The design and UX isn't done, Rob and Abbie, okkurrrr! š
Reviews tagging 'Emotional abuse'
The Sea, The Sea: Vintage Classics Murdoch Series by Iris Murdoch
3 reviews
serendipitysbooks's review
challenging
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Ā The Sea The Sea begins as an autobiography written by Charles Arrowby, a recently retired theatre director, but morphs into his journal of the eventful summer he spends in his new house by the sea, a summer where he unexpectedly reconnects with a former flame whom ***spoiler alert*** he kidnaps and holds against her will becauseā¦well because it suits him to do so and to believe he knows what is best for her. Arrowby is self-important, self-serving, probably delusional, misogynistic, and arrogant, clearly an unreliable narrator. Spending a lot of time in his head, sharing his every thought is not a pleasant experience and thatās because Murdoch has done an excellent job creating this unlikeable character. This book was long and could have been shorter, but that wouldnāt have reflected Arrowbyās personality. He seemed very much a man who liked the sound of his own voice and is convinced everyone else will as well. I got through the bulk of this via audio on a solo road trip. Iām pretty sure I would have struggled with it in print.Ā
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Domestic abuse, and Toxic relationship
neiljung78's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
tense
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gaslighting, Domestic abuse, and Emotional abuse
writtenontheflyleaves's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-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
3.5
Ā The Sea, The Sea by Iris Murdoch š
šššāØ
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I love my copy of this book - I picked it up second hand in Camden just before London went into tier 4 restrictions last year, and not only does it have an inscription (one of my fav things about second hand books!) but when I bought it I ended up having a lovely chat with the proprietor of the shop and his friend who owned another bookshop around the corner. It was such a nice normal thing that I didnāt realise Iād missed so much during the pandemic, and I feel like Iāll always associate it with this book. I canāt wait for bookshops to be open for browsing again soon!
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š The plot: Charles Arrowby is a retired actor who moves to a secluded seaside cottage to write his memoirs. However, his solitude is disturbed by figures from his past and a strange sighting in the bay - plus the reignition of a romantic obsession...
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Itās hard for me to judge this book because unfortunately I went into a reading slump right in the middle of it, so my feelings about how enjoyable it is may be skewed. What I will say is that it is unbelievably well-written and well-characterised.
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Charles, the narrator, is a monster. Heās eccentric, manipulative, and delusional; he breaks up marriages and wilfully manipulates the people around him. He does some awful things and youāre never quite on his side against his chosen antagonists. However, you also donāt lose sight of the webs he is caught in, or the sincerity of his underlying need. This is a novel about grief and aging; about how we disconnect from our original conceptions of ourselves over the years, and perhaps inevitably become some kind of monster to other people, whether we know it or not. I admit to being a little impatient with Charles and his relentless self-delusion, but I was still very invested in his escapades as he tried to recapture his youth, and I think this was a very clever novel.
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š Read it if you like eccentric and unreliable narrators and want to be transported to a seaside cottage - the descriptions here are beautiful.
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š« Avoid it if vanity or cruelty are turn-offs for you in a narrator, and if youāre sensitive to scenes of kidnapping or emotional abuse.Ā
šššāØ
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I love my copy of this book - I picked it up second hand in Camden just before London went into tier 4 restrictions last year, and not only does it have an inscription (one of my fav things about second hand books!) but when I bought it I ended up having a lovely chat with the proprietor of the shop and his friend who owned another bookshop around the corner. It was such a nice normal thing that I didnāt realise Iād missed so much during the pandemic, and I feel like Iāll always associate it with this book. I canāt wait for bookshops to be open for browsing again soon!
-
š The plot: Charles Arrowby is a retired actor who moves to a secluded seaside cottage to write his memoirs. However, his solitude is disturbed by figures from his past and a strange sighting in the bay - plus the reignition of a romantic obsession...
-
Itās hard for me to judge this book because unfortunately I went into a reading slump right in the middle of it, so my feelings about how enjoyable it is may be skewed. What I will say is that it is unbelievably well-written and well-characterised.
-
Charles, the narrator, is a monster. Heās eccentric, manipulative, and delusional; he breaks up marriages and wilfully manipulates the people around him. He does some awful things and youāre never quite on his side against his chosen antagonists. However, you also donāt lose sight of the webs he is caught in, or the sincerity of his underlying need. This is a novel about grief and aging; about how we disconnect from our original conceptions of ourselves over the years, and perhaps inevitably become some kind of monster to other people, whether we know it or not. I admit to being a little impatient with Charles and his relentless self-delusion, but I was still very invested in his escapades as he tried to recapture his youth, and I think this was a very clever novel.
-
š Read it if you like eccentric and unreliable narrators and want to be transported to a seaside cottage - the descriptions here are beautiful.
-
š« Avoid it if vanity or cruelty are turn-offs for you in a narrator, and if youāre sensitive to scenes of kidnapping or emotional abuse.Ā
Content Warnings
Graphic: Kidnapping and Mental illness
Moderate: Grief, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Death, Domestic abuse, Stalking, Toxic relationship, and Violence
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