Reviews tagging 'Child abuse'

Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel García Márquez

13 reviews

wellyreads's review

challenging dark emotional sad slow-paced

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

1.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence, Gaslighting, Sexism, Death, Adult/minor relationship, Stalking, Religious bigotry, Ableism, Infidelity, Colonisation, Pedophilia, Rape, Pandemic/Epidemic, Chronic illness, Animal death, Child abuse, War, Racism, Suicide, and Sexual assault

carlamm's review

reflective medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse and Pedophilia

gabriella_'s review

dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

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

Was anyone going to tell me there’s a

pedophilic relationship

in this or was I supposed to find out on my own? Genuinely left a disgusting taste in my mouth reading this. 

And why was there so much casual racism and bigoted language throughout the book? It was physically painful in a book that otherwise had a gripping prose (but was problematic, I smell misogyny). 

I don’t want to rate this because I feel so conflicted. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Abandonment, Cancer, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Injury/Injury detail, Toxic relationship, Violence, Vomit, Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Fatphobia, Infidelity, Sexism, Sexual assault, Alcohol, Body horror, Body shaming, Child death, Dementia, Grief, Misogyny, Sexual content, Terminal illness, Death, Death of parent, Rape, Excrement, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual harassment, Classism, Cursing, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Pregnancy, Racism, Sexual violence, and Stalking

pollylumpy's review against another edition

dark slow-paced

• 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 hated this book. The main characters are incredibly annoying, especially Florentino who is a monster. Every woman he met was the same character in different names, except for

America, the child he groomed and drove to suicide after taking advantage of.

Fermina is, at least, a nicer person and her story is way more interesting, but the themes of misogyny and the societal expectations of women are named but barely dealt with. She’s so absentminded too, it drives me insane.

The book runs around in circles and becomes extremely tiring to read, it is 100 pages too long, if I’m honest. It has zero romance, you feel nothing for the connection between Florentino and Fermina, which is funny considering García Márquez wrote this as a tribute to his parents. 

Also not enough magical realism. :(

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Pedophilia, Suicide, Rape, Child abuse, and Gaslighting

eegonzalez1113's review

slow-paced

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

1.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Sexual assault, and Stalking

Moderate: Rape

saffytriesherbest's review

emotional slow-paced

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

2.75

Look it’s got some really well written sections but holy moly trigger warning for assault- there are too many moments that are romanticised it seemed as if by the end of the novel Florentino could’ve been friends with Humbert Humbert

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Rape, Sexual harassment, and Racial slurs

Minor: Gore, War, and Child abuse

liathibault's review

challenging dark reflective slow-paced

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

2.5

A terribly enthralling book of illicit affairs in the name of love. The themes of life and death, love and hatred, sickness and health perfectly encapsulate the struggles of a life of love. Gorgeous imagery provided a surreal feeling to the text while still remaining firmly planted in reality. A very enjoyable read, but take with a grain of salt. Riddled with machismo, obsession, and lust towards those who do not warden it. TWs for descriptions of r*pe, statutory r*pe, death, and suicide. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Death, and Rape

Minor: Child death

cait's review against another edition

reflective slow-paced

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

2.0

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Content Warnings

Minor: Ableism, War, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Classism, Dementia, Infidelity, Rape, Sexism, Slavery, Trafficking, Abandonment, Adult/minor relationship, Chronic illness, Incest, Racial slurs, Xenophobia, Alcohol, Child abuse, Colonisation, Death, Death of parent, Grief, and Racism

lacifaeria's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional funny reflective sad slow-paced

• 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? It's complicated

3.75

This is a remarkable book about a lifelong epic preoccupation/obsession with some parts that definitely did not age well in the nigh 100 years since it was first published. Still, it was strange reading this now and seeing how many events/attitudes still featured prominently in an era ravaged by a pandemic. The section which preceded how Dr. Juvenal Urbino discovered Fermina Daza was dazzling in how succinct it was at providing a snapshot of pre-20th century medicine and sewage treatment while also feeling painfully familiar when detailing the reluctance he experienced in attempting to drag local medical methods towards the future in a community reliant on superstition and traditional methods of healing (although his being against vaccines was a bit disheartening).

And also love. How love, in all its pervasiveness and obsessiveness, seems to be the same, 100 years ago as it is now. It's beautifully written and some of the phrasing is majestically composed, even the parts that seem understated. If there was a way you could just cut the "America Vicuna" parts at the end (very uncomfortable), I think the rest is an eloquent examination of a lifelong focus, and how different people become in the pursuit of long-term goals. 

The evolution of Fermina Daza and Florentino Ariza, from the moment we really get to know them as teens experiencing the rush of first love to the end when, after entire lifetimes spent tucked away in their independent lives they reconnect as seasoned elders, was such an incredible journey. Both of theirs, with Fermina being courted by Dr. Juvenal Urbino and settling into a quiet familiar contented married life and with Florentino attempting to sate his desire for companionship in a variety of widows before, once again, returning to worship at the Altar of the Crowned Goddess. I thought it was the kind of perspective you don't usually get to see, with a level of pointed focus that would put an engineer to shame. 

Though, at the end of the day, this was still a love story about two people spread out over several decades and the transition of two centuries, encapsulated in poignancy and heartbreak.

And, yeah, at the end, I was still rooting for Florentino, and for finding "Forever" after fifty-three years, seven months, and eleven days and nights. 

I'm a softie and a romantic at heart.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Child abuse, Toxic relationship, Rape, Pedophilia, Infidelity, Racism, Racial slurs, Grief, Death, and Adult/minor relationship

itskayleighlove's review

emotional reflective slow-paced

• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Sexual assault, Rape, and Adult/minor relationship

Minor: Suicide