dark reflective sad slow-paced

Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No

5.0

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coolchick_cesc's review against another edition

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dark emotional reflective sad medium-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? Yes

4.0

Frances, a young uni graduate, flees her lecturer-turned-lover in Paris by working at a HelpX kind of situation in rural France. There she meets Paul, a worldly and gregarious middle-aged bohemian type. From there, she is sucked into a relationship with this man, about whom she hardly knows her opinion. Of course, she doesn’t have a father.

Frances is vulnerable, depressed, and lacking agency, which is further impeded by the control these men have over her life. I think this book is so well crafted that it makes Paul’s gaslighting, patronising, and predatory behaviour so subtle and insidious. It feels to me a true reflection of toxic relationships such as this. Lafarge has expertly crafted a protagonist who lacks impetus and is overflowing with self doubt. I felt so awful for this character who is unable to stand up for herself and feels silenced by the men in her life, who take what they want without really care about her at all.

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