Reviews tagging 'Death of parent'

By Any Other Name by Jodi Picoult

8 reviews

kiwichill's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad slow-paced

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

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Body shaming, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Incest, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Xenophobia, Antisemitism, Grief, Religious bigotry, Abortion, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Injury/Injury detail, Classism, and Pandemic/Epidemic

kelly_e's review

challenging informative reflective slow-paced

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

4.0

Title: By Any Other Name
Author: Jodi Picoult
Genre: Fiction
Rating: 4.00
Pub Date: August 20, 2024

I received a complimentary eARC from Penguin Random House Canada via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. #Gifted

T H R E E • W O R D S

Fascinating • Provocative • Dense

📖 S Y N O P S I S

Two women, centuries apart—one of whom is the real author of Shakespeare’s plays—are both forced to hide behind another name to make their voices heard.

In 1581, Emilia Bassano—like most young women of her day—is allowed no voice of her own. But as the Lord Chamberlain’s mistress, she has access to all theater in England, and finds a way to bring her work to the stage secretly. And yet, creating some of the world’s greatest dramatic masterpieces comes at great cost: by paying a man for the use of his name, she will write her own out of history.

In the present, playwright Melina Green has just written a new work inspired by the life of her Elizabethan ancestor Emilia Bassano. Although the challenges are different four hundred years later, the playing field is still not level for women in theater. Would Melina—like Emilia—be willing to forfeit her credit as author, just for a chance to see her work performed?

💭 T H O U G H T S

Anytime Jodi Picoult announces a new book, I am going to be interested simply because she is such a skilled writer and never shies away from writing about polarizing topics. Reading the synopsis for By Any Other Name I wasn't sure how her 2024 release would land for me personally. I have very little interest in Shakespeare and minimal knowledge about the theatre world. Despite those factors I knew I still wanted to read it, especially given her foray into historical fiction.

First off, this novel is incredibly well researched and skillfully written. Told through the voices of two women centuries apart, this novel tackles the historical and contemporary challenges faced by women and their plight to receive the recognition they deserve. Picoult creates two vivid timelines, two separate settings, and two distinct casts of characters, while challenging Shakespeare's authorship and offering up an alternative theory.

While I appreciated the rich historical detail and thought the dual timelines element worked well in the beginning, the contemporary storyline eventually took me out of the story. Some of Melina's actions and choices felt entirely inconsistent with what Picoult is trying to do with this narrative. I understand this timelines is needed to showcase how women continue to have to work harder to be recognized, yet it could have taken a different route and easily achieved the same goal.

By Any Other Name is unlike any other of Picoult's previous novels. Personally, I was less engaged and it took me over a month to get through, yet overall I enjoyed what this story attempts to do. I have a feeling opinions will be very split with this one, especially for anyone who goes in hoping for something similar to her previous contemporary novels. The extensive author's note at the end if a must read to offer more context and her thought process in crafting this story.

📚 R E A D • I F • Y O U • L I K E
• Shakespeare
• the Elizabethan era
• stories about resilient women

⚠️ CW: misogyny, sexism, gaslighting, emotional abuse, domestic abuse, physical abuse, rape, sexual assault, sexual violence, infidelity, adult/minor relationship, epidemic/pandemic, pregnancy, miscarriage, abortion, death, death of child, death of parent, grief, sexual content, classism, antisemitism, alcohol, alcoholism, toxic relationship

🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S

"Life as a woman is not without risks."

"There once was a girl who became invisible so that her words might not be."

"History is written by those in power."

"Grief was the tax of having something precious." 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Child death, Death, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Grief, Abortion, Pregnancy, and Classism

Minor: Alcoholism, Sexual content, Antisemitism, Death of parent, Alcohol, and Pandemic/Epidemic

amachonis's review against another edition

emotional hopeful informative reflective medium-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

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Blood, Antisemitism, Grief, Religious bigotry, Abortion, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Alcohol, and Classism

Moderate: Racism, Violence, and Pandemic/Epidemic

Minor: Ableism, Confinement, Cursing, and Vomit

kreglow's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad tense slow-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? Yes

