Reviews tagging 'Grief'

Lessons by Ian McEwan

5 reviews

haylsr's review

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Sexual content, Grief, Death of parent, Sexual harassment, War, and Pandemic/Epidemic

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

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

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

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