Reviews tagging 'Forced institutionalization'

Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys

14 reviews

pixie_d's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional tense medium-paced

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

3.0

The intro from someone in the 1960s saying how modern the writing was. As skilled as the author is, none of her books listed in the intro seem to have endured other than this one for its connection to Jane Eyre. And yet it doesn't have much to do with Jane Eyre until the very end. It is more a reimagining than an  actual prequel.
Rhys does a marvelous job with atmosphere, but the plot is lurid and disturbing. If I weren't trying to fulfill a book challenge prompt to read a "prequel," I might have dnf'd it despite the writing skill and the short length. So many trigger warnings. You'll need a strong stomach to get through this.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness

Moderate: Rape, Forced institutionalization, and Fire/Fire injury

tinyjude's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes

3.75

I was eagerly waiting the moment I could read this classical rendition of a forgotten and mistreated character such as Antoinetta/Bertha from Jane Eyre, as I loved the original book back then, when I first picked it up. 

In some senses, it does a great job at giving depth both to Bertha's character and background, and Mr. Rochester's feelings about her (which I did not expect to find here), as well as the racial complexities in Jamaica after the end of "legal slave ownership" (we know it was still being enacted nonetheless), colourism, women's autonomy and the treatment of (women's) madness and how these poor women are driven into these unstable mental states by their environments, and mostly their husbands.

But it was also confusing in a lot of instances and felt short when depicting more the nuance of the black characters' feelings towards their previous slave owners. I wish we had focused more on them in general, than the white Creole perspective, but I understand Rhys' background and how that shaped this re-imagining of Bertha's story. Still, I think it should be an essential read after Jane Eyre because it adds more depth to her character and a more complex post-colonial context than the original book did.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Misogyny, Forced institutionalization, Fire/Fire injury, and Colonisation

Moderate: Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Slavery, Trafficking, and Classism

aleskahhh's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

A revolutionary re-imagined prequel to Jane Eyre. 
I'll be honest, the start frightened me, I hated the middle... but the ending was the most satisfyingly thing I have ever read. I read this as an introduction to post-colonial lit but it was intense. It introduces you to a very troubled protagonist, makes you watch her suffer at the hands of a horrible husband and yet somehow she is still able to hold onto who she is. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Infidelity, Mental illness, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Forced institutionalization, and Gaslighting

elisabethshanahan's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious reflective sad slow-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Confinement, Mental illness, Racial slurs, Racism, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Fire/Fire injury, and Colonisation

Minor: Child death, Slavery, Forced institutionalization, and Death of parent

amy_moss's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced

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

4.25

Most of the bad reviews about this book are that it is too complicated and is hard to understand. Although this is true and on my first reading I found myself not understanding it or even missing huge plot points. 
However, after reading the book again, I love it!! I found myself intertwined in the relationships and the tension created. Even the imagery in the book is amazing with recurring symbols which speak volumes about the plot which makes me love it even more!
(Although I would warn any mr Rochester fans against reading it) 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Slavery, Toxic relationship, Forced institutionalization, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Colonisation, and Classism

bethsicle's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Racial slurs, Racism, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Forced institutionalization, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Fire/Fire injury, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Colonisation, and Classism

Moderate: Domestic abuse and Death of parent

Minor: Child death and Blood

jabletowns's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? N/A
• Loveable characters? N/A
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Mental illness, Misogyny, Racism, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Fire/Fire injury, and Abandonment

lola_milk's review against another edition

challenging dark slow-paced

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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Child death and Fire/Fire injury

Minor: Incest and Colonisation

ninaevan's review against another edition

challenging dark inspiring reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated

4.25

Beautiful writing, dark and moody but also vivid with technicolor detail. It’s an incredible homage to a literary figure who so deeply deserved it. This edition also was very helpful for it it’s contextual insights- I learned a lot as I absorbed the story. 

My scoring: 
5.00 | = everyone in the world must read this book 
4.75 | = between 4.5 and 5
4.50 | = dessert island book
4.25 | = between 4 and 4.5
4.00 | = great, solid, recommendable book
3.75 | = almost a 4, but not quite 
3.50 | = not a 4, but I had a good time
3.25 | = rough patches, but not bad
3.00 | = meh, read-able but nothing to write home about
2.75 | = between a 2.5 and 3
2.50 | = there’s something I liked here but it wasn’t enough to be good 
2.25 | = between a 2 and 2.5
2.00 | = not good and there was nothing I liked 
1.00 | = bad

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Self harm, Forced institutionalization, Fire/Fire injury, and Colonisation

kclark's review against another edition

emotional reflective fast-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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, and Forced institutionalization

Moderate: Mental illness and Abandonment