Reviews tagging 'Sexism'

Women Talking by Miriam Toews

58 reviews

bseigel's review against another edition

fast-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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Pregnancy, Suicide, Rape, Sexual assault, Physical abuse, Suicide attempt, Incest, and Self harm

Moderate: Pedophilia, Sexual violence, Physical abuse, Child abuse, Sexism, Toxic relationship, and Gaslighting

hannahwinston's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring sad tense fast-paced

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

4.0

I loved the book. Fast read, engaging, teared up a few times. Tommy biggest issue is the narrator is not only unreliable, it’s a man. I understand why it has to be a man, I’m just still annoyed by it.  

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Pedophilia, Sexism, Pregnancy, Physical abuse, Suicide attempt, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Violence, and Suicide

lk3ssaf's review against another edition

3.25

The book was short and easy to read. It was sad, and depressing at times, but the author chose a hopeful ending.

We never learn what happens to the women, or how the men at the cult react, and that might be for the best.

I didn't learn that the story was based on real crimes that took place against Mennonite women until after I had read the book. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual harassment, Suicide, Child abuse, Rape, Suicide attempt, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Sexism, Pedophilia, Panic attacks/disorders, Murder, Physical abuse, Misogyny, and Death of parent

mtehan7's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective tense medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child abuse, Rape, Religious bigotry, Sexual violence, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Slavery, Misogyny, Pregnancy, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, and Suicide

cassie7e's review against another edition

challenging dark hopeful reflective sad medium-paced

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

5.0

I picked this up after a neighbor highly recommended the film. This book was hard for me given the subject matter of the inciting incident, but had much questioning and discussion that I found enriching and important to think about. I loved the characterizations of each woman and girl, how their ages and personalities played into their behaviors and dialogue. Some people dislike that it's women talking in circles but (as per the title) that is the point; the story witnesses women taking control, thinking and talking for themselves, challenging each other, and this is how decision making happens. It felt real and not at all superficial. So don't read this if you need books to have concrete plot.

Some may also dislike that it's narrated by a man, and that the "minutes" are more of a transcript. 

I'm surprised that so many reviews disliked the religious focus of the discussions when it's clearly about Mennonite women, people in an explicitly religious colony separated from the rest of the world. Of course religious questions will be of primary concern for these women! And I did not see them as cold and inadequately outraged - they are seriously discussing actions that defy their entire social structure as a result of the atrocity they experienced, and as many trauma victims, are detaching themselves from the feelings so they can make decisions without shutting down and losing their opportunity to make a choice at all.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence

Moderate: Homophobia, Incest, Self harm, Physical abuse, Mental illness, Child abuse, Pedophilia, Pregnancy, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide

Minor: Vomit, Death, and Miscarriage

madelinequinne's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful inspiring sad medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Pregnancy, and Religious bigotry

Moderate: Violence, Alcohol, and Child abuse

Minor: Panic attacks/disorders, Deadnaming, Death of parent, Abandonment, and Suicidal thoughts

daniellekat's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective sad slow-paced

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

3.75

An interesting take and fictionalization on true events. I’m not sure what I was expecting exactly, given all the hype the movie has gotten, but I flew through this in a weekend. The writing was excellent, although I never felt particularly moved or emotional while reading. This was a slow paced, not plot heavy book without use of quotations. All of those things worked together well for me and lent well to the themes, but I can understand why those factors would turn some readers off. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny, Sexual violence, Rape, Sexual assault, Suicide, and Sexism

Moderate: Death and Domestic abuse

Minor: Suicidal thoughts

lauowens's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective sad tense fast-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Rape, Religious bigotry, Sexism, and Sexual assault

ismerene's review against another edition

dark sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No

2.0

My review will echo others. In short, this is an deadened, back-and-forth circular discussion on the topic of whether to leave or stay in light of horrific abuse, all viewed through a religious Mennonite lens. The story throws some jabs, and the ending did pull some heartstrings, but ultimately I'm left confused and annoyed.

I think the biggest misstep in this novel that cascaded into other issues is the method of which the story is told. No speech is direct. Everything, save for our narrator, is spoken in passive statements, and it serves to deaden a lot of emotion about the situation at hand, as well as removing a large bit of personality from each character. There were a few moments of creepy, chill-up-your-spine implications and sudden, graphic depictions - all of which had heavier impact due to the otherwise banal narration - but overall it only served to turn much of the story into a slog.

The narrator's gender didn't bother me as much as his long-winded inserts did. Separate from him explaining certain cultural nuances, the insert of his background or his encounters outside the meeting felt frustrating. What really chapped my hide however were the comments and odes about one character he pines for. In the context of what this novel is centered on, it comes across as almost... creepy. It's all soft and emotional, but like, she's pregnant because she was raped. I'm not sure if this is to grow the narrator's character, or to illustrate a statement on men overall, but either way it was, also, annoying. 

Based on other reviews, it seems as if the choices made here were stylistic, in which case I can confidently say the style is not for me. I think if this had been handled a bit differently, and maybe some choices - in narrator, particularly - were changed, this would be rated much higher. As it stands however, I didn't much care for it. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Sexual violence, Rape, Religious bigotry, Domestic abuse, Sexism, Injury/Injury detail, and Incest

chelly_reads's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Emotional abuse, Sexism, Sexual violence, Gaslighting, Sexual assault, Death of parent, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Rape, and Suicide