Reviews with content warning for Torture - The Daylight Gate

Reviews tagging 'Torture'

The Daylight Gate by Jeanette Winterson

21 reviews

sarahliz__'s review against another edition

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dark medium-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

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abbie_'s review against another edition

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dark tense fast-paced

2.0

I have a hit and miss relationship with Jeanette Winterson - Lighthousekeeping was brilliant, Oranges are Not the Only Fruit, good, Sexing the Cherry left me absolutely baffled. I’d have to say The Daylight Gate falls beneath them all - I didn’t hate it, but I definitely didn’t love it either. It sits somewhere between historical fiction and fantasy, drawing on the Pendle witch trials but doused in a good amount of horror to make it something of Winterson’s own.

The main creative difference Winterson admits here is that her version of Alice Nutter is nothing like history’s Alice Nutter. Winterson plays with the idea that these women truly were witches, so expect supernatural and magical elements. But she doesn’t need to exert too much imagination when depicting the violence enacted against women in the 1600s. Some of the descriptions, especially pertaining to Jennet, a child, turned my stomach and I wondered if they were absolutely essential to include. We’re all aware of the violence women suffered during James I’s campaign to wipe out both witchcraft and Catholicism in England, I’m not sure such graphic depictions of r*pe and inc*st added a great deal beyond shock value.

I’m writing this review about two weeks after I finished it, and all that’s stayed with me is the shock violence. Probably not one I’d recommend off the cuff, but if you have a particular interest in witch trials then this one might offer you something more!

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sorrel29's review against another edition

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dark mysterious reflective sad medium-paced

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

3.75

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freyajazz's review against another edition

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dark emotional tense medium-paced

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

5.0

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drowninggirl's review against another edition

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0.75

Contains spoiler:

This could've been great but unfortunately it was not. I don't even know what to say besides I'd prefer I wouldn't have read this book. I have no issues reading dark books but there is no reason -ever- to include the rape of a child. MULTIPLE TIMES??? What did this add to the story is what I'm asking. Nothing. This was used for shock value purposes only.
Besides this, the character building wasn't sufficient, it felt like she just introduced a lot of people to then kind of dismiss them, I didn't get to know anyone properly.
Lastly, Shakespeare? What did he add to this besides being a fun name to throw in?

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balfies's review against another edition

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dark mysterious tense fast-paced

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

3.75

I don't normally read horror but I will read Jeanette winterson any day of the week. This was a spectacularly gruesome historical fiction about witches in England in 1612, centring on Alice Nutter.

Vivid magical realism, compelling spellcraft, and prose so textured I could feel the walls.

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yannan_mw's review

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challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

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

4.25

The Crucible but fantastical and more grotesque. Some pretty dark and gory descriptions, and less feminist empowered witchery than I was hoping for, but probs accurate for the brutality of the time. Queer characters ✅

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victoria_catherine_shaw's review

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dark sad fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

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molly_greenshields's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense fast-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? No

3.5

A super spooky, incredibly intense telling of the Pendle Witch Trials... but almost too much for me, at some points.

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itsruthalicia's review against another edition

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dark tense fast-paced

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

3.0

This novel, set in James I reign, demonstrates the superstition that was rampant during this time period. Though the graphic descriptions, I really felt a connection and understanding of the suffering the woman accused of witchcraft went through. It was ,however, surprising to see elements of the supernatural coming through - which although being captivating - meant the novel failed to demonstrate the absurdity of the accusations made against these women.

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