Reviews tagging 'Domestic abuse'

Great Expectations by Charles Dickens

14 reviews

jeslis's review against another edition

mysterious reflective tense slow-paced

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

4.0

Notes:
- Forgot to write this after I finished, so dredging up my memory from ages ago here.
- Surprisingly easy to read and not as slow as I'd expect for a book written serially.
- I was really invested in the unravelling plot too

and discovering how the characters were all connected at the end was so fun!

- I really like the parallel exploration of the puppet/puppeteer dynamics of Estella/Miss Havisham and Pip/Magwitch as both Estella and Pip come to realise how they're being used and how that dismantles who they thought they were.

- Main themes explored: class vs crime, good vs evil (Dickens' characters can be quite "comic book" black and white in this respect) and how the image of people changes from one end of the pole to the other.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child abuse and Domestic abuse

beckyyreadss's review against another edition

emotional mysterious reflective slow-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

3.0

I decided to read this book because I bought a poster with 100 books to read in your lifetime. This is book twenty-four on the poster. As with most classics, I struggled with this and sort of lost the storyline, and the pace was killing me.  

This book is about an orphan named Pip and he was raised in squalor in the marsh country of Kent, he is taken under the wing of the eccentric and reclusive Miss Havisham, and he has given his heart to the dowager’s beautiful but ice-cold adopted daughter, Estella. Even as a mysterious benefactor helps to shape Pip’s life into one of fortune, success and self-discovery. But the unspeakable secrets of his unrequited love continues to haunt him and promises to change his life once again. 

I enjoyed how the book was split into three parts to represent Pip’s life as a small, unloved boy who is in a toxic household and wanting some form of escape. To then getting his escape and becoming a man in London’s society and seeing how the society has changed him and made him into a toxic man, to then coming home and realising what he wanted. I enjoyed Pip’s growth even if I wanted to slap him at times for his actions and the people, he chooses to spend time with. Joe saved this book from being two stars, he was the only one who seemed to care about people and loved his job rather than trying to scheme his way up the society ladder. 

Even though this book was under 300 pages, it felt like it was 900 pages. I am going to assume it’s because of the language and the classic feel to it, but it felt like pulling teeth to get this book finished. It was a long book of getting out of the friend zone. The rest of the side characters annoyed me, Pip’s sister was just a horrible woman who hated her life and took it out on anyone who would listen. Estella couldn’t make her mind up until the last chapter. Miss Havisham – I couldn’t make my mind up about, I was liking her and rooting for her, but I also didn’t trust her. There was a lot of events that weren’t needed, and it was confusing me as new characters were getting introduced with the events and then they would go after that.  

The next book on the poster is A Tale of Two Cities, so let’s hope I understand that one a bit more.  

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, and Emotional abuse

Moderate: Death, Death of parent, and Classism

Minor: Mental illness, Racial slurs, and Violence

the_true_monroe's review against another edition

adventurous challenging hopeful reflective slow-paced

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

5.0

I enjoyed this immensely- had no idea it was going to be like this! I am glad to have been prompted to listen to it thanks to the Audrey app.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Moderate: Stalking and Alcohol

Minor: Kidnapping

julleah's review against another edition

This book is super depressing and treats child abuse (physical and emotional) and manipulation like a normal everyday thing. It also has a weird relationship between an adult and minor that isn’t romantic but is strange and unhealthy. I wouldn’t recommend this book. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Bullying, Child abuse, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Violence, Grief, Religious bigotry, Stalking, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Sexual harassment, and Classism

ayphyx's review against another edition

slow-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? Yes

2.75

This book fucking sucked. It’s boring, Pip is a bland character, the only good thing  is Estella Havisham who is the best character in the book.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Fire/Fire injury and Classism

Moderate: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Toxic friendship, and Injury/Injury detail

mmefish's review against another edition

What a bore. Pathetic "love" of the main character towards Estella (based on nothing but her looks and coldness) that I could not care less about, unfortunately, becomes the main focus of the story. The beginning was somehow entertaining but it absolutely lost me after part I.

P.S. oh my god, Biddy gets

married to JOE?! 🤮🤮🤮 And they have children 🤢

Repulsive.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, and Physical abuse

Minor: Antisemitism

sweetjuicee_'s review against another edition

challenging inspiring sad tense slow-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

3.25

the more i dwell on this book after being forced to study it, the less i hate it. odd.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, and Classism

Moderate: Death, Mental illness, Misogyny, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Toxic friendship, Classism, and Deportation

Minor: Alcohol

samantha_2023's review against another edition

funny hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective slow-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child abuse and Domestic abuse

bookerino's review against another edition

dark funny lighthearted mysterious reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes

4.5

This was a lot funnier than I was expecting it to be. Some people find it to be depressing, but I did not. I really appreciate the self awareness the main character has of his traumatic past and how it affects his current state of mind. But it's always said in a humorous tone.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, and Violence

Moderate: Kidnapping and Classism

Minor: Mental illness

benblackwell's review against another edition

challenging mysterious slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• 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: Classism

Minor: Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Violence, and Colonisation