Scan barcode
A review by bella_cavicchi
Paul by Daisy Lafarge
dark
emotional
reflective
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? It's complicated
4.0
The word that keeps coming to mind when I think about PAUL is "suffocating." It is intentionally uncomfortable, forcing readers to reflect on the persisting allure of men who do not deserve the status/position/adoration that society continues to grant them. If this is Daisy Lafarge's fiction debut, we are certainly in for a treat with whatever she writes next. (And if you've also read this—or even if you haven't!—I highly recommend Ella Fox-Martens' corresponding Atlantic article: https://www.theatlantic.com/books/archive/2022/09/paul-tears-down-myth-gauguin/671332/)
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Pedophilia, and Sexual content
Moderate: Cultural appropriation and Colonisation