Reviews tagging 'Physical abuse'

Een lied voor Achilles by Madeline Miller

164 reviews

capt_janeway's review against another edition

adventurous emotional sad slow-paced

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

3.0

The way Madeline Miller wrote falling in love, particularly queer love, was very beautiful and moving. And that is why it gets any stars at all.
Abuse and rape of women being written in such an offhand and thoughtless way is at the very least upsetting. The fact that this book is written by a woman is shocking. Firstly, I do not understand the urge of historic fiction writers to include rape because “that’s what happened in history”. GIRL. You are a fiction writer, you choose what to write.
Secondly, to have a story that focuses solely on men, and anytime a women even comes close to entering their orbit it is to be raped and abused, and written with such flippancy? 
 Yuck. If you insist on making me read that, at least give it the weight it deserves. 
It isn’t just once in the book, its again. And again. And again. 
If you are going to write about how women suffered in history, at least give it more than a passing thought.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Emotional abuse, and Physical abuse

_meganrose's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional sad tense medium-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

I knew what was going to happen and still bawled my eyes out multiple times. Madeline Miller’s portrayal of love and grief completely blew me away. This is a read that will sit with me for a very very long time. Epic and heartbreaking. The best novelistic adaptation of a classic tale that I have ever read. Wow.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, War, Blood, and Violence

Moderate: Sexual content, Rape, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, and Sexual assault

Minor: Homophobia

baearles's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional hopeful sad tense fast-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, War, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Grief, Blood, and Murder

Moderate: Gore

Minor: Mental illness, Misogyny, Suicidal thoughts, Emotional abuse, Kidnapping, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Alcohol, Animal death, Death of parent, Rape, Slavery, and Sexual content

keelymightread's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional tense medium-paced

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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: War, Death, and Abandonment

Moderate: Homophobia, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Rape, Grief, and Violence

Minor: Self harm, Abandonment, and Suicidal thoughts

stefs1974's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional reflective sad tense fast-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? It's complicated

5.0

Definitely one of the best books I’ve ever read!  I actually read it twice because I couldn’t get enough.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Slavery, Violence, War, and Grief

neliasbookshelf's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia, Suicidal thoughts, Physical abuse, Death, Violence, Slavery, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Grief, Deadnaming, Kidnapping, Fire/Fire injury, War, and Murder

kjm19's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective sad fast-paced

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

4.5

Amazing writing - vivid and evocative. 

Love the realistic portrayal of how women are perceived in this world. I love that Patroclus grows in his opinions on women and people too. Contrasted with Achilles and his views because he can only be focused on himself. 

I think maybe a bit of pacing inconsistencies at the start of the war… partly felt rushed and partly felt weeded out a bit. 

More character distinction would’ve been good, but I’m being really picky now. 

The last chapter is amazing. Many tears fell. Amazing book and fleshed out story of a classic myth. 

I feel the 1984 pull to the book now. Beautiful and I loved it. I cried a lot in my final sitting of the read. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Misogyny, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, War, Biphobia, Death, Homophobia, Murder, Physical abuse, Medical trauma, Gore, Grief, Kidnapping, Sexual content, and Slavery

Moderate: Biphobia, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Outing, Pregnancy, and Rape

Minor: Alcohol and Adult/minor relationship

eclipsee's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense medium-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

4.75

An engrossing tale that leaves you with a haunting feeling of life fleeting.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Homophobia, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Grief, Rape, and Death

frihedferrero's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional hopeful sad tense medium-paced

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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexism, Death, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Murder, Slavery, and War

Moderate: Pandemic/Epidemic, Sexual assault, and Medical content

Minor: Animal death

valentinayippy's review against another edition

adventurous emotional sad tense medium-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Domestic abuse, Grief, Adult/minor relationship, Death, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Homophobia, Infidelity, Misogyny, Kidnapping, Murder, Pandemic/Epidemic, Physical abuse, and Rape