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blewballoon's review against another edition
dark
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
I found the experience of reading this to be generally unpleasant. Backwards as it may be, the more a book is considered a "literary darling," the more skeptical I become that I will enjoy it. The forward praising the book before it actually started made me appropriately apprehensive.
I imagine there must be readers who like the main character Janet, but I did not find her relatable or sympathetic. In some ways she strikes a "not like other girls" chord to the extreme. She's above frivolous things like learning how to clean and sew, she is too busy with poetry and flouncing around her family's estate. She has the drama of Anne of Green Gables but none of the charm. Her single redeeming quality is that she likes animals and doesn't want them to suffer, but this is oddly juxtaposed with a total lack of empathy or understanding of people.She can't mercy kill a pigeon, but she did try to kill her baby sister and she nearly killed another baby sibling by handling her with the care of a bowling ball. She also didn't care about sending two boys to get seriously injured in a decaying building. These boys in particular were just children who hadn't done anything against her. It's often hard to tell what age Janet or the other children are meant to be at a given point in the story, but even so, their behavior (specifically Janet's) and lack of understanding feels too strange to be explained by childhood. I mean, not to victim blame, but a lot of Janet's suffering is because of her own choices. She makes really bad ones. Janet isn't the only one, though. Every human character sucks, sometimes more and sometimes less, but none of them are a positive presence. The Jackdaw is the best character, but he's only there for a very small part of the book, and he's a bird.
There are many instances of animal cruelty and death that are hard to read, and they contribute to the overall somewhat gross and disturbing tone of the book. Theasylum scene and the scenes with a variety of male characters after Janet has gone through some puberty also contribute to this vulgar tone, and there's a little fatphobia sprinkled in as well.
I listened to this on audiobook and the narrator was fine, but any parts where there were poetry or song recitations in the text felt grating to me. I felt myself clenching my teeth when they'd pop in.
I imagine there must be readers who like the main character Janet, but I did not find her relatable or sympathetic. In some ways she strikes a "not like other girls" chord to the extreme. She's above frivolous things like learning how to clean and sew, she is too busy with poetry and flouncing around her family's estate. She has the drama of Anne of Green Gables but none of the charm. Her single redeeming quality is that she likes animals and doesn't want them to suffer, but this is oddly juxtaposed with a total lack of empathy or understanding of people.
There are many instances of animal cruelty and death that are hard to read, and they contribute to the overall somewhat gross and disturbing tone of the book. The
I listened to this on audiobook and the narrator was fine, but any parts where there were poetry or song recitations in the text felt grating to me. I felt myself clenching my teeth when they'd pop in.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Sexual harassment, and Animal cruelty
Moderate: Violence, Alcoholism, Bullying, Murder, Alcohol, and Death
Minor: Sexual assault and War
austenite93's review
challenging
dark
funny
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence and Death
feelinwitchy's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
relaxing
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Sexual assault, Murder, Sexual harassment, Animal death, Violence, Sexism, Misogyny, and Forced institutionalization
Moderate: Blood
Minor: War, Vomit, Genocide, Religious bigotry, Antisemitism, and Alcohol
toffishay's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
I really felt for Janet, felt connected to her. The book starts at the end and then moves backwards. You know how the story ends up for Janet. In a way, she knows this too. But watching her grow up and grow against a world that doesn't even try to understand her, that pushes her down and hurts her, is no less tactile because we know that she won't escape. Or she does, in her own way, but through the actions of others. The writing style is absolutely stunning. The descriptions of her home are so beautiful, even as the settings are tense and breaking down, and horrific. It felt like an honor to read about Janet's life.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexism, Murder, Emotional abuse, Death, Child death, and Misogyny
Moderate: Violence, Forced institutionalization, Bullying, Body shaming, and Vomit
Minor: War, Sexual violence, Panic attacks/disorders, Injury/Injury detail, Grief, and Eating disorder
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