Reviews tagging 'Excrement'

Piccole cose da nulla by Claire Keegan

25 reviews

kittkat's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Loveable characters? Yes

4.75

Das Buch basiert auf wahre, tragische Ereignisse in Irland. 
Wunderschön geschrieben, jedes einzelne Wort mit Bedacht gewählt. Es sind nur 110 Seiten und doch konnte ich am Ende meine Tränen nicht mehr zurückhalten. So unfassbar traurig und bedeutungsvoll. 

Die Geschichte wird aus der Perspektive eines gutherzigen Familienvaters Bill Furlong erzählt, der ein gutes Leben führt und einfach glücklich ist, mit dem, was er hat. Es geht aber das Gerücht rum, dass die Frauen im Kloster des Dorfes von den Nonnen ausgebeutet und zur Arbeit gezwungen werden. Bill kann das nicht glauben, bis er die jungen Frauen, die eigentlich nur Zuflucht suchten, mit eigenen Augen sieht.

Eine weitere Tragödie in der irischen Geschichte, von der ich noch nie zuvor gehört habe. Ich kann das Buch nur empfehlen!! 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gaslighting, Confinement, Physical abuse, and Emotional abuse

Moderate: Suicidal thoughts

Minor: Vomit, Torture, Pregnancy, and Excrement

bachuska's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective sad fast-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? No

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Excrement, Forced institutionalization, and Pregnancy

Minor: Alcoholism

bunceyyy's review against another edition

emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad medium-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? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Forced institutionalization and Classism

Minor: Abandonment and Excrement

ivi_reads_books's review against another edition

emotional inspiring reflective sad

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

4.0

The book revolves around women who are ostracized from their community in 1980s Ireland told from an unexpected perspective. The protagonist reflects on his own life and family in light of the plight of these women

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Content Warnings

Minor: Pregnancy, Excrement, Emotional abuse, and Physical abuse

ms_elchert's review against another edition

emotional hopeful reflective sad slow-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Forced institutionalization, Child abuse, and Classism

Moderate: Death of parent, Abandonment, and Grief

Minor: Excrement and Alcohol

ericj32's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective medium-paced

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

4.0

A tender, yet unflinching, account of cruelty that is easier to passively ignore than to confront.  The protagonist is himself vulnerable and busy, and has plenty of reasons to focus on other things but his mind won’t let him forget what he stumbled into and perhaps wishes he had not seen.  The prose is the main attraction here - it feels as though the author is only documenting what the characters choose to acknowledge which somehow creates a palpable sense of the things that they’re not saying out loud.  This brief little book can be easily read in one sitting, yet it somehow feels like it packs in all of the depth and nuance of a much longer novel.  The author’s humble prose conveys only what must be said.  It almost feels more like a parable, as it’s grounded in ancient, essential truths yet told in an accessible, modern form.  I was nervous about where it was going and how it would end (it seemed fairly predictable) and was thoroughly won over by the thrilling last couple of pages.  Looking forward to reading other works by this author as she seems to have a firm grasp on what is worth writing (and reading) about.  

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Cursing, Child abuse, Forced institutionalization, Slavery, and Confinement

Minor: Vomit, Excrement, and Suicidal thoughts

vixenreader's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective sad tense fast-paced

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

4.75

While “Foster” made me cry, this one made me seethe with rage, and it is an empathetic novella about mustering the courage to fight against injustices that are buried under the surface, even when you only have your bare hands to dig them up. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Religious bigotry, Gaslighting, Misogyny, Classism, and Confinement

Moderate: Cursing, Death of parent, Death, Torture, Bullying, and Abandonment

Minor: Mental illness, Injury/Injury detail, Suicidal thoughts, Vomit, Xenophobia, Excrement, and Terminal illness

Be aware that this novel addresses the Magdalen laundry, where religious institutions would abuse and isolate young “troubled” women. It is rough to read, and there is more details between the lines. Poverty and abuse of power had a huge hand in this discussion.

196books's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad fast-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Forced institutionalization

Moderate: Physical abuse, Emotional abuse, and Excrement

gracescanlon's review against another edition

emotional mysterious reflective medium-paced

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

4.5

I loved this, so much. Keegan writes in a similar fashion to other modern Irish writers I’ve read, especially Niall Williams.

I only wish the book was longer! Its ending wasn’t disappointing, per se, but I would’ve been happy to read another 200 pages about Bill and the girls. That said, I also see the merit of the chosen ending, and did enjoy it. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Confinement, Pregnancy, Injury/Injury detail, Death of parent, Forced institutionalization, Excrement, and Suicidal thoughts

Minor: Classism, Abandonment, Terminal illness, and Vomit

rcsreads's review against another edition

reflective 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? It's complicated

2.25

I felt like this ended just as it was getting interesting. I also felt like the perspective of a middle class, white man was the least needed pov for a story about the mis-treatment of women and girls. 
 The writing is fairly basic, and the characters felt flat. The phrase "he released a breath he didn't realise he'd been  holding" was used, which is possibly the most cliche sentence in the history of literature!
 It was fine, I read it in an afternoon and it brings awareness about Magdalen laundries in a way your granny could read without being shocked. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Trafficking, Excrement, Forced institutionalization, Pregnancy, Religious bigotry, Child death, Child abuse, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Sexism, Grief, and Physical abuse