Reviews tagging 'Torture'

Whale by Cheon Myeong-kwan

18 reviews

yaporfavor's review against another edition

adventurous challenging 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? No

0.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence, Violence, Torture, Sexual assault, Rape, Ableism, Sexism, and Physical abuse

Minor: Incest

mxjacknelson's review

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad medium-paced

3.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Torture, Death of parent, Rape, Child death, and Animal death

ithasabluecover's review against another edition

dark sad medium-paced

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

2.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault and Child abuse

Moderate: Torture

sawyertaylor's review against another edition

challenging dark sad

• Loveable characters? No

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Torture, Adult/minor relationship, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Murder, and Rape

Moderate: Infidelity, Suicide, Excrement, and Fire/Fire injury

christy_lorraine's review against another edition

dark funny reflective tense fast-paced

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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Police brutality, Torture, Rape, Death, Violence, Sexual violence, Sexual content, and Murder

Minor: Suicide, Child death, Emotional abuse, Alcohol, Blood, Car accident, Child abuse, Animal cruelty, Incest, Pedophilia, Self harm, Pregnancy, Animal death, Confinement, and Alcoholism

nixxer's review

dark mysterious sad

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Rape, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Murder, Torture, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Death of parent, Forced institutionalization, Physical abuse, and Violence

othersociologist's review

adventurous sad medium-paced

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

Moderate: Torture, Ableism, and Rape

etherealsuju's review

adventurous dark emotional funny inspiring reflective sad fast-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Classism, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Rape, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Murder, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Violence, Animal death, Blood, Infidelity, Pregnancy, Sexual violence, Torture, Animal cruelty, Bullying, Physical abuse, Cursing, Death, and Mental illness

kyleyraemccoy's review against another edition

dark emotional funny 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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Murder, Abandonment, Child abuse, Sexism, Torture, Child death, Classism, Blood, Cursing, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Rape, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence

m_peacock's review against another edition

dark emotional funny reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.0

"Sprawling" may be the most used adjective to describe this book, and it's probably the best. The mother-daughter story wanders forward, veering off the plotline for asides on fables, politics, and brickmaking. But even with this meandering, the story has momentum. It's well-written/translated. The straightforward language moves the story forward with pace; it kept my attention.

I'm usually not a magic realism fan. I often find it either overbearing or a plot crutch -- but here it worked for me. Maybe it's the novel's rural settings or the matter-of-fact tone of the omniscient narrator, but the fantastical plot elements seemed to be more integrated and less magical/out-of-the-ordinary.

I often complain that literary fiction authors don't know how to end their stories. They often skip the hard work of plotting for an easier and maybe what they think is a cleverer/more erudite trailing off into ambiguity. Cheon Myeong-Kwan doesn't do that; he sticks the landing in a melancholy way that fits the last, most difficult section of the book.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Torture