Reviews tagging 'Eating disorder'

The Lesser Bohemians by Eimear McBride

3 reviews

booitsnathalie's review against another edition

dark 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

3.0

A really challenging read. The prose is astounding and some of the most beautiful writing I've ever read, but the narrative it's in service of is troubling. Broadly about how trauma becomes a constant lens through which you view relationships, and the difficulty of ever coming out of it, mediated through a 20 year age gap relationship. The degree to which the dynamics are addressed was never particularly satisfying to me, and becomes very explicitly romanticized as if the problems were purely historical.

There is so much I love about this book - its tenderness, intimacy, and willingness to engage bluntly with challenging topics - but by the end it becomes too infatuated with its characters to commit to the end that's coming. Will be thinking about it for a long time all the same, please do read the content warnings if you are considering picking this up.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Incest, Infidelity, Pedophilia, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Vomit and Death of parent

erinbarton's review

challenging dark reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

absolutely loved the writing in this but just found the pace to be a tad too slow and the constant ups and downs of the relationship to be a tad too repetitive for this to hit the full 5 stars

happy for stephen getting his happy ending but wanted so much for eily to get some kind of healing too — her childhood abuse gets somewhat glossed over while stephen gets a huge section of the book dedicated to his childhood abuse and his whole arc is about overcoming his past troubles

definitely want to read other work from this author though!! 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Incest, Sexual assault, and Sexual content

Moderate: Alcoholism, Drug abuse, Eating disorder, and Mental illness

tabitha_isabelle's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad

• Plot- or character-driven? Character

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Incest, Infidelity, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Medical content, and Death of parent