Reviews tagging 'Mental illness'
When We Cease to Understand the World, by Benjamín Labatut
7 reviews
lipka's review
dark
emotional
informative
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
Un verdor terrible is... blue, black, and devastating. It's a strange moment: the reality and unreality folded together, nonlinear and noneuclidean. You really could blot out the sun with this book. Hold it just high enough—the shadow it casts is a dark, ancient thing.
The chapters fling themselves in all directions at breakneck speed. A comet, and a coma. "What wind drags it off with the fury of an angel cast out from heaven, falling, and falling, and falling?" Only the tail end of it can tell.
The chapters fling themselves in all directions at breakneck speed. A comet, and a coma. "What wind drags it off with the fury of an angel cast out from heaven, falling, and falling, and falling?" Only the tail end of it can tell.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Animal cruelty, Genocide, Suicide, Suicide attempt, War, Medical content, Sexual content, Child death, and Death
Moderate: Mental illness, Sexism, Dysphoria, Antisemitism, Drug use, and Murder
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Excrement, Rape, Vomit, Homophobia, Forced institutionalization, Pedophilia, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Xenophobia
albernikolauras's review against another edition
challenging
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
This is a complicated book that wavers on the line between nonfiction and fiction. It starts out near nonfiction and then as we get further in time and into science, the line blurs further. It's a book that plays with how famous scientists reached through reality to pull their theories into fruition. It's disturbing, discomfiting, near hallucinogenic, and I don't know what to think of part of it.
It's something that still haunts me, and it brings to question the morality of a scientist entangled in his worth as a scientist in the times of war that these men lived through. It's a quick read, but it does require some background knowledge on different physicists that made key quantum discoveries. I would recommend it, but definitely look at some of the content warnings.
It's something that still haunts me, and it brings to question the morality of a scientist entangled in his worth as a scientist in the times of war that these men lived through. It's a quick read, but it does require some background knowledge on different physicists that made key quantum discoveries. I would recommend it, but definitely look at some of the content warnings.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault, Drug use, Suicide, Adult/minor relationship, Mental illness, and Death
Moderate: Child death, Chronic illness, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Antisemitism
Minor: War
ashjiao's review against another edition
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Death, Sexual assault, Child abuse, and Animal death
turtleghost's review against another edition
dark
informative
inspiring
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Absolutely fascinating book, the storytelling was masterful, well done to the author and translator! Would hugely recommend to anyone interested in physics/mathematics/chemistry or history around the world wars- but I would not recommend if you are disturbed by imagery of chemical warfare, mental breakdowns or the romanticisation of a minor. Definitely challenging themes, but this book explores the dark history behind the discoveries that have created the world as we know it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Genocide, Death, and War
Moderate: Mental illness, Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, and Child death
Minor: Suicide, Rape, Pedophilia, Excrement, and Vomit
caties_books's review against another edition
dark
informative
reflective
slow-paced
2.75
I am fully ready to admit that maybe I'm not as smart as all the people who love this book or maybe I'm not the right audience, but I didn't understand this book at all. It's a very confusing type of not understanding because I read the description again after reading and yes, I did read about and comprehend all the things mentioned, but overall, I was just left unsettled and confused. I don't like not knowing which parts were true and which weren't. I don't understand the point of the book. There wasn't any sort of cohesion that felt solid to me, it felt scattered and separate. Idk.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Gore, Injury/injury detail, Medical content, Sexual content, Suicide, Antisemitism, Infidelity, Child death, Death, Death of parent, War, Animal cruelty, Genocide, Mental illness, Terminal illness, Animal death, Blood, Body horror, Physical abuse, and Violence
samferree's review against another edition
challenging
dark
informative
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
The closest comparison I can think of to the style and content is Erik Larson's narrative non-fiction. I'm honestly not sure what parts are fiction since I was already familiar with some of the history and biographies of the characters and none of the major points appear to be inaccurate. I assume people just are not sure how to classify it and so opted for "fiction." While I enjoyed and was fascinated by this book, I also do worry that it promotes a somewhat unfortunate and harmful narrative as a "mad genius" who discovers knowledge so profound and devastating that it ruins them as people. Though, that appears to be what did actually happen to several of greatest minds of the 20th century who developed theories in physics, mathematics, and chemistry that have changed our world and not always for the better. Which I do appreciate as a foil against the tendency to celebrate genius and breakthroughs as necessarily good when that is not always the case.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Antisemitism, Drug use, Genocide, Addiction, Mental illness, War, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Sexual assault
A lot of the book is preoccupied with some of the worst atrocities in human history and how our understanding of science made them possible. It's inevitably extremely disturbing, but I don't think the author was needlessly graphic so much as frank.penguiniq's review against another edition
challenging
dark
reflective
fast-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
2.5
This right here is why Real Person Fic has a certain stigma in fanfic circles. To call this anything other than bougie early 20th century mathematician RPF wrapped up in philosophical rambling would be a lie.
I will readily admit that my personal bias against the trend in lit fic to portray the Holocaust / Nazism caused a gut negative reaction in the early sections of the book.
Overall my low rating comes down to a lack of comfort: I was simply uncomfortable with the line being walked between fiction and biography, and with a non-Jewish person using the Holocaust to wax poetic.
In fact, the book was fleetingly salvaged at the end when the author treaded into auto-fiction. The scenes in Chile lacked the gut feeling of exploitation that many of the previous scenes were draped in.
I will readily admit that my personal bias against the trend in lit fic to portray the Holocaust / Nazism caused a gut negative reaction in the early sections of the book.
Overall my low rating comes down to a lack of comfort: I was simply uncomfortable with the line being walked between fiction and biography, and with a non-Jewish person using the Holocaust to wax poetic.
In fact, the book was fleetingly salvaged at the end when the author treaded into auto-fiction. The scenes in Chile lacked the gut feeling of exploitation that many of the previous scenes were draped in.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Chronic illness and Mental illness
Moderate: War and Antisemitism
Minor: Suicide
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