Reviews tagging 'Misogyny'

Gerald's Game by Stephen King

27 reviews

vnicvrlson's review

dark emotional mysterious tense medium-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? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Confinement, Gore, Incest, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual content, Blood, Grief, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Animal cruelty, Animal death, and Misogyny

tinkerlinn's review against another edition

dark mysterious 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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Gore, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Sexism, Sexual violence, Blood, and Injury/Injury detail

lethargicbat's review against another edition

challenging dark 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

0.75

The more I think about this book the more my feelings shift from just disappointed to outright anger. The handling of the CSA in graphic detail yet barely a glimpse of attention to the death of the abusive men. The fact that a book centered on Jessie and her trauma and the feminist themes that were encoded in the premise alone of breaking free from her handcuffs that shackle her life by two differently awful yet still similar men, was handled poorly. The voices of these people in her life that make up her and their banter wasn't a slog when it could have been providing insight for this character. The way the ending shifts to be reassuring about the police and that the big baddie wasn't her father that molested her nor her husband that was going to commit martial rape but instead was a random ‘figure of death’ that actually turns out to be a gay, necrophiliac pedophile that likes to wear lingerie and has schizophrenia. 

There was so much potential for an empowering and horrifying story but King, like always, fails miserably to the point that the only potential his stories have is the general plot premise. His work remains best as living in the a bargin bin and reading the plot on a back before being tossed back and privately mused on while alone. Otherwise his writing sucks the potential out of these premises to make you so utterly exhausted that you don't even care enough to reimagine the better story you were hoping for.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Incest, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Body shaming, Death, Gore, and Grief

Minor: Animal death, Eating disorder, Fatphobia, Transphobia, Vomit, Antisemitism, Cannibalism, and Death of parent

pizzaisjesus98's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny mysterious reflective tense slow-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? Yes

3.5

A bit weird and gratuitously written in certain parts, but still decent. I like the Netflix movie a lil better tbh

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child abuse, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Incest, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Violence, Blood, Stalking, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Gaslighting, Dysphoria, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Bullying, Domestic abuse, Excrement, Medical content, Grief, Cannibalism, and Murder

Minor: Toxic relationship, Vomit, Car accident, Toxic friendship, and Alcohol

goldenluck's review

challenging dark tense slow-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

3.0

How I described this to my partner immediately after finishing: it was fine. Jessie is not the worst "woman written by a man" I've ever read, but far from the best. The tension, gore, and horror were compelling and well written. The build up, reveal, and aftermath of her childhood trauma was, for the most part, well done. 

In my opinion, this should have been a short story. Cut out the moonlight man, make the dog the big bad, when she escapes have her realize she and the dog are both victims of man trying to survive and come to peace with that. Or, if you want to include the monster, make him 1) a violator of women not men and 2) LET HER KILL HIM. 

The symbology of Jessie's trauma in regards to sexual assault and misogyny was mostly well done up until the monster and all it's fall out, then it completely fell apart. If he had been able to carry it through, it would have been much better and a much more satisfying albeit dark climax. I just get the feeling that King chickened out in the end, which is so disappointing. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Incest, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Blood, and Injury/Injury detail

kingkoala's review against another edition

I don’t like how King organized the first chapter. Maybe his writing is different throughout the book, but I doubt it. He will pause mid conversation to do a flash back to a different conversation. It draws me out of the flow of the scene and he will also over describes the scenes like there was nearly two pages worth of description of the husbands smile. Then the smile would change and he would do it again. 
The biggest reason I dropped the book was a lot of it feels misogynistic. I don’t mean the setting but the actual lines give off a very negative vibe towards women, and it makes it hard to reads. One example of such line is “yessir, boys, hyuck, hyuck, hyuck, you ain’t really had pussy until you’ve had pussy that’s jumpin around underneath you like a hen on a hot griddle”. And that isn’t a line given by a character, it was said by the narrator, whom I’m led to believe is King. Before then there were other lines that gave me a bad vibe but that was really hard to read. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny and Sexism

schmendez's review against another edition

4.0

**WARNING: CONTAINS SPOILERS**


I really enjoyed the storyline of Jessie as an adult! BUT!!!!!! Hated the storyline of young Jessie. I won’t be rereading this book. I typically avoid books with child abuse/SA, but this had an extra layer of disgusting because it was written by a male author who CLEARLY doesn’t understand what this experience could be like for a young girl. The inner monologue of the young girl is sooooo inaccurate and gross!!!!!!!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Gore, Mental illness, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicide, and Cannibalism

beamae's review

challenging dark mysterious tense medium-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? No

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Grief, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail

adutcher's review

dark emotional sad tense medium-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? Yes

5.0

Wow. I love King & I love horror and I love this book but god it was uncomfortable to read. I really had breathe deeply through quite a few parts of this book if not close it and walk around for a bit to manage.

I normally don't love women written by men but I'll give credit, King really did a wonderful job in this book. Jessie & the many variations of voices she hears throughout this book was so interesting and for a book with primarily one location setting it is absolutely fascinating.

I really truly love this book so much, I don't know if I'll ever be able to read it again but I LOVE it.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Body shaming, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Gore, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Blood, Cannibalism, and Car accident

madamegeneva's review

dark reflective tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

I always enjoy SK books on the whole, however I hate the way King’s misogyny seems to slips out when it comes to his female characters. For example, the what’s a woman?” “a life support system for a cunt” bit. I know it’s a deliberate choice for the writing style/context, but this aggressively misogynistic shit gets exhausting to me after a while. It was still a thrilling read though. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Incest, Misogyny, and Sexual assault