Reviews tagging 'Suicidal thoughts'

A Doll's House by Henrik Ibsen

23 reviews

roxanne_beznosiuk's review against another edition

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

3.0

Read it for school. Was rather enjoyable :3
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katewhite77's review

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challenging dark emotional funny sad tense fast-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? Yes

5.0

A play about a woman finding her voice over Christmas.

I would not have attempted a play like this were it not for the Audrey guide holding my head throughout and giving me extra context. 
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potterpav's review against another edition

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

2.0

if i hate all the characters, the book physically cannot get more than 3 stars. that being said, this gets 2 at most. i loved the message of female empowerment at the end and the shift in power dynamics, especially her realising helmer had become her father and she would never escape that relationship unless she actively took herself out of it, but the actual plot that happens between is so tedious. i liked krogstad which should tell you everything there is to know and i also liked rank because of his spinal issues (me moment). anyway this was such an anticlimax and helmer better sleep with one eye open because i'm coming for him, let me be the hawk to his doll-child and rip out his innards xx
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lleer's review against another edition

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

4.5

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phantomgecko's review against another edition

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sad fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

I was surprised by the ending. Legit surprised. I fully expected Nora to kill herself, tbh. Specifically when she went to change out of her fancy dress, I thought Torvald would end his little monologue and find her hanged.

But no! Instead, against all my expectations, my girl dropped him and decided to live for herself.


This play is from the 70s. The 1870s. And wow. 

Ibsen denied this was a feminist work, but...idk death of the author and whatever.

5 stars
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stephriggs25's review

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

3.5

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cloudyowls's review against another edition

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

2.5

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ashley_1206's review against another edition

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reflective 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

2.75

honestly i expected so much more from the way my teacher was hyping this book up. i was highly disappointed i think it was just so mid. like the mc annoyed me and so did all the characters and i feel like the ending was so meh. i cant wait to do a project on this bc i was already analyzing as i read so yeah. but anyways it was mid!
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theaceofpages's review

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

2.75

I can't say I was a big fan of this book. The characters were annoying and the writing didn't particularly captivate me. I can, however, admire what this work set out to do and the extremally unusual and complex female representation for the time. I can, for example, admire Nora's strength even though I don't like her. I do wonder how much of that is her having to suppress herself because of the times and bow things have changed since. I do also wonder how much of that was narrative choice (I listened to an audiobook. While this was of high quality, I did get annoyed at the ways the characters spoke at times). I can see why some people love this book, but unfortunately it wasn't for me.
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mariekejee's review

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challenging emotional reflective tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

I don't understand how I keep accidentally reading stories about women's autonomy - I'm not complaining, but it's starting to become suspicious. I was gifted a recording of this book by the audiobook app Audrey through a giveaway, for which my thanks. The recording is great - the actors are great, it's performed as a play but completely understandable in audio format, and hearing the audience laugh in the background is a fun addition.

As for the story itself: for a play written by a man in the 19th century, it is a surprisingly feminist one. This is the story of Nora Helmer, who we initially see as a frivolous and cheerful woman, happily married with lovely children, but come to understand as being coddled and confined in her marriage. She is not being taken seriously by her husband, rather seen as a pretty thing to take care of, the same as she was treated by her father. It takes a great crisis for her to realise this, and to reclaim her autonomy.

The ending is a surprising but powerful one:
after hearing the anxiety she suffered through most of the play, even willing to drown herself, I had expected her to be elated at Thorvald's forgiveness, but she shows a surprising amount of reflection and strength. I'm a sucker for happy endings, and while I feel for Thorvald and their kids, I believe it is the best ending possible for Nora
. I appreciate a piece of Victorian era-literature that is so willing to challenge the idea that a woman's purpose is more than just to be a good mother and wife, and I believe this play succeeded phenomenally in this.
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