Reviews tagging 'Terminal illness'

Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier

109 reviews

himpersonal's review against another edition

4.0

dark emotional mysterious sad slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: No

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Written in 1938, and it still holds up. Felt a little like I was reading a movie Hitchcock might have made. Then I looked it up and found it was his first US film. Must put it on my to-watch list!

Mrs. Danvers was far scarier than Favell ever could be. Her devotion to Rebecca was way too intense.

Loved the narrator's transformation from innocence and immaturity into a woman who knew how to fill out her adult shoes. However, I was a little creeped out when she said she wanted her husband to be her father and brother too. I'm going to assume that meant something else back then. I think understand what du Maurier might have been trying to say, and I suppose it also emphasizes the narrator's inexperience with the world, especially given she lost both her parents in her teens.

 Could be a fun book to teach for a film class, given it's been made a couple of times.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body shaming, Bullying, Cancer, Death, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Infertility, Infidelity, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Terminal illness, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Grief, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Classism

kaislea's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Death, Emotional abuse, Grief, Gaslighting

Moderate: Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Body shaming

Minor: Cancer, Gun violence, Hate crime, Mental illness, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Violence, Death of parent, Cultural appropriation

bearystarry's review against another edition

4.25

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad 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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I thought this was going to be different than it was, but I was very engaged the whole time. The ending was very surprising to me and I definitely should have paid more attention to the content warnings... but overall... I'm not sure if "enjoyed" is the correct word but I'll use it anyway; I enjoyed this read.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Bullying, Cancer, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Incest, Infidelity, Misogyny, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Violence, Dementia, Grief, Murder, Alcohol, Classism

Moderate: Abandonment

Minor: Fire/Fire injury

heykellybutler's review against another edition

4.5

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I can’t believe it took me so long to read a book that turned out to be so entirely my shit. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Domestic abuse, Gun violence, Infidelity, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Murder

Moderate: Cancer, Emotional abuse, Suicide, Forced institutionalization

Minor: Animal cruelty, Infertility, Suicidal thoughts, Fire/Fire injury, Cultural appropriation

jamie_el's review against another edition

3.5

dark mysterious sad tense medium-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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I did enjoy the book overall and definitely found the plot interesting, but it feels like it didn't quite reach its full potential. Quite a few characters are introduced and almost fleshed out to a degree that you think they'll be important, only for them to be never mentioned again. I also found Maxim to be inappropriate and the narrator frustrating at points. The ending was also a little predictable. Despite this, the writing itself was good and the story gripping, even though I felt justice wasn't truly served in the end.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Murder

Moderate: Gun violence, Infidelity, Misogyny, Grief, Classism

Minor: Cancer, Chronic illness, Incest, Terminal illness, Dementia, Alcohol

Many of these triggers are minor and only mentioned in passing or are a product of the time it was written. I would not let them deter if it is a preference rather than an mental health trigger as nothing is particularly explicit.

The main plotline of the book focuses on the deceased ex-wife of the narrator's husband, whom we find out he murdered because she was cheating on him with her cousin. He later gets away with the crime because it is found she had a chronic illness and it is thought that she committed suicide. Most of the triggers pertain to this plotline and the aftermath, but none of the descriptions are hugely explicit and it comes during the reveal at the end of the book.

lethargicbat's review against another edition

5.0

dark emotional mysterious reflective sad medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

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: Death, Emotional abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Toxic relationship

Moderate: Confinement, Emotional abuse, Grief, Fire/Fire injury

Minor: Bullying, Incest, Infidelity, Terminal illness, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Cultural appropriation, Alcohol

piecesofamber's review against another edition

4.75

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Plot

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood

Moderate: Bullying, Death, Dementia, Murder, Alcohol, Classism

Minor: Ableism, Animal cruelty, Body shaming, Cancer, Gun violence, Incest, Infertility, Infidelity, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail

disguisedposer's review against another edition

3.5

dark mysterious 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: Yes

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Misogyny, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Grief, Murder, Gaslighting, Alcohol

laura6891's review against another edition

5.0

dark emotional mysterious reflective tense medium-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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Content Warnings

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Incest, Infidelity, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Blood, Grief, Murder, Toxic friendship

Minor: Animal death, Injury/Injury detail, Classism

babyjillysmom's review against another edition

5.0

dark emotional mysterious reflective sad fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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This book sticks with you after read it.  You reflect on the revelations unfolded and question your own character.  I loved this book.  Written in 1920s the emotions still hold true in 2024.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cancer, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Homophobia, Infertility, Infidelity, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Murder