Reviews tagging 'Suicidal thoughts'

The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett

11 reviews

siniandi's review against another edition

adventurous challenging hopeful inspiring reflective tense medium-paced

• 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

I understand that this is one of Follett's most beloved works. It is a densely packed work spanning several decades; the plot is nicely interwoven with historical elements and makes one reflect on power structures and injustices that in some form persist to this day. I honestly loved most of the characters and the way the flaws of even the "good" characters reflect in the story. Follett makes sure to create a strong female protagonist, which I love. She seems believable and strong and wields power in ways realistic for the era.

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.

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Content Warnings

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

melina_30's review against another edition

challenging dark slow-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence, Death, Rape, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Violence, and Murder

Moderate: Child death, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, Child abuse, Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Sexism, Domestic abuse, and Grief

Minor: Suicidal thoughts

ols_333's review against another edition

adventurous tense slow-paced

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

2.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Sexual assault, Sexism, Sexual violence, Sexual content, and Misogyny

Moderate: Antisemitism, Pedophilia, and Suicidal thoughts

Minor: Cultural appropriation and Racism

karingforbooks's review against another edition

challenging dark sad tense slow-paced

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

2.25

MISOGYNY CENTRAL. 
Look, it’s a treatise on cathedral architecture with some characters thrown in.  Think moby dick for cathedrals in medieval England and you’ve nailed it. Except moby dick wasn’t so heavy on the anti women front, which says something because it’s 100 years older than this book. I liked the setting, Jack, Aliena, Elizabeth, and sally. Martha got forgotten which is sad. Tom was oblivious but nice enough. I desperately hate William and alfred for *reasons* and the pacing is not there. It’s so slow in the first half then gets better at the end then slows down but speeds up simultaneously in the last hundred, which is not great. I did like the historical context in which it occurred (white ship, Henry ii) but thought there was just a bit too much close connection with real historical figures. Course that could be because by halfway through I was just angry at the book in general 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual violence, Sexual harassment, Murder, Antisemitism, Rape, Fire/Fire injury, Death, Abandonment, Violence, Sexism, Grief, Domestic abuse, and Death of parent

flowerowl's review

adventurous dark sad slow-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

4.0

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Content Warnings

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

joelle_lecturechocolathe's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional tense slow-paced

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, and Emotional abuse

mysteriousokapi's review

adventurous dark sad tense slow-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual harassment, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Violence, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Rape

Minor: Suicidal thoughts, Murder, and Torture

novelyon's review

challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad tense slow-paced

• 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

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Content Warnings

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

dreusmire's review

challenging dark reflective slow-paced

4.25

This fucking book was so hard to get through when I read it as a 13 year old. It consumed my entire life. And then I read it again for some reason. Deeply satisfactory, I cried

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Sexual harassment, Sexism, Rape, Pregnancy, Physical abuse, Murder, Mental illness, Kidnapping, Injury/Injury detail, Infidelity, Incest, Gaslighting, Grief, Fire/Fire injury, Death, Animal death, Animal cruelty, Alcoholism, Alcohol, Ableism, Abandonment, Medical content, Misogyny, Religious bigotry, Self harm, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, and Terminal illness

seanml's review

challenging dark emotional hopeful informative mysterious sad tense medium-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

4.25

It can be hard to tell the difference between an author’s thoughts and a character’s thoughts. I’m still not entirely sure when a hypersexual thought came from Follett or when it came from 

Tom, or William

. The first half of this book had me unsure, reading through the atrocities of 

William Hamleigh

  in graphic detail, and the sexual emphasis placed on 

Ellen.

  However, by the second half it had gone above and beyond. I’m sure it isn’t perfect, but it is a monumental effort and execution. 8.5/10. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Animal death, Bullying, Death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Grief, Misogyny, Murder, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, and Sexual violence

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Alcohol, Animal cruelty, Blood, Child abuse, Confinement, Cursing, Forced institutionalization, Medical content, Pregnancy, Sexism, Sexual harassment, Stalking, Suicidal thoughts, and Violence

Minor: Ableism, Cultural appropriation, Excrement, Gore, Infertility, Islamophobia, Miscarriage, and Self harm