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chainsawheartbooks's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- 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
As with all classics this took me a little while to get into, mainly because of the phrasing and writing, but my god this is a classic!
Hopeful and heartbreaking are the only two words that spring to mind.
This book, although only 70-ish pages, was a rollercoaster of emotions; I was so happy, full of warmth and hope, only to then became so distraught with a gut-wrenching pity in a matter of seconds, by just a few simple words.
It’s easy to see how many tragedies this has probably inspired, and I’m so glad, albeit utterly shattered, that I was recommended it.
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship
Moderate: Confinement, Stalking, and Abandonment
meeklovestoread's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship and Pedophilia
Moderate: Stalking
lizetteratura's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.5
Our narrator is a lonely guy with few acquaintances, except for his housekeeper, Matrona. He is sensitive and philosophical (read pathetic and manipulative), looking for feminine admiration, but struggles with feeling isolated. (In other words, he's weird and has never felt a woman's touch.) He's an idealist who believes Nastenka, the young woman he meets and falls in love with in a day?, is the perfect woman he's been searching for his entire life. Nastenka is, similarly to our narrator, an emotional, whimsical, and idealistic young lady. Throughout the story, she is constantly torn between feelings, unable to let go of her lover, whose return she is waiting for. However, she worries that he will never return to her. From there on, the narrator gaslights Nastenka into "being in love with him," and she thinks she loves him, but she doesn't because she's already in love with another. Therefore, under the guise of her confounded feelings, she professes love to the narrator, which in a way leads him on, then forgets about him the instant she reunites with her sweetheart and marries him. A mess. Anyways....
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Pedophilia, and Stalking
Moderate: Confinement and Abandonment
riverofhorton's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
I read this after someone posted about it on TikTok, saying he thought he understood love, then he read this.
This was not about love. This was about abuse masquerading as love, with its stalking, paedophilia, coercion, love bombing and gaslighting. Women are consistently infantilised, regardless of their age, treated as objects to be sold, who are nought but over-emotional wrecks.
The female lead did have a couple of funny quips, but they were few and far between.
Bobok
I don't even know where to start with this. More misogyny, and paedophilia here, I'm afraid. As well as an unusual premise. It could see a similar idea being used for something else and it turning out good, but this just didn't do it.
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Sexism, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Stalking, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Sexual harassment, and Classism
ostavetemenamira's review against another edition
3.25
So beautifully written but so incel and pedo. Mention the age of the characters was a choice. I get that TimEs wErE DifFeReNt but that couldn't stop me from gagging.
I am starting to think women were stereotyped as "naive", "emotional", "child-like", "pure" etc. simply because men were only talking with underage actual-child girls and not fellow-adults women.
Great quotes for Insta about love or whatever (when taken out of context).
Graphic: Pedophilia and Stalking
freyareadsbooksomg's review against another edition
3.75
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship and Stalking
leonormsousa'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
3.5
White Nights:
REP:
"BOBOK" REVIEW
I found Bobok unexpectedly once I reached the end of White Nights and although I had never heard anything about it before, I went for it. In the end, I believe its main problem is its size…
Moderate: Stalking