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queanbeck's review against another edition
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
0.25
if you wanted a book with racism, sexism, homophobia, transphobia, and surprisingly incest, rape, & pedophilia too…this is the one for you
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny, Homophobia, Dementia, Vomit, Adult/minor relationship, Fatphobia, Death of parent, Sexual violence, Transphobia, Physical abuse, Xenophobia, Sexual assault, Miscarriage, Pedophilia, Sexism, Rape, Death, Murder, Incest, Grief, Excrement, Classism, Antisemitism, and Abandonment
baielleebooks's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
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
3.25
I read this in fits and spurts, and my thoughts about May We Be Forgiven etch themselves onto a mental scattergram.
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What I deeply appreciate is the level of granular detail in which the book unpacks the complexity of human emotion. The writing structure of short and long vinyettes are stylistically clever and enriched my own exploration into the main character, Harry, and his psyche. I also think it is one of the most eloquent texts that works to deconstruct the falsehoods and contentions within the American Dream ideology.
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At the same time, did I occasionally drift in and out while reading? Yes. Did I think that race was sometimes depicted and represented in a patchy way? Yes. Were there occasions where I yearned for the narrative to recalibrate and pick up again from a character like George or Nate? Yes.
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Nevertheless, this book sparked my imagination and a number of the lines in the book are really beautiful. Can without question see why this won the Women's Prize for Fiction when it was released in 2013. Would be interested to look into more of A.M. Homes' work.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent and Violence
Moderate: Car accident and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Pedophilia
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