Reviews tagging 'Gaslighting'

Rosemary's Baby, by Ira Levin

40 reviews

lukerik's review against another edition

dark mysterious medium-paced

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

4.0

My mum said this was the only one of Levin’s novels she didn’t read. She was too frightened by the film to face it. I suppose she would have been about the same age as Rosemary, and an innocent Catholic like her. Maybe you’ll be frightened by the novel, but for me it was more just interesting as there’s a slow accumulation of hints and clues, some of them quite subtle, that build up to reveal the extent of the web of deceit and betrayal that Rosemary is ensnared in. I thought it was v. funny. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gaslighting and Rape

coco78337's review against another edition

dark mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Homophobia, Pregnancy, Racism, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Suicide, Death, Rape, Violence, Body shaming, Gaslighting, and Grief

Minor: Cursing, Toxic friendship, and Miscarriage

notthatcosta's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced

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

4.75

I watched Rosemary's Baby for the first time in 2021 and I became besotted with it quite quickly. It's worth saying that my original reference for the film was Tyra Banks' obsession with Mia Farrow's haircut in the film, which she proceeded to force on a season 5 contestant (and then a season 6 contestant) of America's Next Top Model.

Even more so than The Stepford Wives, the book is pretty much a mirror of the film's plot, with the exception of a brief trip that Rosemary makes to Hutch's cabin (which doesn't feature in the film). I was impressed at how much more concise the book is than the film, but both feel equally weighty and intricate. 

Spoiler

While the book is highly disturbing and frustrating in equal measure, the most salient aspect is the resolve and determination of Rosemary, which Mia Farrow channels excellently in the film adaptation. The way she is surrounded/smothered by people who are almost all conspiring against her and using her body to carry Satan's child (spoiler alert), and yet manages to figure out the plot and intervene is a testament to Ira Levin's ability to craft dynamic heroines in the most wild of circumstances.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Pregnancy, Emotional abuse, Suicide, Gaslighting, Death, and Rape

Moderate: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Gore, Medical trauma, Child death, Confinement, Medical content, Misogyny, and Suicidal thoughts

Minor: Addiction and Homophobia

queenkath32's review against another edition

dark tense fast-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gaslighting, Rape, Sexual assault, and Pregnancy

jaedia's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense slow-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Rape, Toxic relationship, Pregnancy, Racial slurs, Death, Religious bigotry, and Suicide

rumade's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

3.75

Probably one of the first explorations of pregnancy as a horrifying experience and the alienation and pain that can come with it. Rosemary is a likeable character and easy to root for- a normal Midwestern girl almost estranged from her huge Catholic family back in Omaha as she lives with her WASP husband in New York and longs for a baby. I wish I could have read this without knowing the premise; so I could feel the tension build up more and more. Even if you roughly know the story, it's worth a read. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape and Suicide

Moderate: Toxic relationship, Racial slurs, Mental illness, Gaslighting, Vomit, Pregnancy, Panic attacks/disorders, and Medical trauma

Minor: Blood, Addiction, Abortion, Child death, and Alcohol

There is a scene where a husband is very dismissive of him raping his wife the night before when she was passed out drunk

bpgorence's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship, Rape, and Gaslighting

Minor: Abortion

aquariusvintage's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense slow-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? No

2.0

Personally, I found the writing outdated. A lot of harmful tropes and slurs added. Appreciate the creepiness of the story line. A horror that is horrifying because it so closely mirrors reality. The book is considered a classic so there wasn't any jump scares or major twists in the storyline. Seemed pretty predictable. Didn't realize there would be a cliffhanger because the book is the beginning of a series. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Gaslighting, Domestic abuse, and Emotional abuse

Moderate: Homophobia and Racial slurs

Minor: Vomit and Child death

livthatsme's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gaslighting, Pregnancy, and Rape

Moderate: Medical content and Medical trauma

Minor: Sexual assault, Stalking, and Emotional abuse

kryskross's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious tense fast-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Gaslighting, and Emotional abuse

Minor: Racism and Homophobia