Reviews tagging 'Misogyny'

Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys

18 reviews

david_slack110507's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad 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

3.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Child abuse, Classism, Grief, Mental illness, Misogyny, Sexism, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Colonisation, Emotional abuse, Confinement, Racism, Abandonment, Gaslighting, and Racial slurs

Moderate: Death of parent, Infidelity, Violence, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Injury/Injury detail, Suicide attempt, Toxic friendship, Animal death, Cursing, Animal cruelty, Blood, Bullying, Fire/Fire injury, Sexual content, Chronic illness, Ableism, Suicide, and Suicidal thoughts

Minor: Incest, Medical content, Vomit, Hate crime, Xenophobia, Adult/minor relationship, Religious bigotry, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Cultural appropriation

tinyjude's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes

3.75

I was eagerly waiting the moment I could read this classical rendition of a forgotten and mistreated character such as Antoinetta/Bertha from Jane Eyre, as I loved the original book back then, when I first picked it up. 

In some senses, it does a great job at giving depth both to Bertha's character and background, and Mr. Rochester's feelings about her (which I did not expect to find here), as well as the racial complexities in Jamaica after the end of "legal slave ownership" (we know it was still being enacted nonetheless), colourism, women's autonomy and the treatment of (women's) madness and how these poor women are driven into these unstable mental states by their environments, and mostly their husbands.

But it was also confusing in a lot of instances and felt short when depicting more the nuance of the black characters' feelings towards their previous slave owners. I wish we had focused more on them in general, than the white Creole perspective, but I understand Rhys' background and how that shaped this re-imagining of Bertha's story. Still, I think it should be an essential read after Jane Eyre because it adds more depth to her character and a more complex post-colonial context than the original book did.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Colonisation, Confinement, Forced institutionalization, Animal death, Domestic abuse, Mental illness, Fire/Fire injury, and Misogyny

Moderate: Racism, Racial slurs, Classism, Trafficking, Physical abuse, and Slavery

sarasreading's review

challenging dark mysterious sad medium-paced

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

3.5

Read this in two quick sittings. The atmosphere was gorgeous and haunting, which I enjoyed. So much of what was happening was purposefully confusing, so it was a little hard to follow at times. Also I'm quite ill, so that might be partly me. 

This prequel take on colonialism and feminism was definitely interesting, and packed a lot into a short book. There were so many metaphors and details that held deeper meaning. It's a little rough to read though, as there is a lot of racism, racial slurs, violence and powerlessness. An interesting and eerie take on the story of Bertha.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Racial slurs, Racism, and Misogyny

Moderate: Colonisation, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Animal death, and Child death

bisexualwentworth's review

Finally finished. Thoughts to come in upcoming podcast episode.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Fire/Fire injury, Misogyny, Toxic relationship, Racism, Alcoholism, Racial slurs, Domestic abuse, and Gaslighting

anindistinctaccountant's review

challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Hate crime, Misogyny, Emotional abuse, Classism, Mental illness, Cursing, Toxic relationship, Grief, Gaslighting, and Racial slurs

Moderate: Abandonment

Minor: Child death and Sexual harassment

amy_moss's review

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense fast-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

4.25

Most of the bad reviews about this book are that it is too complicated and is hard to understand. Although this is true and on my first reading I found myself not understanding it or even missing huge plot points. 
However, after reading the book again, I love it!! I found myself intertwined in the relationships and the tension created. Even the imagery in the book is amazing with recurring symbols which speak volumes about the plot which makes me love it even more!
(Although I would warn any mr Rochester fans against reading it) 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Slavery, Mental illness, Sexism, Fire/Fire injury, Racial slurs, Classism, Death of parent, Colonisation, Racism, Toxic relationship, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, and Misogyny

laurenbb23's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death of parent, Bullying, Classism, Colonisation, Death, Domestic abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Emotional abuse, Grief, Rape, Religious bigotry, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Incest, Mental illness, Misogyny, Racism, and Sexual assault

c_dmckinney's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense 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? Yes

3.5

This book is a prequel to Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte. It is an exploration and fleshing out of Rochester's first wife before he changed her name and condemned her to the attic for "madness". 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cursing, Abandonment, Grief, Xenophobia, Toxic relationship, Sexism, Racism, Misogyny, Mental illness, Infidelity, Confinement, Colonisation, Chronic illness, Racial slurs, Gaslighting, Emotional abuse, Drug use, Domestic abuse, and Classism

minariffo's review

challenging dark sad tense fast-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Dementia, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Misogyny, Sexual content, and Sexual violence

jessthanthree's review

challenging emotional reflective medium-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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse

Moderate: Confinement, Dementia, Drug use, Child death, Gaslighting, Mental illness, Racism, and Misogyny