Reviews tagging 'Toxic relationship'

Tipping the Velvet by Sarah Waters

40 reviews

novella42's review against another edition

adventurous emotional hopeful reflective slow-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

5.0

This book made a huge impression on me when I read it in college. I didn't have words yet for "omnisexual" or how different kinds of gender expression made me feel SO MANY feelings. The thrill this book gave me was like lighting up a circuit with a bolt of lightning, when it had only received little jolts from a AA battery before. All the wiring was there, had always been there, but I didn't have any way to explore or describe it before reading these scenes with Nancy and having revelation after revelation. 

I picked it up again this year in the delicious audiobook format, savoring it slowly to really appreciate the lyrical writing and elaborate plotline.

I described to my friends what an impact it had made on me and a friend of mine who is trans said he had had his own epiphanies with it, too. We both agreed we were very glad to have stumbled onto it when we did.

The historical aspects of the book are written with such rich attention to detail, especially the nuances of fashion, gender, and sexuality. It's made me want to set my own current WIP at the same time period. I just want to immerse myself in it again and again. 

Also, this might be a strange thing to appreciate, but (mild spoilers about the protagonist's personality)

I am honestly impressed that Waters managed to write a very likeable character even while making her more than a little selfish, impulsive, and not particularly bright. It took a second reading at age 39 to notice, I don't think it registered at all when I was in my 20s just like Nancy. But Nancy herself is compelling even when she does something selfish or impulsive, and has a kind of genderqueer himbo energy that I found almost irresistible. It gives her more depth than the typical clever, altruistic heroines we usually see in books like this.

Well done, Waters!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cursing, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Grief, Lesbophobia, and Classism

Moderate: Abandonment, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Dysphoria, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Ableism and Miscarriage

stellahadz's review

emotional slow-paced

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

3.5

I'm not usually a big historical fiction reader, but this was my book club's pick of the month and I'm always down to expand my literary horizons. 

The pacing of the book was slower than I would have liked; it took me almost 200 pages to really get into the story. I think there's also something about the Victorian-esque writing style that doesn't totally resonate with me -- I didn't feel like I could fully connect with any of the characters, and most of them were just downright unlikeable. (My copy was the 20th anniversary edition with an afterword by the author, and I'll just say I agree with what she has to say about Nancy!) 

I can see why this book is popular; it's well-written (I especially liked the setting descriptions and worldbuilding) and explores aspects of Victorian life that aren't always included in the literary canon. However, I think the genre and writing style simply weren't for me. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, and Classism

Moderate: Homophobia, Racial slurs, and Lesbophobia

Minor: Miscarriage

thatchickengirl23's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful sad tense medium-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content, Toxic relationship, and Sexual harassment

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Infidelity, Grief, Lesbophobia, Outing, and Alcohol

Minor: Death, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, and Forced institutionalization

amina_writes_books's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring mysterious reflective tense fast-paced

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

5.0

A perfect mix of Victorian, classical British literature style writing. The author is extremely clever with words. An endowing read for anyone who is struggling with coming out of just being comfortable with queerness. Excellent narrative style, and just when you think the plot could do it drag, it picks up again!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Homophobia, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Lesbophobia, Abandonment, and Classism

Moderate: Body shaming, Bullying, Confinement, Suicidal thoughts, and Outing

Minor: Addiction, Child death, Drug use, Miscarriage, Racism, Slavery, Suicide, Forced institutionalization, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Colonisation, and Injury/Injury detail

sleepypandaa's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional 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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Sexual content, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Homophobia, Infidelity, Grief, and Sexual harassment

lizard800's review against another edition

slow-paced

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

3.25

This book could have been dramatically shorter and still had the same impact, imo. Pretty well all of the characters are unlikable, but I don't think the author meant for it to be that way? My jaw did drop when -you know who- arrived at the very end of the book which was kind of what we had been waiting for for a while. Also, the story is being told by older Nancy and the author could have done so much more with that. The use of 'queer', 'gay', and 'fag' throughout the book was so smart. The autobook narrator was hit or miss for me. Overall I would not recommend this book.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content, Toxic relationship, and Lesbophobia

Moderate: Pregnancy

paperquilt's review against another edition

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content, Toxic relationship, and Lesbophobia

Moderate: Infidelity, Transphobia, and Gaslighting

Minor: Racial slurs

nekopersona's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional inspiring reflective slow-paced

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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content and Toxic relationship

Minor: Miscarriage and Lesbophobia

bdingz's review against another edition

adventurous emotional tense 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

3.75

This is my first book by Sarah Waters and I don’t think it will be the last. I sometimes struggle with historical fiction featuring queer characters because I always have this sense they must be doomed somehow, but this story depicts joy as much as ut does despair. Some parts dragged a little, in my opinion, but it was almost autobiographical in style so I understand why it was as long and detailed as it was.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia, Sexual content, and Toxic relationship

Minor: Infidelity, Racial slurs, Racism, and Violence

A character used the n-word on one occasion in the third part of the book.

ranbara's review

dark emotional funny sad slow-paced

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

5.0

oh.. this is the book of all time. to be a tom from whitstable in 1888..

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Homophobia, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Grief, Lesbophobia, Abandonment, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail