Reviews tagging 'Ableism'

The Dinner by Herman Koch

7 reviews

torturedreadersdept's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Medical content, Dysphoria, Gaslighting, Cursing, Toxic relationship, Blood, Chronic illness, Death, Violence, Murder, Alcohol, Body horror, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Ableism, Bullying, Child death, Sexual harassment, Racism, Abortion, Sexual content, and Addiction

Minor: Pregnancy and Pedophilia

ebsnewts's review against another edition

dark tense medium-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

2.75

I was really excited to read this book, but I have to say I was disappointed. Maybe it loses something of the original with translation, but I found it dragging and pretentious. It felt like the author’s main focus was trying to convince how smart this book was. I usually love an unreliable narrator, but here found it jarring and somewhat silly. Not for me.

 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Ableism, and Physical abuse

marykendrick666_'s review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Classism, Ableism, Violence, Fire/Fire injury, and Murder

iggydoane's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious tense medium-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

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Ableism and Racism

A very well constructed book, but my rating/enjoyment was sufficiently hampered by the "reveal" that

Paul has what for all intents and purposes appears to be Aspergers (an outdated term, but the exact wording used is that the syndrome is the surname of a German neurologist, so I see really no alternative) although in interviews he stated that he did not include a name because he knew it was a problematic description, but that asd was the original intent.

ableism aside, for me this detracts from the narrative. I really enjoyed the structure of this book, love an unreliable narrator, could have done without the ableism. The racism is largely used as a tool to sketch out the characters of Paul and company, but as with all racism written by white authors, it deserves scrutiny. The Lohman's adopted African child largely serves as a tool to highlight the moral failings of the characters, and ultimately it is inferred that

his involvement with the Lohmans leads to his murder

varielble's review against another edition

dark tense fast-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

3.0

It's fine, a good quick read. I like unreliable narrators and shithead characters from time to time.

I cannot get over the fact that the author thinks that you can detect anti-social personality disorder (or whatever) from an amniocentesis screening. Sir, that is a fetus. You can't even do ableism right.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Murder, and Hate crime

Minor: Abortion

aftin148's review against another edition

dark medium-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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic friendship and Violence

Moderate: Ableism

Minor: Racism and Terminal illness

buecher_und_huehner's review against another edition

challenging dark funny reflective sad tense 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

2.0

My star rating is a very personal one. I don't judge literary brilliance here, otherwise this would get four or five stars, easily. I just didn't like this book all that much - and I don't think I was even supposed to 😅
I felt like I should add that, because, as I said, from a literary standpoint, this short novel does what it set out to do. If you love to read about twisted, despicable characters and the moral abysses that can lurk behind the façade of the "normal, happy family", I'd recommend this book. It just wasn't for me, at least not for now... 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence

Moderate: Ableism, Blood, Chronic illness, and Medical content

Minor: Abortion