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ashgalwoah's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Rape, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and War
johnclough's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , War, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Sexual assault
Minor: Mass/school shootings and Alcohol
leduyhxxng's review against another edition
- 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
5.0
a few notes for further venture into this reality-bending literature genre: slipstream (non-genre)
Science fiction writers whose work qualified as slipstream include J. G. Ballard, John Sladek, Thomas M. Disch, some of Philip K. Dick. Other writers, who were outside the science fiction genre but whose work could conceivably fit into the wider definition allowed by slipstream include Angela Carter, Paul Auster, Haruki Murakami, Jorge Luis Borges, and William S. Burroughs. Another notable inclusion was, of course, Anna Kavan.
In literature, since slipstream stands above genres of fiction, many examples of magical realism can certainly be recognised as slipstream, one notable mention being Gabriel Garcia Marquez's One Hundred Years of Solitude. Some television drama would qualify: The Singing Detective by Dennis Potter, and a BBC series called Life on Mars. In cinema, recent slipstream films include Christopher Nolan's Memento, Juan Carlos Fresnadillo's Impacto and Spike Jonze's Being John Malkovich.
— Compiled from Christopher Priest's introduction to Anna Kavan's novel Ice
Graphic: Body horror, Bullying, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Kidnapping, Stalking, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Murder, and War
Minor: Suicidal thoughts, Police brutality, and Abandonment
ardieth's review against another edition
3.0
Early on in the book the narrator mentions that "the drugs prescribed for me produced horrible dreams, in which [the girl] always appears as a helpless victim [...] These dreams were not confined to sleep only" (p. 6) so this book raises questions of what is real and what is merely a hallucination? He does hallucinate a lot in this book however (or so I interpret it). The hallucinations are about the girl and the narrator's relation to the girl, which is pure sadistic: "I felt no pity for her. On the contrary, I derive an indescribable pleasure from seeing her suffer." (p.5) And that is what exactly what we see a lot of in this book; this thin, pale and helpless girl being assaulted, both physically and sexually while the narrator is aroused by it. We don't know if it is real or not, all we know is that the narrator is incredibly sadistic! Most of the times when we read a book the reader feels sympathy towards the main character, even if the character has flaws or is forced to villainous acts, but in this book I HATE THIS GUY! He is a sick, sick sicko: "Her face wore its victim's look, which was of course psychological, the result of injuries she had received in childhood; I saw it as the faintest possible hint of bruising on the extremely delicate, fine, white skin in the region of eyes and mouth. It was madly attractive to me..." (p. 13). ... "I could imagine how it would feel to take hold of her wrists and to snap the fragile bones with my hands [...] She was pale and almost transparent, the victim I used for my own enjoyment in dreams." (p. 61)
He is obsessed with her, wanting her hurt and when he finds her and they speak she clearly expresses repugnance and hatred towards him and tells him to leave her alone. This leads to a tragic ending which left me really upset. It is an interesting read that moved me emotionally (no happy emotions at all, only comtempt, mind you) with brilliant writing techniques, but get ready to absolutely loathe the main character. And also, I don't recommend this book if toxic relationships is a difficult theme for you. Perhaps there is symbolism in the book that I missed, maybe the girl is actually a metaphor for our world being subdued to global warming? Maybe she is the ice in the world since she has white hair and skin, childlike body indicating innocence? Maybe ice is actually a metaphor for cocaine? Or maybe there is no symbolism at all and the girl is just another victim to the everyday violence so many women and children face from men around the world today.
Graphic: Rape, Sexual violence, and Violence
Moderate: Misogyny and Schizophrenia/Psychosis