Reviews tagging 'Sexism'

Poor Things by Alasdair Gray

21 reviews

writewithapendragon's review against another edition

challenging emotional mysterious 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

3.0

This is wildly better than the movie like that movie is barely based on 1/8 of this book. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty and Body horror

Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Infertility, Infidelity, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Racism, Sexism, Sexual content, Forced institutionalization, Medical content, Grief, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Alcohol, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

kayleejanes's review against another edition

adventurous dark funny mysterious medium-paced

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Gun violence, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Sexism, Suicide, Medical content, Suicide attempt, and Pregnancy

jessthanthree's review against another edition

funny lighthearted reflective fast-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? It's complicated

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide

Moderate: Ableism, Child death, Gun violence, Sexism, Sexual content, Medical content, and Death of parent

emmagreenwood's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious slow-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Mental illness, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Xenophobia, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, and Classism

Moderate: Incest

booksillremember's review against another edition

dark informative mysterious reflective sad 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? It's complicated

3.5

The paratext fiction is really well done and I enjoyed the differences between narrators. Unfortunately, I feel the main part fell victim to its own success - it mimics those male-gaze, sentimental, and endlessly wordy Victorian stories so convincingly that it actually becomes really boring and annoying to read. I feel it would have been more gripping or endurable if it had been interspersed with Victoria's sober narration of the story. I almost DNFed, but I slogged through most of it after jumping ahead and reading Victoria's letter and the 'historical notes' concerning her later life. Those were really interesting and well done. I'd consider it a feminist work (and socialist) but you have to read to the end to get it.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism and Sexism

kurtwombat's review against another edition

challenging dark funny hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective fast-paced

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

4.25

 

My estimation of this novel rose and fell several times during my reading. I mostly enjoyed bobbing and weaving my way through this Victorian novel spoof pastiche of different unreliable narrators in different styles, formats and genres but there were a few points of tedium. The letters from abroad format went on a little too long and the third section of the novel delivered as bits of reporting were a tad too dry (more interesting when I finally realized what the point of it was). But the central idea is genius—that in order to tell the story of a smart, independent, self-actualized woman (in Victorian Scotland or even today) the story has to be approached as science fiction. Such a woman has to be the Frankenstein like creation of a man—she couldn’t come naturally by those qualities. That is the first part (maybe ¾ of the novel). Second part is the real female character telling her side—much more realistic but still skewed by her perspective. And the last part is a kind of reckoning of the two—dispatches from the time create a foundation of reality. Feels old and new at the same time—don’t settle in it will change directions. Lays waste to men as a gender—rightfully so. Presents them as foolish and temperamental and disposable just as women in literature were/are often portrayed. 

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Content Warnings

Minor: Mental illness, Sexism, Sexual content, and Suicide

torturedreadersdept's review against another edition

challenging dark funny medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Body horror, Body shaming, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Racism, Sexism, Sexual content, Suicide, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Medical content, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Pregnancy, Abandonment, Alcohol, Dysphoria, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

imme_su's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective slow-paced

4.25

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Racial slurs and Sexism

Minor: Abortion

louiepotterbook's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional funny mysterious reflective sad 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? No

4.25

What keeps me from giving it 5 stars is that I fear the author did not intend what I got out of it 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Body horror, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Incest, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Stalking, Suicide attempt, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail

issyd23's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring lighthearted mysterious reflective relaxing sad tense slow-paced

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

3.0

Insane last chapter: Gray deconstructs & satirises not just the novel but class, love & objectivity in storytelling/history. Keen to see how the film compares! 3🧠 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Adult/minor relationship, Biphobia, Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Infidelity, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Stalking, Abortion, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Sexual harassment, Dysphoria, and Classism