Reviews tagging 'Religious bigotry'

The Power by Naomi Alderman

69 reviews

maxella's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious tense slow-paced

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

3.75

I found this book quite dark and challanging but I would say that it's one of the most important litterary pieces I have read. 
This book is very thought provoking, it really puts a mirror in front of our society here and now to reflect our behaviours. I don't know if I would actually consider this book feminist because the book mostly just put down men instead of showing how powerful women could be/are. 
I really like the conversation this book provokes around power and nature/nurture topics. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Bullying, Cannibalism, Child abuse, Child death, Cursing, Death, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Hate crime, Misogyny, Murder, Physical abuse, Police brutality, Rape, Religious bigotry, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Torture, and Violence

pamvoss's review against another edition

dark tense medium-paced

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

1.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Murder, Rape, Religious bigotry, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Torture, and Violence

booksbutmakeitgay's review against another edition

0.5

The only good thing about this book was the very beginning. It had so much promise and could have been great, but I don’t think I’ve ever hated a book so much. I understand that it was a gender bent story, but there was no part of it that redeemed it for me. There was too much religion and super powers tied up in religion for me. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape

Moderate: Bullying, Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Medical trauma, Physical abuse, Rape, Religious bigotry, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Torture, Violence, and Misogyny

minxtte's review against another edition

adventurous dark 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Rape, Medical trauma, Death, Death of parent, and Violence

Moderate: Torture

Minor: Trafficking, Slavery, Excrement, Religious bigotry, and Police brutality

backpackfullofbooks's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious reflective 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, and Violence

Moderate: Child abuse, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Religious bigotry, and Sexism

molliepop's review against another edition

dark reflective 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? Yes

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny, Murder, Rape, Religious bigotry, Sexual assault, and Violence

raoulalexander's review against another edition

dark tense medium-paced

• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

2.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny, Rape, Religious bigotry, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence

Moderate: Homophobia and Medical content

adasterism's review against another edition

challenging dark tense fast-paced

• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

Really interesting premise, and extremely well written, but in the end I found Alderman's message troubling. The message of the book seems to be that absolute power corrupts absolutely, and I find her analysis of gender and gender roles lacking.

Her idea that within a decade of being physically more powerful, women would be raping and pillaging men and completely reverse the present gender dynamic, doesn't actually read to me as a very nuanced take on oppressive dynamics. It doesn't take into account the fact that this "power" would still be historically situated, and the dystopia that emerges after women get the power is completely cut off from any historical basis or analysis of how gender roles come to be, and how privilege functions. While I really enjoyed the premise and the characters at the beginning, I found it really hard to suspend my disbelief when women started raping men and the gender dynamic completely reversed, and I found the ending uncompelling.

 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Religious bigotry, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, and Blood

Moderate: Addiction, Child abuse, and Child death

Minor: Transphobia, Sexism, Medical content, Gun violence, and Death

charbroiled's review against another edition

dark mysterious sad tense fast-paced

• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Torture, Violence, Sexism, Sexual violence, Religious bigotry, and Physical abuse

tries to be the handmaid's tale but just doesn't cut it. cool premise to start with but ends up reiterating gendered power rather than transforming the idea. dark ending that just conveys hopelessness about humanity instead of matching up to the exciting and empowering beginning