Reviews with content warning for Sexual content - Paul

Reviews tagging 'Sexual content'

Paul by Daisy Lafarge

8 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.

Content Warnings

bigbizliz1991's review against another edition

Go to review page

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

Content Warnings

tesslw's review against another edition

Go to review page

challenging dark emotional tense medium-paced

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

4.5

When 21 year old Frances leaves her studies in Paris following an academic disgrace that leaves her relationship with her supervisor virtually in tatters, she is excited to spend time working on organic / ‘eco’ farms across France. She’s looking forward to travelling the country, discovering new regions, and of course to meet new people. However it just so happens that one of those people is Paul; an ‘anthropologist’ turned photographer who owns Noa Noa, a farm in a sleepy southern town that Frances arrives at. Paul is charismatic and welcoming, a man of the world - but soon their relationship intensifies and Frances finds herself in a much more complex scenario than she had ever anticipated - and totally unable to determine the best way forwards.

I don’t want to delve too far into the plot but LaFarge does an incredible job at creating a creeping, insidious sense of discomfort that slowly dials up the tension until you realise your skin is crawling. The way that our image and understanding of Paul gradually builds up as we meet more of his friends and acquaintances and start to see cracks and inconsistencies in the stories he has told is chillingly effective. Frances’ naivety and palpable vulnerabilities left me wanting to shake her on occasion but that just added to the agitation of reading this.

This is a story of manipulation, passivity, gaslighting and powerplay, and also poses some interesting questions around silence and compliance, as well as how we perceive and navigate shame. Discovering that this book is also loosely inspired by the artist, Paul Gaugin certainly added an extra layer of context to this read as well.

I really enjoyed the audiobook for this - and I definitely plan on picking up whatever Daisy Lafarge puts out next!

Content Warnings

bella_cavicchi's review against another edition

Go to review page

dark emotional reflective medium-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

The word that keeps coming to mind when I think about PAUL is "suffocating." It is intentionally uncomfortable, forcing readers to reflect on the persisting allure of men who do not deserve the status/position/adoration that society continues to grant them. If this is Daisy Lafarge's fiction debut, we are certainly in for a treat with whatever she writes next. (And if you've also read this—or even if you haven't!—I highly recommend Ella Fox-Martens' corresponding Atlantic article: https://www.theatlantic.com/books/archive/2022/09/paul-tears-down-myth-gauguin/671332/)

Content Warnings