Reviews tagging 'Emotional abuse'

Yo que nunca supe de los hombres by Jacqueline Harpman

17 reviews

catdookie's review against another edition

dark mysterious sad 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

4.5

So sad but so captivating I found myself waking up in the middle of the night to continue reading it bc it wouldn’t leave my mind. I was hoping for a different ending but that would have changed the meaning of the book of course. Will be thinking about this for a long time.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Emotional abuse, Self harm, Suicide, Violence, Kidnapping, and Grief

kiminion's review against another edition

dark emotional 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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse and Physical abuse

vivisms_82's review against another edition

challenging reflective medium-paced

• Strong character development? Yes

4.0

Only a small book but it packs a thought provoking, philosophical punch. The subject matter is definitely not a cheery, summer read! It is bleak and heavy at times. I guess, for me, it is a tale of the highest oppression; a world where sensory deprivation and social interaction is forbidden; basic education is no longer, zero privacy (no toileting or washing alone), living in constant fear of violence under the watch of guards. For our main character (who is nameless) we see the impact of all this on her as a human that knows no differently. We begin with her as a child among adult women - no men are imprisoned however the guards are male. I found this deeply reflective on the human experience. Thought it was terrific and not sure why it's not as well known in the English speaking world. I keep thinking about it weeks after finishing it. This book has been described as one that explores loneliness and survival. For me, it's also about our need for connection to the people we share our world with and the need to make sense of the world we live in. It's about how our world, the people in our circle and life experience shape our view and sense of self. This book will make you question how devastating it can be when the human experience we know has been stripped away and our senses, brains and souls aren't nourished, stimulated or challenged. 

** note: If you are one of those people that require answers to all your questions then this is not for you. And I think that (at least for me) only strengthens the story.

Our protagonist gets her information from the women that are all older than her. Not from experiencing anything first hand or learning from a book, tv, internet etc. So once they escape, her view of her world is largely shaped by these 39 women - and their varying opinions, and of their own faded memories and experiences of pre oppressive, imprisoned life. They have not forgotten the violence and that is what makes them so obedient. But their memories pre-imprisonment is vastly lost. My point is, we the reader don't get further answers because our protagonist doesn't know them. That, for me, is what made this book so terrific - no explanation of why she and all the other people were in cells, of their world before or where they are now - is this earth in the future? Is this another planet? A parallel universe? Where is everyone? By not having these questions answered, we are forced to see this world and horrible human experience through this girl's eyes - a girl that knows no different. Truly masterful. 

 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Chronic illness, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Infertility, Self harm, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Forced institutionalization, Grief, and Murder

My content warning of "murder" refers to assisted suicide/euthanasia but there was no drop down for that. However, I do think it's worth noting to future potential readers.

liesthemoontells's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective relaxing sad medium-paced

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

4.75

This was a beautiful, haunting, moving book. I had put off reading it as the themes sounded incredibly heavy, but after a friend's recommendation and assurance that it was more of a reflective read I decided to tackle it. 

While the book's themes are complex, heavy, and at times very dark, Harpman's treatment of the subject matter is more meditative and philosophical than shock provoking. There are many ruminations on what it means to be human, on navigating love, gender, and human connection when you have been given no reference point. 

I wouldn't recommend this book to anyone who needs resolutions to their mystery fiction but if you are looking for a powerful and ambivalent piece of speculative literature I could not recommend it more.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cancer, Chronic illness, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Infertility, Mental illness, Misogyny, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Terminal illness, Torture, Forced institutionalization, Police brutality, Medical content, Dementia, Kidnapping, Grief, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, Murder, Gaslighting, Abandonment, and Colonisation

Minor: Violence and War

poirot's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad 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? No

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Death, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Terminal illness, Police brutality, Kidnapping, and Grief

Moderate: Pregnancy

Minor: Alcohol

colormecaro's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad fast-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

4.75

Very nearly a perfect book. The only reason I subtracted from my rating is because sometimes I found the “I know this thing that I have never seen before, because the women have told me about it” a bit far fetched. 

But ignoring that, this book is just something else entirely. Full of existential questions, and not very many answers. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cancer, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Terminal illness, Kidnapping, and Grief

miapisanos's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious relaxing medium-paced

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

5.0

what a special novel. has shifted my brain in a small yet permanent way to approach life with more purposeful gratitude. 

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Content Warnings

Minor: Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Infertility, Suicide, Terminal illness, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Grief, War, and Injury/Injury detail

infectedarea's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Suicide, Torture, Forced institutionalization, Kidnapping, and Murder

itsybitsygingie's review against another edition

challenging dark 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

4.5

This was an incredibly difficult yet beautiful book to read. It brought forth some incredibly difficult feelings concerning being human and the role of womanhood within society. My one slight of the book was the sheer amount of anti-female sentiments from the main character. Her one consistent thought throughout the book was that she was better because she wasn’t constrained by the supposedly womanly traits of the other characters, and I didn’t see as much growth as I would liked concerning this position. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Self harm, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Terminal illness, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Kidnapping, Grief, Medical trauma, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, and Pandemic/Epidemic

imaggienary's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark reflective sad medium-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Forced institutionalization, Kidnapping, Grief, Suicide attempt, Murder, and Gaslighting