Reviews tagging 'Murder'

Kolacja by Herman Koch

90 reviews

gladosisreading's review against another edition

challenging dark funny tense medium-paced

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

4.0

The characters being so unlikeable and the story being so beyond belief reprehensible is what made this book so good. Hard disagree with those who say you have to identify with the characters or enjoy the plot to love a book. Great dark comedy

(plus an unreliable narrator is always a bonus

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Murder, and Fire/Fire injury

Moderate: Mental illness, Racism, and Classism

c_alma_d's review against another edition

dark emotional funny tense 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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Death, Hate crime, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Murder, Toxic friendship, and Classism

afabbi's review against another edition

dark mysterious 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

The writing is great, the story is interesting and told from an interesting perspective, but the characters are bad people who don't have any development throughout the story

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death, Mental illness, Violence, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Classism

Minor: Child death, Chronic illness, and Blood

mrsmishler's review against another edition

dark tense 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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence and Murder

Moderate: Racial slurs and Racism

missgrangerr's review against another edition

Beyond boring!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Murder, and Fire/Fire injury

corinth113's review against another edition

challenging dark funny mysterious 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

4.5

Holy…wow. Just finished it, and I feel…bad. Great writing, great tension and suspense building, and really well done but holy cow.

All vibes. 

Bad ones, but done in a very well crafted way with slow, disturbing builds, and a dull, slightly sickening atmosphere. You almost don’t notice at first, and then there’s one reference to a film that makes you go “wait” and then it just gets worse from there (in a good way??)

Not really disturbing in the “trigger warning” sense, in case anyone’s wondering. Anyway, great writing as you get to be in this guy’s head for an evening at dinner with brother and their wives. I’m rambling, but it’s because I’m so quietly shook. Read it! Enjoy it…it’ll probably make you feel as satiated and as flabbergasted and as guilty as an overly expensive dinner would with the brother you obviously can’t stand at a place where the portions are way too small to begin with.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder

Moderate: Bullying, Toxic relationship, Fire/Fire injury, and Toxic friendship

Minor: Rape

vantereads's review against another edition

dark mysterious 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? It's complicated

2.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Violence, Xenophobia, and Murder

hannahpeterson's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious sad 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

2.5

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Content Warnings

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

Moderate: Medical content

Minor: Abortion and Pregnancy

torturedreadersdept's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Chronic illness, Cursing, Death, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Murder, Gaslighting, Alcohol, Dysphoria, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Ableism, Addiction, Bullying, Child death, Racism, Sexual content, Abortion, and Sexual harassment

Minor: Pedophilia and Pregnancy

mjverrall's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.5

I can’t stop thinking about this book. It left a lot of open ends and questions but in a very intentional way. I couldn’t stop reading even though the characters are all absolutely terrible people. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Racism, Violence, Murder, and Classism