Reviews tagging 'Alcoholism'

The Night Watchman by Louise Erdrich

60 reviews

frogknitting's review against another edition

dark reflective tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

I didn't like this one as much as The Sentence, but I'm also not a big historical fiction fan, so that's just a personal preference thing. It was a very good book. There were a lot of character names in there to keep up with, which was disconcerting at times. Also, Patrice's immediate situation when she gets to the Cities was odd as well, just because it seemed to be immediate and not fitting the tone of the book before then. I know it was important/necessary, but I wish that the tone could have shifted a bit more before that.

Other than that, I really liked this book. I swore it was written in the 90s, but apparently not. The omniscient point of view threw me at first, but I grew used to it and became a pretty big fan, especially considering how Erdrich used it. Having a few chapters from animals' perspectives was cool. It's a very good book. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Kidnapping, Rape, Sexual assault, Trafficking, Sexual violence, and Alcoholism

Minor: Gun violence

have_a_doris_day's review against another edition

challenging emotional informative reflective sad medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Child death, Sexual assault, Colonisation, Death, Trafficking, Kidnapping, and Racism

Moderate: Addiction

Minor: Domestic abuse

republicofben's review against another edition

emotional hopeful inspiring tense slow-paced

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

3.5

Although the synopsis and subject matter of this book piqued my interest, I found it hard to stay engaged with the story. Aside from the slow pace of the story's main events, the part that made it hard for me to make it through this book was the large cast of characters. One theme of this book - and also something I expect the author hoped readers would take away - is the diversity of people part of and that interact with a community. I did enjoy meeting and getting to know the wide cast of characters, but the constant switching of narrators caused the pace of the book's main events to be slow and drawn out. My rating breaks down to the book not suiting my tastes, but one I would still recommend to someone looking for a book that deals with Native American stories and history or a true ensemble book that flips between narrators.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Colonisation, Physical abuse, Rape, Death, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Racism, Death of parent, Kidnapping, Sexual harassment, and Xenophobia

Minor: Alcoholism, Grief, Abandonment, Addiction, Blood, Chronic illness, Alcohol, Animal death, Emotional abuse, Sexual content, Bullying, and Genocide

lorit1227's review against another edition

challenging emotional informative inspiring sad medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Slavery, Addiction, Alcoholism, Confinement, Torture, and Racism

erica_palmisano's review against another edition

dark emotional funny hopeful mysterious reflective sad fast-paced

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

5.0

Fascinating and surprising. I haven't spent a lot of time in places like North Dakota & Minnesota during the 1950s, so I wasn't sure what to expect. The story was vivid and covered some difficult realities, but also kind and grounded in the details of daily life and simple pleasures. The audio narration was straight-forwardly lovely – cadence and style were simple and it was good to hear the fragments of the Chippewa language pronounced properly too. So glad I read this and got to meet these characters!

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Content Warnings

Minor: Confinement, Animal death, Death, Domestic abuse, Genocide, Trafficking, Colonisation, Kidnapping, Rape, Sexual harassment, Animal cruelty, Child abuse, Misogyny, Ableism, Addiction, Drug use, Xenophobia, Alcoholism, and Sexual violence

kaiabolland's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective medium-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Rape, and Alcoholism

Moderate: Child abuse, Sexual content, and Child death

char1otte's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring tense medium-paced

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

5.0

I have never read anything like it! It took me a few chapters to get into the style of writing and to understand how the story was told but I recommend it to anyone!
Can anyone tell me what a waterjack is?

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Physical abuse, Alcoholism, and Death

Moderate: Rape and Addiction

Minor: Animal death, Blood, and Colonisation

libbyhb's review against another edition

emotional funny reflective medium-paced

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

5.0

I loved this so much. I don't know what it is, but anything Louise Erdrich writes just immediately grabs me. The two main characters we follow in The Night Watchman were immediately so interesting and charming and I couldn't wait to find out what happened next in their story. I liked the way that the story flowed from focusing on the most personal, intimate details of their lives, like Pixie's struggles with relationships and comparing herself to her friends, to broader trends and huge events, like Thomas's fight against termination or women like Pixie's sister being trafficked. And on top of all of that, the world was so well illustrated and immersive! Loved it.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Sexual assault, Alcoholism, and Trafficking

Moderate: Death

kimveach's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

Such a good story - based upon the true fight by the Turtle Mountain band of the Chippewa against the government's plan for the termination of the reservation and support of their people. She brings to life so many different characters and elements of reservation life in the 1950s.  I love these characters and hated to leave them when the book ended.  I'll be reading more from this author.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Colonisation, Kidnapping, Racism, Rape, Trafficking, Injury/Injury detail, and Sexual content

Moderate: Drug abuse, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Medical content, and Medical trauma

Minor: Animal death, Death of parent, Grief, and Incest

becksusername's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny informative medium-paced

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

5.0

Holy shit this book was incredible. I love Louise Erdrich now even more than I already did, if that's possible.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Sexual assault, and Trafficking

Moderate: Alcoholism, Addiction, Classism, Colonisation, and Forced institutionalization