Reviews tagging 'Sexism'

The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova

5 reviews

jelliestars's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious tense slow-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Animal death, Death of parent, Murder, Racism, Blood, Death, Racial slurs, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Miscarriage, and Violence

Minor: Suicide attempt, Torture, Islamophobia, Suicide, Car accident, Sexual assault, Pregnancy, Stalking, Medical content, Rape, Xenophobia, Gun violence, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Misogyny, Mental illness, Alcohol, Classism, Confinement, Cursing, Religious bigotry, Sexual content, War, Colonisation, Kidnapping, Sexism, and Pandemic/Epidemic

dlrosebyh's review against another edition

mysterious slow-paced

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

3.5

A young lady discovers an antique book and a stockpile of yellowing letters written ominously to 'My dear and unfortunate successor' late one night while browsing her father's library. Her revelation transports her to a world she never imagined existed - a labyrinth where the mysteries of her father's past and her mother's tragic fate are linked to an evil concealed in the depths of history. 

 

During those few calm moments, she unintentionally embarks on a mission that she will find is her birthright: a search for the truth about Vlad the Impaler, the medieval king whose barbaric reign inspired the Dracula legend. Deciphering cryptic clues and buried passages, deciphering codes woven into the fabric of ancient monastery traditions, and escaping deadly foes, one lady gets closer to the truth about her own history and a confrontation with the very meaning of evil. 

 

This book is different from the usual assortment of novels I read, and the very notion that it is different terrified me into picking it up. Going into this, all I hoped for was that it would be rich with history, since as someone who loves history and researches, I enjoy seeing those in books— and it did not disappoint. 

 

The Historian has such lovely prose that if I were reading it as an owned copy, I would have underlined a lot of it. The manner the narrative was conveyed was also really interesting—though some portions felt a little protracted. This novel could have been a hundred pages shorter—and the fact that the finale wasn't really satisfying—killed my mood as I enjoyed the book for the first three quarters. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Blood, and Violence

Moderate: Miscarriage and Racism

Minor: Suicide attempt, Pregnancy, and Sexism

kryskross's review against another edition

informative mysterious tense slow-paced

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

2.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood and Kidnapping

Moderate: Violence and Racial slurs

Minor: Sexism and Suicide attempt

prettiestwhistles's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense fast-paced

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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Death, Kidnapping, Grief, Murder, and Violence

Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Racial slurs, Abandonment, Islamophobia, Misogyny, Racism, Animal death, and Confinement

Minor: Pregnancy, Injury/Injury detail, Suicide attempt, Dementia, Sexism, Death of parent, Genocide, Miscarriage, Alcohol, and War

aseel_reads's review against another edition

mysterious tense slow-paced

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

3.0

this was an interesting tale about Vlad the third, i really enjoyed learning about the different history/customs/culture of eastern europe, turkey, and them in the cold war. i think the author is a capable story-teller but omg this book was so slow, the ending was so rushed, the narrative style was very confusing, the main motive at the end was random. glad i read it but wouldn't recommend unless someone likes learning 

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Content Warnings

Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Death, Death of parent, Grief, Misogyny, Murder, Racial slurs, Sexism, Stalking, Suicide attempt, and Violence