Reviews tagging 'Sexual violence'

Monsters: A Fan's Dilemma by Claire Dederer

25 reviews

lindsaylhunter's review against another edition

Not invested enough to be honest! Non-fiction can be hit or miss for me and this one didn't hit.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape and Sexual violence

candlewaster's review against another edition

challenging dark informative reflective slow-paced

3.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Bullying, Child abuse, Homophobia, Infidelity, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, and Gaslighting

genstrong's review against another edition

challenging emotional informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

5.0

A very interesting critique of “cancelled” celebrities and of “cancel culture” itself. The author takes a subjective, feminist approach to writing on the topic that doesn’t shy away from addressing her personal emotions. While I think the book could have delved more deeply into each celebrity, each chapter offers interesting and well-informed perspectives… new ways to look at things. 

I really enjoyed the chapter on JK Rowling, however the author doesn’t really address the reason of her cancellation. Rather, the author focussed on the fans’ response which was unexpected and not unwelcome.

I do however have to disagree with the claim later in the book that “The worst thing a man can do is rape, while the worst thing a woman can do is not love her children” (paraphrased). It is definitely a legitimate statement to argue for older generations, however the author shied away from addressing J K Rowling’s transphobia which could arguably be seen as worse than not loving her own children to today’s generations. Of course, this is all subjective. But I do feel there was a missed opportunity to really explore the changing narrative around womanhood in the 21st century. How “woke” Gen-Zers may respond very differently to these narratives than earlier generations. The author instead chose to stick to traditional notions of womanhood.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Violence

In some chapters what the celebrity was accused of doing is explained in detail while in others it is glossed over. This includes rape, etc.

aburns2's review against another edition

informative reflective medium-paced

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicide, Violence, Suicide attempt, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Sexual harassment

dantruman's review against another edition

challenging hopeful informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

4.5

Thoughtful, challenging, informative, reflective. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Bullying, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Racism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Antisemitism, Gaslighting, Abandonment, and Sexual harassment

The author is not in favor of the above but they come up in relation to the artist’s she discusses.

claraarianne's review against another edition

challenging informative reflective tense medium-paced

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Drug abuse, Homophobia, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, Antisemitism, and Sexual harassment

librarymouse's review against another edition

emotional informative medium-paced

2.75

I don't know that this was necessarily what I was expecting. It was thought provoking at some points. At others, I lost the plot. While critiquing gender essentialism in general and in its association with power dynamics and gender stereotypes, the author often relies on it in the language used around her critique of powerful men.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Alcoholism

hedgielib's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective medium-paced

3.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Alcoholism, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, Murder, Abandonment, and Alcohol

dinocraniac's review against another edition

challenging dark informative sad medium-paced

4.0

Book with a topic made for me! Separating the art from the artist has always been such a struggle for me. Dederer's book was so captivating and most of the time I didn't want to stop reading. However, there were parts that were incredibly uncomfy to read. Such a jarring and horrifying opening to the book. Like actually an insane way to open a book. And the whole chapter about Lolita. Ending was a bit weak as well, at least the second to last chapter. Throughout the book it annoyed me how she kept saying "we", only to be like "not we, I". She would correct herself and then keep doing it like please get your shit together. But anyway. Overall a really good book, highly reccomend.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence

Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Domestic abuse, and Suicide

erika_winters's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny informative reflective sad medium-paced

4.5

This was a really insightful book of essays containing cultural critiques while combining Dederer’s personal experiences and views. A major question she tackles throughout the essays (which delve into Roman Polanski, Woody Allen, Pablo Picasso, Doris Lessing, Joni Mitchell, etc.) is: can we still love art created by monstrous people? This is something that Dederer personally grapples with throughout and has a bunch of mixed emotions about; but we all do, really. The only reason this didn’t get a perfect 5 star rating is because I felt like some essays were lacking in some way; I am greedy and wanted more discussion or more details about people I didn’t know about before reading the essays, such as Ana Mendieta, a feminist sculptor and painter, who died tragically from what Dederer believes to be a domestic violence situation. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence

Discusses extremely disgusting behavior by some of the worst sexual predators in the art, film, and music worlds. Proceed with caution if you are wary of these topics.