Reviews tagging 'Pregnancy'

The Diving Pool by Yōko Ogawa

9 reviews

kitslibrary's review

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

4.0

The first story was disturbing, the second was horrifying and the third would put you at the edge of your seat. This is the first psychological horror book I've read, which I think is why I couldn't wrap my head around at some parts at first, but after taking the time to reflect and recall on the events, it made everything even more haunting. I couldn't stop thinking about what happened, especially on the third story. overall, it was a good read for me!
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chunri's review

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dark tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No

4.5

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clammyheart's review against another edition

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challenging dark mysterious medium-paced

3.75

My favorite was the last one, Dormitory, although the ending seemed abrupt. I liked the middle story as well. The first one was okay - could have done without the weird child sexualization and abuse, but I do like Ogawa’s writing on more taboo topics and depth of human strangeness. She writes about those times when you do something fucked up and don’t even know why.
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nadir's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional reflective tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes

3.75

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angela_iseli's review

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

2.0

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lokesh_04's review

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

3.0

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dalmavatai's review

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dark mysterious reflective tense 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

2.5

Basically, I just wanted this book to be weirder and more horror-y. I also felt like the characters were blank slates and props to the ominous tone of the stories rather than actual, fully fleshed out human beings. I think this collection of novellas achieves what it sets out to do, but the plot was too quiet for me, especially as the characters were also pretty indistinct. I did like the concepts and the ominous atmosphere but they did not go as far as I wanted them to. Also, the last story is quite ableist imo - the main character is obsessed with the triple amputee's body which is made out to be the object of a normative gaze: we as the reader are supposed to be both fascinated and terrified by it and it just feels a bit voyeuristic. 
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williamg's review

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dark mysterious reflective slow-paced

5.0

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starrynight's review

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

3.0

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