4.25

I enjoyed this one, but there were some issues. Pacing was inconsistent with the intertwining stories. The Elizabethan era portions tended to drag and the language was more melodramatic, while the modern day portion was paced well enough, but only barely touched upon the themes of sexism and racism within the theater community, instead following the heroine of the story, Melina, and a character arc that honestly is not fleshed out enough to make its intended impact. There is a romantic subplot that really doesn't make sense and feels tacked on. And the ending introduces an element of magical realism that did not exist until that point in the story. Overall, a decent read, but not perfect.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Incest, Infertility, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Antisemitism, Medical content, Grief, Religious bigotry, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, Classism, and Pandemic/Epidemic

davschi's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative inspiring sad tense medium-paced

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

4.25

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Bullying, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Infertility, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Abortion, Pregnancy, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, Classism, and Pandemic/Epidemic

Moderate: Cancer, Child death, Antisemitism, and Death of parent

juanat77's review against another edition

emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

Any Other Name by Jodi Picoult 

Jodi Picoult is a must buy for me. I read anything written by her without reading the synopsis. She often writes about controversial issues while also educating the reader on a specific subject (my favorite part).

Any Other Name is different from her other novels, while in her other books she often has multiple POVs in the same time period this one has a historical blend to it, taking place in the 1500s and continuing to present day. Picoult shows how some challenges women face really did not change in the past 500 years within a chauvinistic world. This well-researched tale invites us to think, “Did Shakespeare really write his own stories?” This book shows playwright Emilia Bassano’s life in 1500s England and the obstacles she goes through. Due to the time period she lived through, her voice was not valued as a woman and the literary works that she created were not attributed to her, but rather the well-known figure, William Shakespeare who would claim her stories as his own, showcasing the challenges women like Emilia endured during this time and how they were not seen as equals to their male counterparts.

Fast forward to present day, Melina Green, a playwright and descendant of Emilia experiences challenges of her own. Although woman do have more of a voice in present day some things remain the same. Melina faces similar challenges that Emilia experienced in a male dominated Broadway world. She too, hides behind a man so that her play could be taken seriously.

I loved the connection between Emilia and Melina within the story along with how well written it was. I also really appreciated the character of Jasper, the quirky theatre critic, who showed a unique perspective within the text.

Previously to reading this book, I was not incredibly knowledgeable of Shakespeare. Picoult really helps readers who might have a base level understanding of his work learn more about the playwright. This book showcased people who felt unseen and without a voice while also showing the strength and perseverance they had.

 

Thank you NetGalley and Random House for the opportunity to read this thought-provoking novel in exchange for an honest review. 

Releases 8/20/24

#NetGalley  #ByAnyOtherName #randomhouse

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Child death, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Infertility, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Grief, Abortion, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Abandonment, Alcohol, War, and Injury/Injury detail

bradiesbookshelf's review against another edition

adventurous emotional reflective slow-paced

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

3.5

“But a good heart, my dear…well a good heart is the sun & the moon.”

“Why would god have given her a voice if it wasn’t meant to be used?”

3.5⭐️/5

To be honest I really did enjoy this book but it was sooooooo long. I think if it were cut  down like 100-200 pages I would’ve appreciated it more. I love the premise of the story & the characters; however it felt like a lot of fluff. I’m a huge Shakespeare girly and I enjoy Picoult’s work a lot. 

I did feel very uncomfortable with the story of Emilia being 13 and having sex with a man way older than her. I understand those were the times but it’s a fiction book.

This was just a lot for a simple story. I did love the multiple POV & how she wrote Emilia’s story. She captured that very very well. I loved all the Easter eggs back to Shakespeares plays and enjoyed looking for them throughout the book! 

Thank you NetGalley & Random House for selecting me for this honest review in exchange for the E-ARC. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Misogyny, Sexual content, and Death of parent

nicolegardner's review

informative reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• 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

I am truly honored to have received this ARC. Going into this story, I had no idea what it was about. Jodi Picoult has been one of my favorite authors since high school and I just automatically read anything she writes. 
Historical fictions are not my favorite type of book and at points, the topic of Shakespear and the writing style was a tad over my head. It was a slow burn for me, but worth it for the ending. 
With that said, I ended up being very invested in the story and talked to friends and clients about the messaging in the novel. I loved the broader messaging about females in society, oppression, misogyny, women's health, etc. Truly eye opening and such a reflection of society today. 
On StoryGraph, I rated this a 4.5 star read. Here, I will round up to 5 because it made me care about a topic that I have not even thought about since English class.

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Child death, Domestic abuse, Sexual assault, Abortion, and Death of parent