Reviews tagging 'Violence'

Kolacja by Herman Koch

94 reviews

lisettela's review against another edition

dark emotional tense medium-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Racism, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

j_schley's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious tense slow-paced

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

4.5

This book will leave you feeling profoundly unsettled and very disturbed. Yet, it was almost impossible for me to put down. There’s a pervasive and thick feeling of unease from the first page, and any opinions you form of characters or situations will not hold true by the novel’s conclusion. 

If you enjoy unreliable narrators, moral ambiguity, and questions of ethics, this is absolutely a story you’ll want to pick up. It’s grimy and gritty and dark but provokes many questions about the mercurial nature of human morality and the tenuous bonds of dysfunctional families.

I also don’t advise reading this book while eating, despite its innocuous title. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Mental illness, Violence, Xenophobia, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Gore, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Blood, Medical content, Medical trauma, and Classism

madimarshmallow's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

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

3.75

I really liked this book! The characters are infuriating in the best way possible. I did feel it dragged in the middle a bit and was too quick at the end. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Violence and Murder

Minor: Racism

gabby_go's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Violence

inhaledmocha's review against another edition

challenging dark tense medium-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

4.5

What a wild ride. I never expected anything that happened in this book. Fantastic read.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Mental illness, Racism, Violence, Murder, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

Moderate: Xenophobia and Classism

sylvestra's review against another edition

dark tense 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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness and Murder

Moderate: Violence and Medical content

itsjustgrumpy's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious tense medium-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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Minor: Racism, Violence, and Blood

dobermaier's review against another edition

dark funny mysterious reflective tense medium-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

Moderate: Death, Racism, Violence, Murder, and Classism

laurenmiller100's review against another edition

challenging dark tense medium-paced

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

4.0

• Characters: 7 - I dislike all of the characters, but that’s the point. The slow reveals of their natures is intentional.
• Atmosphere/Setting: 8 - I really enjoyed the framing narrative. I think at times it would have been better to avoid some of the Paul side stories. Especially during the main course. It slowed things down when I was really wanting more information.
• Writing Style: 7
• Plot: 8
• Intrigue: 9
• Logic/Relationships: 9
• Enjoyment: 7 As others have mentioned, this is a bit of a difficult read. I just do not want to be in Paul’s head.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence and Murder

mattyvreads's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense 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

3.5

Undeniably, a well-written book. It was not for me. I think the book pointed to a lot of human / societal failings, without saying much about them.

Not the most fun read, certainly; nor was it a complete waste of time. G-d damn, I love any excuse to say "nor"...

:)

Update: This book might be a good companion read while watching season 3 of Real Housewives of Miami. Art imitates life. Art reflects the truth.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Violence, Murder, and Classism

Moderate: Body horror and Gore

Minor: Pedophilia and Rape