Reviews tagging 'Cancer'

Lessons by Ian McEwan

12 reviews

aurorabulgaris's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective 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? Yes

5.0

The style is absolutely impeccable! 

The plenty of historical events setting the scenes of a simple yet unusual life made for a wonderful read. Even the difficult topics are written in a way that draws you in and doesn’t let you look away. 

The main theme? If inactions are valid choices to let life happen to you and hope for the best? Seeing that despite it all the main character died happy, I agree with McEwen, that they probably are.

Until I read this book, I didn’t realize I needed one telling me the story of a human who was not (trying) to be a hero, to make a change, who was just trying to get through life.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cancer

Moderate: Child abuse

rasputina_99's review

emotional reflective slow-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? No

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship and Car accident

Moderate: Cancer

mrs's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional inspiring reflective 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Cancer, Child abuse, and War

zara89's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad 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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cancer, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Death, Emotional abuse, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual content, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Grief, and Abandonment

Moderate: Domestic abuse and Death of parent

Minor: Pandemic/Epidemic

bernard_black's review against another edition

emotional reflective

• Loveable characters? No

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Death, Domestic abuse, Pedophilia, Sexual content, Death of parent, and Abandonment

Moderate: Cancer, War, and Pandemic/Epidemic

pipnewman's review against another edition

adventurous 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

3.0

I enjoyed this read, and stuck with it which is saying something as I don't often read books this long. Told from the perspective of Roland, who grows up in the aftermath of the Second World War, the book is very rooted in the historical context. It was interesting to feel that each character was deeply influenced by the historical and political contexts- arms races, the fall of the Berlin Wall, political movements in Britain, all the way through to the covid lockdowns. However it did feel very male centric- all the male characters were significantly more developed than the female characters and it felt like the genre of 'grandad telling his life story at the dinner table'. Also massive massive content warning for sexual assault / harassment / pedophilia - it jumps in right at chapter 1, threads through the whole novel and is very confronting if you are not expecting it.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, and Sexual harassment

Moderate: Cancer, Death, Terminal illness, Grief, Car accident, and Abandonment

Minor: Domestic abuse, Fatphobia, and Dementia

raelin's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective medium-paced

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

4.0

I am glad I finished this, because I liked it more than I thought I did halfway through. I needed the reflections of the old man on the young man to balance out the thoughts of the young man, and I had to keep reading to get to that part. 

There was a lot in this to digest and it is ripe for discussion in a book club.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Cancer, Confinement, Death, Pedophilia, Sexual content, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Dementia, Car accident, Death of parent, Pregnancy, and Pandemic/Epidemic

Minor: Domestic abuse and Infidelity

miaaa_lenaaa's review against another edition

emotional mysterious reflective sad tense 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? Yes

4.25

The start is a struggle tbh but it does improve a lot, about growing up and getting old and just life more generally

‘He wasn’t waiting for her. But if she ever turned up he wanted his options open. Which was another was of saying, he was waiting.’

‘A form of narcissism, or closely related paranoia.’

‘It was his right to want nothing.’

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Cancer, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Grief, Car accident, Death of parent, Abandonment, Sexual harassment, and Pandemic/Epidemic

jennikreads's review against another edition

reflective slow-paced

1.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cancer, Pedophilia, Sexual content, Terminal illness, and Abandonment

Moderate: Confinement

Minor: Transphobia

schorlett's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional funny hopeful 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Pedophilia, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Violence, Abandonment, and Alcohol

Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Cancer, Domestic abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Dementia, Grief, Pregnancy, and War

Minor: Transphobia and Abortion