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sofia_reads_things's review against another edition
dark
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Cw:suicide If you’ve always been happy with yourself i don’t think you’ll enjoy this book and relate to it as much as someone who has once thought about ending their life. I started this book when i was 16 and didn’t know much about life nor sadness and i couldn’t finish it, but when i picked it up again at 21 i was able to understand where the mc’s sorrow and depression comes from. But Coelho’s way of making his female characters ignorant puts me off a little.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Suicide, and Suicide attempt
Moderate: Sexual harassment
shostakofish's review against another edition
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.5
+.5 stars because it is a technically solid book. The vocab choices are solid, and grammar/structure is good.
But HOLY SH** this book is so bad. This is not a book about mental illness or mentally ill characters.
This is a book about a bunch of people who are "crazy because they march to the beat of their own drum" all led by a "philosophical" man who should not be a doctor. I was actually continuously waiting for the moment the book would swerve and show that the doctor had been evil all along, but no, the dismissive, pretentious creep is seriously supposed to be a good character.
According to this book, every single mentally ill person is just a troubled artist who needs to be more positive and accept themselves. I'd love to take this author to an actual mental hospital.
Things that happen in this book:
- A mother is condescended to because she would rather see her suicidal daughter than discuss philosophy, this is portrayed as the mother being in the wrong and "shallow"
-A man develops schizophrenia by smoking weed, getting into crystal magic and then getting into a biking accident. His schizophrenia manifests in no negative ways other than him voluntarily disassociating.
-4 people's metal illnesses are "cured" by learning to live life to the fullest
-A mentally able woman undresses and forces a man who does not speak and has thus far been shown to be not mentally able to touch her, after he doesn't willingly continue touching her she masturbates in front of him thinking the whole time about how she loves feeling dominated. This is portrayed as the romantic beginning of a relationship, rather than horrific and absolutely rape/sexual assault.
-A mental hospital is not shown to have any actually mentally ill people. Rather, it has all completely capable people. No patients are shown doing anything that would actually be uncomfortable or require extensive care such as failing to hold in waste, exhibiting violence or inappropriate yelling.
-Incoherence is, 100% of the time, just a smart person who "sees the world differently"
Garbage. Bad book. Awful.
But HOLY SH** this book is so bad. This is not a book about mental illness or mentally ill characters.
This is a book about a bunch of people who are "crazy because they march to the beat of their own drum" all led by a "philosophical" man who should not be a doctor. I was actually continuously waiting for the moment the book would swerve and show that the doctor had been evil all along, but no, the dismissive, pretentious creep is seriously supposed to be a good character.
According to this book, every single mentally ill person is just a troubled artist who needs to be more positive and accept themselves. I'd love to take this author to an actual mental hospital.
Things that happen in this book:
- A mother is condescended to because she would rather see her suicidal daughter than discuss philosophy, this is portrayed as the mother being in the wrong and "shallow"
-A man develops schizophrenia by smoking weed, getting into crystal magic and then getting into a biking accident. His schizophrenia manifests in no negative ways other than him voluntarily disassociating.
-4 people's metal illnesses are "cured" by learning to live life to the fullest
-A mentally able woman undresses and forces a man who does not speak and has thus far been shown to be not mentally able to touch her, after he doesn't willingly continue touching her she masturbates in front of him thinking the whole time about how she loves feeling dominated. This is portrayed as the romantic beginning of a relationship, rather than horrific and absolutely rape/sexual assault.
-A mental hospital is not shown to have any actually mentally ill people. Rather, it has all completely capable people. No patients are shown doing anything that would actually be uncomfortable or require extensive care such as failing to hold in waste, exhibiting violence or inappropriate yelling.
-Incoherence is, 100% of the time, just a smart person who "sees the world differently"
Garbage. Bad book. Awful.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Suicide attempt, and Sexual harassment