Reviews tagging 'Pregnancy'

Motherhood by Sheila Heti

14 reviews

grizzlysnack's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective fast-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

Very much a journal entry book, but the topics mentioned are reflective.
I went into this novel blind, not knowing it was meant to be fictional, not knowing the layout of the book. Even so, I think this story could have been a novella, if not a short story. The topics the main character mentions get brought up repeatedly and average about 40 pages from the prompt/question to the reflection/answer
The parts the main character becomes reflective on herself and her own actions are the reason I finished the book, but I would not recommend it to anyone wanting to spend 6-10 hours reading this. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexism, Sexual content, and Pregnancy

Moderate: Abortion

Minor: Grief and Death of parent

cleotheo's review against another edition

challenging inspiring reflective slow-paced

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

3.75

I expected a book that discussed the decision of wether or not to have children. 
I didn't expect the way it did this -it gives different perspectives but it doesn't try to be objective- and that it discusses motherhood beyond that decision.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Medical content, Abortion, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Toxic friendship, and Abandonment

Moderate: Death, Genocide, Infertility, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Antisemitism, Grief, and Deportation

Minor: Cancer, Miscarriage, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, and War

readingbrb's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective slow-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Sexual content, Abortion, and Pregnancy

itsbumley's review against another edition

emotional inspiring reflective sad slow-paced

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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Mental illness, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Blood, Medical content, Abortion, and Pregnancy

emmagreenwood's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective slow-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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Grief, Abortion, Pregnancy, and Toxic friendship

marywahlmeierbracciano's review against another edition

reflective

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

5.0

I loved listening to Sheila Heti read this book.  I don’t think I would have liked it as much had I read it on the page.  Heti is certainly not for everyone, but if you like unconventionality in your books, give her work a try.  Motherhood is an autofictional rumination on the question of whether or not to have a child, and the book is largely guided by the actual flipping of three coins, inspired by the I Ching.  The three-coin method adds a reverent, mystical quality to the book, which itself reads like a conversational train of thought or a diary.  Heti also delves into family history and inheritance, in this case Jewish Hungarian.  There’s so much to ponder here.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content

Moderate: Pregnancy

Minor: Sexual violence and Abortion

arsenic_'s review against another edition

emotional reflective medium-paced

2.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia, Sexual content, and Pregnancy

Moderate: Racism

vanesst's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Grief and Pregnancy

Minor: Cancer, Death, Drug use, Genocide, Infidelity, Mental illness, Rape, Sexual content, Terminal illness, Antisemitism, Medical content, and Abortion

avadore's review against another edition

challenging hopeful reflective slow-paced

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

3.25

I've had this book recommended to me by so many people! And it is good, in parts. It's also a huge slog. I think the parts I found most challenging were the assumptions made about pregnant people by the author, and the stifling heterosexuality of it all. I would still recommend it to other people as a study of how all consuming questions about parenthood can be, with the grain of salt that this presentation lacks something if you're not a cis straight white lady.  

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content

Moderate: Medical content, Abortion, and Pregnancy

Minor: Genocide

12dejamoo's review against another edition

reflective slow-paced

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

2.25

Reading books because someone recommended them to Rosalie Hale...

I don't think 22 year olds who probably don't want children and certaintly not now are the intended audience for this book. Maybe it would really stress me out if I was older. I recognised the Good Book-ness of this but I didn't actually enjoy my reading experience very much. It was a very quick read though - lots of white space

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Pregnancy

Moderate: Genocide, Sexual content, and Antisemitism

Minor: Infidelity, Rape, and Abortion

Discusses the Holocaust and Concentration Camps a couple of times in relation to the author's grandmother