Reviews tagging 'Kidnapping'

The Collector by John Fowles

81 reviews

vulcajes's review

dark emotional reflective sad fast-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

I love John Fowles and I love locked-in horror. Such a creepy, uncomfortable atmosphere and sometimes you can't tell which character you dislike more. Highly recommend.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Kidnapping, and Stalking

Moderate: Terminal illness

Minor: Suicidal thoughts

hue's review against another edition

dark mysterious

3.0

Hmmm. . . I see.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body shaming, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Stalking, Death of parent, and Classism

meglee7's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• 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: Confinement, Kidnapping, and Classism

Moderate: Chronic illness, Death, Mental illness, and Terminal illness

Minor: Stalking

jemmareadsalot's review

dark mysterious sad 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? It's complicated

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Emotional abuse, Kidnapping, and Stalking

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship

Minor: Ableism

scarletkeiller's review against another edition

dark sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

This is a really great read. Fowles not only writes a twisted male lead with a warped sense of love and relationships, but a complex and interesting female character who was shockingly realistic as well. Her actions, emotions and thoughts felt really honest and believable and I was so taken aback that a man wrote this character in the 60s! I loved this book!

I loved the perspective shift halfway through, the hope it gave me that she find a way to escape, how it tricked me into feeling much the same as Miranda - blind hope that he might see the error of his ways and let her go. And then when the book reaches its natural end, despite knowing it was coming I was so full of sadness for her.

What an amazingly written story. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Death, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, Vomit, Medical content, Kidnapping, Stalking, and Sexual harassment

sophia_joy17's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional tense medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Vomit, and Kidnapping

zoejulvecourt's review

dark tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• 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: Kidnapping

itsanaxiom's review

challenging dark emotional reflective 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death and Kidnapping

Moderate: Sexual violence and Classism

annie_brewer's review against another edition

dark tense 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

2.5

While I do enjoy the premise of the novel, and given the time it was written it was still probably considered original, I didn't find much compelling in this novel and believe it could have been more punchy as a short story.

I found the writing quite basic but this interestingly made the novel very timeless.

Cleverly, Fowles intended for both characters to be insufferable, facilitating a lapse in the reader of their horror. While obviously no person should be held captive, the conditions in this scenario do not implore the reader to wholeheartedly hope for Miranda's escape nor her demise.

I appreciate the exploration into an unlikable victim, but this novel was as mediocre as her.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement and Kidnapping

Moderate: Death and Stalking

Minor: Vomit

meenot's review

dark funny tense fast-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: Kidnapping

Minor: Murder