enorace's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
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? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Lesbophobia, Homophobia, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Eating disorder and Emotional abuse
Minor: Miscarriage
paulilicious's review
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
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? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Minor: Homophobia
amomentofmusic's review against another edition
dark
funny
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
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Eating disorder
Moderate: Sexual content and Pregnancy
Minor: Homophobia and Racial slurs
donotfeedthebirds's review
dark
emotional
funny
tense
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
Wow. This book. I was expecting to like it, but but this much. The first part of the book really evoked memories of reading Ira Levin stories. Beautiful writing, hilarious, slow creeping dread, sharp social commentary. What's not to love.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Eating disorder, Sexism, Toxic friendship, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Homophobia
lindsaysofia_25's review against another edition
dark
funny
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-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? Yes
4.25
This is definitely up there with A Doll's House as one of my favourites I've read for english class. I found it incredibly interesting and a really great choice for an english class because there was just so much to unpack. The use of the almost sci-fi/fantasy aspect in the supernatural feeling of Duncan and the motif of realness that he always brought up was intriguing, to say the least. I loved the use of first versus third person throughout the book, especially since I remember noticing the first switch and wondering why it happened, and then understanding at the end. I will say, the book definitely made me viscerally angry at times because it was so realistic to the ways in which men abuse women and take zero responsibility. It also connected homophobia to misogyny in a way I'm surprised a book written in the late '60s would, although I wasn't expecting it so it definitely shocked me and made me a little sad as a lesbian who likes to pretend homophobia doesn't exist (which as you may imagine, gets foiled as a plan pretty frequently) even though I understand why it was included. My only issue with it is that it was definitely a little classist and at one point there was a line that was racist towards indigenous people, I truly could not tell whether that was deliberate to build the character of the people who said those things or something Atwood believes and just nonchalantly included... I'm not even sure if the answer would make it better or worse.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse
Minor: Homophobia
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