Reviews tagging 'Body horror'

Das Lied des Achill by Madeline Miller

116 reviews

anmane's review against another edition

challenging dark sad tense fast-paced

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

2.0

The book was well written in terms of language and pacing, but the subject matter - by this I mean the war, not the romance - was hard for me to stomach. The focus is on the male characters, as it is in the source material, and how women, children or indeed all humans are treated is not sugarcoated. Also, because of the subject matter, there is a lot of violence, gore and cruelty. I also hated Achilles as a character, which made the motivation of Patroclus' actions hard to understand. Will not read again.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child death, Death, Genocide, Gore, Infidelity, Misogyny, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Grief, Murder, Sexual harassment, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Pandemic/Epidemic

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, and Pregnancy

soap2's review against another edition

adventurous emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Gore, Rape, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Blood, Grief, Sexual harassment, and War

Moderate: Child abuse, Medical content, and Pregnancy

Minor: Child abuse and Child death

thesongofgrace's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful relaxing sad fast-paced

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

5.0

I never cry at books or movies. This made me shed a few tears, which is a substantial achievement. But more than that, I will forever be in awe at how Madeline Miller writes. It's beautiful and detailed and endlessly creative. I have seen so many authors attempt to write like Miller, but they fall so short and end up sounding pretentious or unnecessary flowery.

This books is definitely a roller coast, in my opinion. I don't know how I will recover.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Body horror, Sexual assault, and War

whitesuede's review against another edition

adventurous fast-paced

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

4.0

Rushed ending and awkward denouement aside, this is a strong showing for a debut novel. Sparsely written but no less emotionally striking in its phrasing, this is a fascinating take on a familiar story, even as it follows the same path as the Greek tale it’s based on. Weep for Achilles and his youth, but celebrate his story. This is a story well-told.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Body horror, Gore, and Violence

savshanae's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

5.0

I hate it. I’m also giving it a 5 ⭐️ review. 
Everyone was right, it will break you. But not even for the reasons I expected! I don’t want to spoil the whole thing, but I literally threw the book after reading the final paragraph. I hate it and it was also one of the best books I’ve ever read. Proceed with extreme caution.  

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Death, Genocide, Gore, Sexism, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Medical content, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Murder, War, and Classism

Moderate: Ableism, Biphobia, Pedophilia, Racism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Religious bigotry, Pregnancy, Abandonment, and Sexual harassment

you expect Achilles to die, but Patroclus dies first because Achilles is a vain twat and then his effing son (who is a MONSTER) kills the only consistent positive female character in the whole story. Not to mention Achilles mother HATES Patroclus until the war is over and both boys are dead. We also never hear about the Trojan horse which is super disappointing.

sherilees's review against another edition

emotional 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? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Death, Gore, Rape, Sexism, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Blood, Grief, Medical trauma, War, and Pandemic/Epidemic

blueboned's review against another edition

adventurous emotional inspiring reflective sad tense fast-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Gore, Rape, Sexual assault, Murder, and War

Moderate: Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Infidelity, Sexism, Sexual content, Slavery, Kidnapping, and Abandonment

Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Body shaming, Bullying, Cursing, Suicidal thoughts, Pregnancy, and Classism

niamphoone's review against another edition

adventurous emotional informative inspiring sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Death, Genocide, Gore, Self harm, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Murder, and Pregnancy

Minor: Misogyny, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, and Sexual harassment

kshy's review against another edition

emotional reflective medium-paced

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

3.0

The beginning was so strong that I believe it left my expectations way too lifted to be able to find the second half of the book enjoyable. I feel that if the intention was to tell a story from Homer's works through the lens of romance, that romance that was established so strongly in the beginning should have been maintained throughout the entirety of the novel, rather than withering in the second half.

This made the deaths of Achilles and Patroclus feel so much more hollow and emotionless than they had the potential to be, because the romance and personalities that had previously been so vividly expressed through the writing had withered away long before.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Child death, Death, Genocide, Gore, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Murder, War, and Injury/Injury detail

lokioste's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

3.0

This is a slower burn with a rapid climax and finish. I think as a first book from Miller, it is solid.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Homophobia, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Murder, Pregnancy, Sexual harassment, War, and Injury/Injury detail