Reviews tagging 'Alcoholism'

Die geheime Geschichte by Donna Tartt

1943 reviews

tousledtreasure's review against another edition

4.75

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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What a great novel! When I picked this book up some three years ago, I didn't imagine the twist and turns this story would take and how much I would love and despise the story. It is such a great winter book read and I would recommend it to everyone interested in morality, classics and drama. 

Was the incest necessary though?

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Murder

Moderate: Incest

rookerymeadow's review against another edition

4.5

dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense slow-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: Yes

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There's something so charming and endearing about watching a guilt-ridden mask-wearing people-pleaser get put into Situations. 

The prose is fresh, justifiably pretentious but really enjoyable, and drenched in the climate of new england, with its bitter, but beautiful seasons. The characters are gripping and real, the plot engaging and consequential. I wouldn't call this a happy read, but certainly a good one.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gun violence, Mental illness, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Grief, Murder, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Classism

Moderate: Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Confinement, Drug use, Gun violence, Incest, Forced institutionalization, Car accident, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis

Minor: Biphobia, Bullying, Chronic illness, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Blood, Medical content, Religious bigotry

eppeters's review against another edition

2.5

challenging emotional tense 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

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this book was highly recommended, but turned out to be a bit of a drag. Very dense and slow. It used superfluous language and the pacing change was annoying. But the plot was intriguing enough.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide, Murder

Moderate: Alcoholism

al_ex's review against another edition

3.5

dark mysterious tense slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Violence, Murder

emulipemuli's review against another edition

4.0

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gun violence, Incest, Suicide attempt, Murder, Toxic friendship, Alcohol

elliesinclair's review against another edition

4.5

challenging dark mysterious tense slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Murder, Alcohol

Moderate: Suicide, Suicide attempt

Minor: Incest

maddiearbo's review against another edition

1.75

challenging dark slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

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This book both started and ended boring. I kept waiting for it to get better while I was trudging through it but I don’t feel like it ever truly got “good”- it just had moments that were better than others. I felt like the plot was SO driven by side stories that it got lost inside of itself and, with that, lost its charm. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Death, Murder

Moderate: Incest, Violence

Minor: Drug use, Homophobia, Rape

ruthweld's review against another edition

2.25

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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Gun violence, Suicide attempt, Murder, Classism

Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Fatphobia, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, Classism

Minor: Animal death, Homophobia, Incest, Rape

greenmoulin's review against another edition

3.75

dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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I did like this book but it was excruciatingly difficult to get through. I am not one to read slow books because of short attention span, but I stuck through with this book and am quite glad I did. Had some moments which were incredibly hard to get through but also had beautiful writing and really interesting parts threaded through the pages. I was fond of Francis’s character and found that Richard is definitely an unreliable narrator, but that just makes the book more interesting, doesn’t it? I would definitely recommend it, it’s got a sort of gothic undertone vibes in my opinion.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Murder

bethanystone13's review against another edition

4.0

dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Complicated

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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I enjoyed this one. I felt the ending was a little bit odd, but otherwise I was invested nearly the whole way through - I found the start a bit slow as the scene was set, but it was fine after everything was in place.
I'm glad I read it, but I might need someone to explain the last scene to me.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Drug abuse, Drug use, Alcohol

Moderate: Death, Gun violence, Suicide, Violence, Murder