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saraaaa's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
It's an okay book, in the sense that I've had to read worse lately in the context of a Russian Literature course. Some bits were interesting, especially those in which characters other than the protagonist would make decisions, and those in which the depiction of women fell a little less flat. In general, despite the highly diverse cast, it's set in 1870s Russian Empire, and told in first person by a Russian Orthodox man, so definitely don't expect political correctness – or any kind of respect for anything other than his god and his homeland, for that matter.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcohol, Animal death, Islamophobia, Animal cruelty, Confinement, Pregnancy, Religious bigotry, Suicide attempt, Xenophobia, Torture, Body horror, Alcoholism, Cursing, Murder, Death, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Misogyny, and Suicidal thoughts
Moderate: Classism and War
Minor: Death of parent
The bits on animal cruelty are particularly crude.
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