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lisaalessandra's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
This book is deeply disturbing. The content actually made me sick. I started reading this book because it was being compared to “The Secret History”. But if that is why you are considering reading it, please don’t. I decided to give 2 stars instead of 1 because it was well written.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Murder, Emotional abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Toxic relationship, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Gaslighting, Blood, and Gore
trulydevious's review against another edition
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic relationship, Emotional abuse, and Death
Moderate: Suicide, Homophobia, and Death of parent
Minor: Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, and Animal death
pamel_au_miel's review
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic relationship and Homophobia
Moderate: Death and Violence
jiangslore's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
slow-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
4.5
[4,5/5]
“These Violent Delights”, assim como a obra clássica que inspirou seu título, é uma história sobre dois jovens que desenvolvem sentimentos profundos (até demais) um pelo outro. E, também como o clássico que o inspira (na minha opinião, até mais que ele), é um livro que, no final das contas, pode até falar do sentimento “amor”, mas talvez não possa ser considerado uma “história de amor”. Na verdade, se você for o tipo de pessoa que vê um romance que envolve pelo menos uma pessoa de caráter questionável e pensa “isso seria bem melhor se fosse um suspense”, é possível que esse livro seja para você.
Alguns aspectos do livro me agradaram muito, mas eu diria que o mais impressionante foi a escrita, principalmente porque “These Violent Delights” é um livro de estreia. O autor conseguiu criar um equilíbrio, na minha opinião, quase perfeito entre o que é dito explicitamente e o que não é — e acho que isso que pode ser atribuído tanto ao talento quanto ao esforço do escritor, principalmente considerando o tempo que o livro demorou para ser escrito.
No livro, o que era dito de forma explícita o era por meio de uma escrita muito interessante e sutil; e a escolha do que permanece “subentendido” (não sei se essa é a palavra mais adequada, mas enfim) foi fundamental para criar uma sensação de quietude, isolamento e angústia que reproduz muito bem o que os protagonistas estavam enfrentando em suas vidas. Acho que essa “quietude” também é reproduzida no estilo de tensão e no ritmo do enredo do livro — o que, para mim, trouxe aspectos positivos e negativos.
“These Violent Delights” não é o tipo de “thriller” em que a tensão é causada pela ação ou pelos perigos enfrentados pelos personagens; nem o tipo de “mistério” cuja tensão é resultado da ocultação de questões necessárias para descobrir qual será a conclusão da obra. Como o livro traz uma perspectiva diferente — aquela das pessoas que causaram o ato de violência inenarrável, segundo a sinopse —, a tensão resulta da relação que se desenvolve entre os protagonistas e o modo que eles, lentamente, testam os limites um do outro e se adaptam ao que encontram com esses testes.
Então, é claro, o livro é lento. E não é como se algo estivesse escondido do leitor: desde o primeiro movimento do jogo, o final dele já estava determinado. Isso pode, sim, fazer com que a leitura fique arrastada. Mesmo gostando do livro, eu tive a sensação de que, em alguns momentos, simplesmente não queria lê-lo porque parecia que nada “caminhava” de modo significativo.
Mas, na minha opinião, a tensão nos capítulos finais fez a lentidão valer à pena. Quando eu estava finalizando a leitura, realmente senti tudo que eu precisava sentir para olhar para “These Violent Delights” e entender que o livro realmente entrega o que promete em termos de suspense.
Por isso, eu recomendo muito a leitura. Não acho que é um livro que vai agradar a todos, mas acho que o autor fez bem o que se propôs a fazer (e, se tivermos cuidado, conseguimos ver o que ele se propôs a fazer desde o início da obra).
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia, Toxic relationship, Sexual content, and Death
m4rtt4's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Brilliant, this was so unlike anything I've read before and kept me on edge the whole time. Took off 0.5 stars for the sluggish pace but overall the codependency was very well written, and though I could see many similarities with The Secret History, I'm a hoe for stories like this and it's ALWAYS a good thing to start the book with a crime even though the rest of the book is mostly just vibes and no plot.
It also took me a while to get used to the audiobook narrator, but once I was hooked, you couldn't have convinced me it wasn't Paul himself talking to me. I definitely do recommend the audiobook experience, as this book is mostly vibes and fits so well in the darkening autumn atmosphere!
It also took me a while to get used to the audiobook narrator, but once I was hooked, you couldn't have convinced me it wasn't Paul himself talking to me. I definitely do recommend the audiobook experience, as this book is mostly vibes and fits so well in the darkening autumn atmosphere!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic relationship, Death, Suicide, Homophobia, Death of parent, Murder, and Emotional abuse
Moderate: Grief, Alcohol, Sexual content, Violence, and Panic attacks/disorders
ashlikes's review against another edition
dark
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
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing, Grief, Toxic friendship, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Violence, Death, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Physical abuse, and Homophobia
Moderate: Blood, Gaslighting, Kidnapping, Antisemitism, Sexual content, Suicide, Death of parent, Panic attacks/disorders, and Alcohol
Minor: Rape, Bullying, Sexual violence, Animal death, Sexism, Vomit, and War
dixiecarroll's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This is stunning, but dense. It’s the secret history, but a little more violent and a lot more gay. I ate it up and it made me feel so many uncomfortable things… and made me question what we’re all capable of. Unreal.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, Suicide, Grief, Gore, Death, Suicidal thoughts, Homophobia, Murder, Animal death, Blood, Toxic relationship, Violence, and Suicide attempt
cameronreads's review against another edition
4.0
I don’t quite know how to articulate my thoughts about this book. I can’t even really tell if I liked it, all I know is upon ending it I’ve been left in shock about the entire reading experience. Watching this incredibly toxic relationship progress and reading Paul’s completely unreliable narration felt like watching a train wreck I couldn’t tear my eyes away from. I do think it is excellently and cleverly told; the slow pacing works well for the story, the writing style matches it perfectly, and the unreliable narration that is slowly revealed as more and more unreliable is fantastic. There is something addicting about the relationship between Paul and Julian - they are truly awful together and only bring each other pain but you cannot help but feel so much towards them. I will be thinking about this book for a very long time.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Self harm, Toxic relationship, Violence, Death, Homophobia, Blood, and Death of parent
Moderate: Antisemitism, Grief, and Suicide
Minor: Classism and Fire/Fire injury
sdeer's review against another edition
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, and Violence
Moderate: Murder and Death
Minor: Suicide and Suicidal thoughts
saramcaps's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-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
4.25
Extremely dark and fits right into the “obsessive relationships that end in violence” genre. Deliberately pretentious and overly lyrical—think The Secret History. But, this time the narrator is the instigator, not just a passive accomplice.
The two main characters border on psychopathy depending on your belief in the unreliable narrator’s version of events.
Paul, to me, is certainly a psychopath. The way he sees Julian as calculating and cold, I actually think applies to him. Whereas the grace and sympathetic persona he sets upon himself applies more to Julian, who I do not think is a psychopath. It’s a very interesting mirroring delusion between the two of them.
The two main characters border on psychopathy depending on your belief in the unreliable narrator’s version of events.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Death, Murder, Homophobia, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Animal death
you are inside the mind of a psychopath who finds joy in violence