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cword's review against another edition
slow-paced
3.5
I loved the slow build of scene and character, though i could have done without the lengthy repetitions throughout. The constant references to a 13 year olds breasts are unnecessary; it seems the author is incapable of writing women as human beings. Every reference to a female character is laden with sexual references or descriptions of their body/breasts. Aside from this the writing is alive and compelling, hence it disrupts the feel of the book when female characters are brought into the narrative. What was the imagined raping of his wife about??
The ending seems rushed and incomplete. There’s a final sprint to close the various open plot lines. Our main character, the artist, goes on a lengthy journey through another sort of world in order to “free Mariye” from wherever she has been taken to. Turns out she was hiding out at Menshikis house and just needed to wait for cleaning day so that she could make her escape. Hence, the entire plot line of the artist fighting through the metaphorical world, killing the commendatore, has absolutely no meaning? It did nothing to free Mariye, so he might as well have stayed home. It seems an oversight in the plot to me, rendering the crescendo of the plot meaningless.
The ending seems rushed and incomplete. There’s a final sprint to close the various open plot lines. Our main character, the artist, goes on a lengthy journey through another sort of world in order to “free Mariye” from wherever she has been taken to. Turns out she was hiding out at Menshikis house and just needed to wait for cleaning day so that she could make her escape. Hence, the entire plot line of the artist fighting through the metaphorical world, killing the commendatore, has absolutely no meaning? It did nothing to free Mariye, so he might as well have stayed home. It seems an oversight in the plot to me, rendering the crescendo of the plot meaningless.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Death, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Violence, Dementia, Death of parent, Pregnancy, and Injury/Injury detail
ksenianovikova's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny, Sexism, and Sexual assault
nwordsmith's review against another edition
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Loveable characters? No
2.75
In many ways, this book was inspired. The use of language and repetition in the narrative was masterfully executed. The book layered stories within stories and cycles of meaning. I loved the philosophical conversations between characters both human and non-corporeal. The magical realism was captivating and the mystery surrounding the pit and the bell was incredibly compelling.
Though long, I found the pacing fast enough to keep me engaged for most of the book. However somewhere around the three quarter mark, I lost interest in the narrative. It seemed to slow to the point of loosing all interest. That however is forgivable.
What I found most problematic was the language around female characters. All women and girls mentioned had almost no dimension. They appeared as mere objects in the narrative- objects of desire and over sexualization. Their motives, if discussed, were completely vapid. They were described almost exclusively in terms of how attractive they are and specifically the size of their breasts. The size of each female character’s breasts, including those of young girls were described ad nauseam. There were multiple conversations between a middle aged man and an adolescent girl about her small breasts. It was extremely uncomfortable as a reader and felt both unrealistic and unnecessary. It did not add to the story in any way. The continued discussion was disturbing and made the story hard to finish.
It could have been a truly great story but the sexism really ruined it.
Though long, I found the pacing fast enough to keep me engaged for most of the book. However somewhere around the three quarter mark, I lost interest in the narrative. It seemed to slow to the point of loosing all interest. That however is forgivable.
What I found most problematic was the language around female characters. All women and girls mentioned had almost no dimension. They appeared as mere objects in the narrative- objects of desire and over sexualization. Their motives, if discussed, were completely vapid. They were described almost exclusively in terms of how attractive they are and specifically the size of their breasts. The size of each female character’s breasts, including those of young girls were described ad nauseam. There were multiple conversations between a middle aged man and an adolescent girl about her small breasts. It was extremely uncomfortable as a reader and felt both unrealistic and unnecessary. It did not add to the story in any way. The continued discussion was disturbing and made the story hard to finish.
It could have been a truly great story but the sexism really ruined it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny, Rape, Sexism, Sexual content, and Sexual violence
franzjulz's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- 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
The Ideas and Metaphors were deeply intriguing. Wanted more, but satisfied...
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Misogyny, and Rape