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nrogers_1030's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
3.0
Graphic: Animal death, Death, Death of parent, Child death, and Classism
woweewhoa's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Diverse cast of characters? No
3.25
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Ableism, Miscarriage, Blood, and Death
Moderate: Pregnancy, Death of parent, Alcoholism, Antisemitism, Toxic relationship, Sexual content, Gun violence, Animal death, Alcohol, Racism, Child abuse, Child death, and Excrement
Minor: Abortion, Fatphobia, War, and Incest
blackthorne754's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
3.5
Graphic: Animal death, Miscarriage, Child death, and Death
Moderate: Antisemitism, Racism, Ableism, and Homophobia
elizabethsureau's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
1.0
Graphic: Animal death and Death
Moderate: Miscarriage and Misogyny
Minor: Racial slurs
saltedsnail's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Child death, Suicide, Death, Gun violence, Violence, Animal cruelty, Murder, Animal death, Child abuse, Miscarriage, Mental illness, and Grief
Moderate: Antisemitism, Racism, Classism, Homophobia, Pregnancy, and Gore
Minor: Infidelity, War, and Abortion
savvylit's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Where the genius of this book really lies, is in the subtle and scathing satire of Southern suburbia. Colquitt, Walter, and all of their bourgeoisie neighbors are obsessed with social standing and etiquette. The evil House inherently understands that and preys on everyone involved by specifically and absolutely destroying their reputations. The house forces them into such suburban scandals as infidelity, general impropriety, mental illness, and grisly death. Siddons wrote this novel in the late 70s and it is clear from the first page that these characters live in a world where anyone will be blatantly shamed or shunned for anything even slightly out of the norm.
I absolutely loved the themes and the lush writing style of The House Next Door. This book has joined The Elementals and The Haunting of Hill House as one of my favorite horror stories of all time.
That being said, because of the era this book was written and set in - and because all the characters are super annoying upper middle-class Southerners - this book features a handful of racism, sexism, a hell of a lot of classism, homophobia, and antisemitism. In the context of satire and loving to hate all the characters, it fits. Because it really is horrifying! However, that doesn't make it any less jarring for me to read in 2022.
Graphic: Homophobia, Racism, Classism, Infidelity, Physical abuse, Domestic abuse, Death, Animal death, Miscarriage, Ableism, Toxic relationship, Mental illness, Suicide, Murder, Gun violence, and Excrement
archaena's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Moderate: Alcohol, Alcoholism, Animal death, Antisemitism, Blood, Bullying, Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Excrement, Gaslighting, Gore, Grief, Gun violence, Infidelity, Medical content, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Murder, Pregnancy, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Sexism, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, and Violence
Classismmegpadams's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.0
Graphic: Animal death, Misogyny, Infidelity, Death, and Child death