Reviews tagging Body shaming

My Brilliant Friend, by Elena Ferrante

10 reviews

radfordmanor's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad medium-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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child abuse, Misogyny, Sexism, Toxic friendship, Bullying, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Grief, Homophobia, Toxic relationship, Murder, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, and Body shaming

katrinarose's review against another edition

reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

This was a really interesting book, the friendship between Lenu and Lila is so complicated. I wanted them to stick together more and it was sad to watch them go on separate paths for reasons out of their control. They are both such interesting characters. The chapters were short and easy to read but I also felt like the book was a bit slow; there was almost no plot so that is a major thing to consider before deciding to read this. I thought about removing another half star for the times where it felt like it dragged, but I think that was almost the purpose. This is a story of their lives, not a typical conflict-driven plot with a climax and conclusion, so it felt wrong to rate it like it was. I think I will continue with the second book.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence and Child abuse

Moderate: Misogyny, Sexual harassment, Bullying, Body shaming, Classism, Gun violence, Sexual assault, and Sexual content

Minor: Cursing, Death of parent, Infidelity, and Homophobia

_shonahenderson's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad slow-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Misogyny, Toxic friendship, Sexual content, Body shaming, Stalking, Emotional abuse, and Domestic abuse

Moderate: Mental illness, Classism, Death, Murder, Racial slurs, and Violence

lindseyhall44's review against another edition

reflective medium-paced

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

4.5

My Brilliant Friend is a highly regarded international treasure, focusing on a female friendship in 1950’s+ Naples. While I cannot relate to Elena (our narrator) in a environmental or physical sense, her connection with Lila embodies so much of my own relationships from adolescents to now. It’s resonance with readers spanning multiple years highlights Ferrante’s brilliant (haha see what I did there) ability to articulate the human experience, many events of which I am still trying to put together with words.
I cannot wait to continue on with the rest of the Neapolitan series, and Ferrante’s backlist in general.
After checking trigger warnings, I would highly highly recommend if you enjoy character based novels!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Injury/injury detail, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Sexual violence, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Bullying, Body shaming, Classism, Domestic abuse, Sexual assault, and Violence

Moderate: Gaslighting, Mental illness, and Murder

lindsaccount's review against another edition

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? It's complicated

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Violence, Physical abuse, Emotional abuse, and Death

Moderate: Alcohol, Blood, Bullying, Child abuse, Classism, Sexual content, Adult/minor relationship, Body shaming, Death, Emotional abuse, and Grief

Minor: Death of parent, Sexual harassment, Homophobia, and Gore

jessthanthree's review against another edition

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? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse

Moderate: Classism, Body shaming, Domestic abuse, and Toxic friendship

breadwitchery's review against another edition

challenging 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? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Violence, Adult/minor relationship, Sexual assault, and Sexual content

Moderate: Blood, Death, Body shaming, Bullying, Injury/injury detail, Misogyny, Sexual harassment, Murder, and Pedophilia

Minor: Child death, War, Ableism, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Cursing, Suicidal thoughts, Infidelity, and Homophobia

mariebrunelm's review against another edition

reflective medium-paced

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

2.5

When I opened My Brilliant Friend, I literaly recoiled from the list of characters, ha ha. But I was curious to read this immensely succesful book and to dicsover for myself what it was about. I was curious to read about Naples in the 1950s and the two friends, Elena and Lila, who had captivated so many readers.
Eventually, I was lost among all those characters, I didn't enjoy the writing style and I was tired of reading again a story about children growing up. However I kept reading because the pages turned themselves and because I liked how the author described a friendship like many others - in which the members grow together, apart and close again, without knowing how to define the bond that tie them together but without being neither able nor willing to cut it.
 

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Content Warnings

Minor: Body shaming, Gun violence, and Sexual assault

femboy_reads's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad tense fast-paced

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

4.5

Coming from an Italian family, this book hit close to home. The way the stories are told remind me of those my father and his siblings have recounted over the years. Ferrante is a beautiful writer, even in translation her storytelling is cutting. This book spoke to me and my heart. It is the first in a long time that I haven't been able to put down. I cannot wait to continue on with this series. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Grief, Gun violence, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Murder, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Sexual assault, Sexual content, Stalking, Toxic relationship, and Violence

abbystevenson's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective medium-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, and Sexual content