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sohva's review against another edition
- 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
4.5
Graphic: Murder, Sexual violence, Violence, Misogyny, Rape, and Child abuse
Moderate: Bullying and Death of parent
sonygaystation's review against another edition
Graphic: Rape, Sexism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Blood, Bullying, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Gore, Sexual content, Violence, Sexual harassment, War, Emotional abuse, Sexual assault, Pregnancy, Classism, Sexual violence, Child abuse, Death, Death of parent, and Torture
Moderate: Religious bigotry, Rape, and Antisemitism
siniandi's review against another edition
- 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? It's complicated
4.25
The description of women and sex scenes are a quite male gaze-y though (as is usually the case in Follett's work) and the ending comes a little abrupt and too neatly, as if he really wanted to finish after 1000 pages.
Graphic: Blood, Domestic abuse, Grief, War, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Rape, Misogyny, Murder, Sexual assault, Death, Death of parent, and Gore
Moderate: Abandonment, Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Antisemitism, Bullying, War, Confinement, Blood, Suicidal thoughts, Animal death, Classism, and Cursing
susanknights's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Graphic: Death, Death of parent, Torture, Violence, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Misogyny, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Murder, Physical abuse, Rape, Religious bigotry, War, Sexism, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Bullying, Child death, and Child abuse
bonesnhoney's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Graphic: Sexual assault, Physical abuse, Murder, Rape, Bullying, and Police brutality
maddyisreading23's review against another edition
4.5
I decided to start the new year with a not so light reading and I don’t regret it.. I can’t describe the plot well because there are so many things going on, but I think I can say that it revolves around the construction of a cathedral in medieval England...but it is also a story of love, violence, revenge, politics, wars and battles, betrayal, hope, loss and other things.
Honestly I really liked this book, so I’ll start with the things I liked the most.
1. Each character was developed quite deeply and each chapter or section was narrated from the perspective of a different character.
2. I really liked that although there are many different stories of many different people who have many different relationships with each other, each story comes to an "end" and has an explanation.
3. Despite the 1000 pages, the book was quite easy to read (well, most sometimes) because something always happened... you go from descriptive parts to very dynamic situations and dialogues.
4. The length of the book allowed me to empathize with each character and it is something that I really enjoyed... Follet left nothing to chance.
In general I found it a very pleasant read.
Now let’s start with the things I didn’t like:
<SPOILER ALERT>
1. I didn’t like (and I didn’t even really understand) the scene where Tom, on the same day that his wife died (giving birth to his child, by the way) dreams of having sex with an angel who, apparently, is Ellen, a woman with whom he had a 15 min conversation the same day. And I found it even stranger that she said things like, "I’ve loved you since I’ve seen you," like... you literally had ONE conversation with him. I think this part could have been written in a more normal and less ridiculous way... I think the author needed to find a fast way to get to Ellen and Toms love story.
2. Description of rape: scenes of rape weren't descripted that well...it was all from the rapist's perspective, which was William most of times, and I think the author didn't give these events the importance they would have deserved.
Some of you may be asking: but the story isn't about this, a scene of rape isn't so important for this plot, INSTEAD I think it's essential.
Obviusly, the most "important" of this kind of scenes is when William rapes Aliena. The act of raping is decribed in such a fast and insignificant way and it doesn't give a f about the fact that the rape is only the point of the iceberg...I mean, we read about Aliena and Williams story before the abuse, but the scene is described in such a dry way...
Also, Aliena starts talking only after the abuse and I wouldn't mind if she had talked about the rape...but she doesn't, or better, the author doesn't. This isolates the rape part even more.
<END OF SPOILERS>
3. I understand that all the plot revolves around the construction of a cathedral, but I think some descriptive parts could have been avoided, because sometimes it was difficult not to skip those descriptive parts.
In point 3 of things I liked about this book I wrote that there was balance, and this comment is refering only to specific little parts that in a 1000 pages book can make a difference.
To sum up, I would recommend this book, but it's violent and cruel some times and I think sensitive people should stay in alert especially if you are suscetible to rape/sexual abuse because I think sometimes it has been described in a disturbing way.
Graphic: Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Bullying, Pregnancy, Sexual harassment, Blood, Hate crime, Murder, Sexual violence, Death, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, and Violence
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Sexual content, and War
Minor: Animal death
worm_book's review against another edition
- 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
4.0
Graphic: Rape, Violence, Bullying, Child death, Death, Death of parent, Gore, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, War, Grief, Murder, Physical abuse, and Abandonment
Moderate: Antisemitism, Colonisation, Misogyny, Ableism, and Religious bigotry
flowerowl's review against another edition
- 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
4.0
Graphic: Death, Injury/Injury detail, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Blood, Death of parent, Hate crime, Murder, and Violence
Moderate: Pregnancy, Blood, Bullying, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Fire/Fire injury, and Suicidal thoughts
Minor: Stalking, Alcohol, Animal death, Gaslighting, and Grief
novelyon's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Antisemitism, Blood, Domestic abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Medical content, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Animal death, Death of parent, Gore, Murder, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Racism, Rape, Sexual harassment, Torture, Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Bullying, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Sexual violence, Violence, and War
Moderate: Abandonment, Alcohol, Misogyny, Child abuse, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Grief, Infertility, Child death, Suicidal thoughts, and Vomit
tc_booksandmore's review against another edition
- 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? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Rape, Classism, Death, and Death of parent
Moderate: Abandonment, Adult/minor relationship, War, Violence, Sexual harassment, Religious bigotry, Pregnancy, Misogyny, Injury/Injury detail, Gaslighting, and Bullying