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3.9 AVERAGE
3.9 AVERAGE
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Quand Gervaise déboucha des corridors sur le palier du sixième, elle ne put retenir cette parole, les larmes aux yeux :
– Ça ne promet pas beaucoup de bonheur.
À ce moment-là, Gervaise ne savait pas à quel point cette parole était juste, et son destin est terriblement tragique.
L'Assommoir nous raconte sans ambages la misère sociale ainsi que les ravages de l'alcoolisme au milieu de la classe ouvrière. On assiste à une déchéance inévitable, les péchés capitaux se faisant la part belle au milieu de tous ces personnages, menant les plus faibles à la mort, les plus forts s'étant engorgés d'un égoïsme de survie.
dark
emotional
informative
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This book is very well written and splendidly translated, moves along quite quickly, and provides a marvelously honest historical perspective. The problem is that none of that makes up for the fact that I hate reading about both endless misery and dislikable characters, and that's... pretty much the sum of this book. (Well, dislikable is arguable; the tone fluctuates between either 1) portraying the unfairness and inequality and general wretchedness of society dooming the characters to their actions, or 2) blaming them for the mess they've gotten themselves into. The latter I also find worrisome in a modern context, since I could see one of a certain bent picking this up and deciding to use it as proof that 'the poor do it to themselves!!1' or some lousiness like that.) If it had not been assigned for a class, I'd have never forced myself to keep going through it.
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship
Moderate: Ableism, Body shaming, Bullying, Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Infidelity, Mental illness, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Vomit, Dysphoria
dark
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Wonderful. So bleak it hurts, but such an insight into an unrelentingly hard world. It made me very grateful not to be living in revolutionary France.
dark
reflective
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
J’ai apprécié ma lecture, comme toujours avec Zola je trouve qu’il y a des longueurs, mais j’ai été moins dérangée dans ce tome que dans les précédents. Ici, on n’y parle (enfin) pas de politique et on se concentre sur la description de la vie des personnages. J’ai eu beaucoup de peine pour Gervaise et j’ai apprécié voir poser les jalons du tome sur Nana, que j’ai d’autant plus hâte de lire.