Reviews tagging 'Toxic relationship'

Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys

26 reviews

zinn24's review

challenging dark emotional sad medium-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child death, Racism, Racial slurs, and Toxic relationship

Minor: Animal death

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

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

cepbreed's review

emotional medium-paced

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

3.5

"Justice,' she said. 'I've heard that word. It's a cold word. I tried it out,' she said, still speaking in a low voice. 'I wrote it down. I wrote it down several times and always it looked like a damn cold lie to me. There is no justice."

I've been meaning to read this book for awhile and my English course focusing on what houses represent in literature was the perfect excuse to finally get down to doing it. By excuse I mean I had to, but whatever LOL. As a disclaimer that rushed element might have influenced my reading experience, but I was slightly disappointed by this. I ADORED Jane Eyre and I was always so intrigued by Bertha Mason. I had this idea in my head that she was a Creole woman, but also a woman of color. I may have just invented that detail in my head though. I just thought any themes connected to her status as a woman of color would've reflected wonderfully with Heathcliff's status as not quite white enough in Wuthering Heights. That said, I loved the way Jean Rhys crafted the existence of Antoinette as a disgraced white woman in Jamaica. Rhys never shied away from the uncomfortable and I will carry that scene where the family is attempting to get into their carriage with me forever. I enjoyed books one and three, not so much book two. However, that is probably just a reflection of my hatred for Mr. Rochester. I hated him at the end of Jane Eyre and feared terribly that some parts of this book would attempt to redeem him (is it even redemption if its happening in the past?). Thank goodness I did not have to endure any sort of placating towards Rochester. My hate was augmented tenfold and the only thing bringing me a semblance of peace is the fact that he is disfigured by the end of Jane Eyre (lets just ignore that Jane actually returns to him...).

THE ENDING THOUGH UGHHH Knowing what comes next is just. so. good.

Song:

• tolerate it - Taylor Swift 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship, Classism, Emotional abuse, Racism, Abandonment, Colonisation, Confinement, and Mental illness

Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Slavery, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, and Gaslighting

Minor: Alcoholism

moa's review against another edition

dark emotional sad 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: Confinement, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Classism and Racism

Minor: Suicide

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

aleskahhh's review

dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

A revolutionary re-imagined prequel to Jane Eyre. 
I'll be honest, the start frightened me, I hated the middle... but the ending was the most satisfyingly thing I have ever read. I read this as an introduction to post-colonial lit but it was intense. It introduces you to a very troubled protagonist, makes you watch her suffer at the hands of a horrible husband and yet somehow she is still able to hold onto who she is. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Infidelity, Forced institutionalization, Sexual content, Racial slurs, Mental illness, Toxic relationship, Racism, and Gaslighting

edwardian_girl_next_door's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racial slurs, Racism, Xenophobia, Alcohol, Toxic relationship, Colonisation, Mental illness, Slavery, Classism, and Confinement

Moderate: Infidelity, Violence, Animal death, and Physical abuse

Minor: Gaslighting

zofoklecja's review

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

Haunting!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism and Racial slurs

Moderate: Toxic relationship, Mental illness, and Bullying

Minor: Child abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Confinement, and Violence

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