Reviews tagging 'Excrement'

El Padrino by Mario Puzo

6 reviews

craftyfairy's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense slow-paced

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

2.0

So many thoughts about this one ranging from critique of prose style, character work, plot arcs, and just general social commentary... suffice to say, the book is by far worse than the movie. And I haven't even seen the movie. 
The prose is pulpy at best. Very typical of books in this time I feel, but I don't think that's an excuse. Surely not an excuse for making the book as long as it was. Took me the same amount of time to read this as any graham Greene book from the same time, and I know Mr Greene wouldn't be caught dead describing olive oil as "olive-colored oil".
Characters were unlovable but also not very fascinating. I wanted the book to be about our main character Don Vito Corleone, and yet it took a couple hundred pages to even hear a bit of backstory. When

don corelone was incapacitated and unable to take charge

the other characters were making decisions and it was about

how they would take revenge/solve this conflict

and yet I just didn't care about the other characters or why they did what they did. Boring.
The author has a terrible habit of jumping forward to an upsetting or surprising event, then working backwards to show how it happened. Sometimes he wouldn't even show what happened, just intimating that something bad HAD happened. Very soap opera esque, and also tiresome. I found myself wishing he would just tell the story plainly without trying so hard. Ending was shit, although I could see that coming.

the end is hyped for multiple chapters - oh what will happen?? What will michael do?? Kill people, obviously. How stupid. Who will he kill? Ah perhaps the people who wronger him.

Of course, as to be expected, the author has written this book to include a substantial amount of bigotry of all kinds, across gender and sex, race, religion, and even to gingers. Is this a reflection of how mafiosos would genuinely feel and behave at this time period? Maybe, but in some spots the bigotry seems so vivid and gratuitous, it is as if the author revels in it. Particularly, Puzo spends a lot of time describing domestic violence against women, body/sex shaming of women, assault of women, and any degrading descriptions of sex worker women imaginable. In one memorable scene, Puzo describes a labiaplasty of a girl who is unwanted by most men because she has what is clinically described by the doctor character as "having a big box". Her surgery story is told exclusively from his perspective as he is her boyfriend and crafts the perfect experience for himself with her body. And what does this all have to do with Mafia????? These are acquaintances of side characters for God sake. 
I don't know how to conclude this review but I fear I have already written more than it deserves.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Addiction, Alcoholism, Death, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Gun violence, Homophobia, Infidelity, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Violence, Blood, Excrement, Police brutality, Antisemitism, Murder, Pregnancy, Sexual harassment, and Classism

tiernanhunter's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional funny sad tense fast-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? It's complicated

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal death, Death, Domestic abuse, Gun violence, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Medical content, Trafficking, Grief, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail, Classism, and Deportation

Moderate: Ableism, Body shaming, Cursing, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Excrement, Antisemitism, Kidnapping, Abortion, Suicide attempt, and War

Minor: Cancer, Hate crime, Forced institutionalization, and Vomit

peachmoni's review against another edition

dark tense slow-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Gun violence, Violence, Police brutality, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Ableism, Alcoholism, Homophobia, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Racism, Sexism, Sexual content, Xenophobia, Blood, Excrement, Medical content, Medical trauma, Car accident, Death of parent, Alcohol, and Classism

Minor: Animal death, Body shaming, Cancer, Fatphobia, Racial slurs, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Forced institutionalization, Trafficking, Abortion, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, and Abandonment

savniapte's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

A masterclass of storytelling, but as the book progresses the casual racism and sexism pervades the modern senses of a reader who is reading a piece that was not written for their time. Most women have little to no autonomy and exist only as wives, mothers and mistresses. An example of the way men view their macho manliness that is incredibly toxic. A compelling story of revenge and deceit.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Gun violence, Infidelity, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Excrement, and Murder

virgohorror's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad tense 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

3.75

while this book is great for many reasons, don’t go in expecting the movie. puzo takes his time with this narrative, and often leads the reader into long, ponderous detours about side characters that can get pretty tiresome after a while. it’s a family saga in the most literal sense of the phrase, with all that entails. still, what’s good is fucking good. there’s a reason this is a classic. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Cursing, Death, Drug use, Gun violence, Homophobia, Infidelity, Misogyny, Blood, Excrement, Kidnapping, Death of parent, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, Classism, and Deportation

mondovertigo's review against another edition

dark emotional medium-paced

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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Death, Domestic abuse, Gun violence, Infidelity, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Violence, Police brutality, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Animal death, Child death, Emotional abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Medical content, Grief, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, and Pregnancy

Minor: Body shaming, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Excrement, and Abortion