Reviews

The Pumpkin Eater by Penelope Mortimer

clarestirz's review

emotional reflective sad medium-paced

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

3.75

ninatytyeanna's review

dark emotional informative inspiring reflective sad 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

5.0

Absolutely gorgeous prose, affecting as fuck, I was barely able to put it down. Such an underrated feminist classic.

clare_richh's review

dark funny reflective medium-paced

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

4.25

tailwhip's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Misogyny, Sexism, Pregnancy, Death of parent, Infertility, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Abortion, Alcohol, Infidelity, and Sexual harassment

Moderate: Racial slurs, Racism, and Gaslighting

pina's review against another edition

dark emotional inspiring slow-paced

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

4.5

Brilliantly written book

casskrug's review against another edition

3.75

the pumpkin eater is a midcentury account of a woman’s emotional collapse and grappling with marriage, motherhood, and mental illness. our unnamed narrator had been married multiple times, has many children, and is pregnant with another child that her husband doesn’t want - he is having an affair that has a majorly negative effect on the narrator’s mental health. it is heavily based on penelope mortimer’s own life and as the introduction says, it seems like it was a very cathartic writing experience. 

this was a quick read that was interesting because it feels ahead of its time - it feels like a blueprint for more contemporary books dealing with the same themes. the narrator’s breakdown is juxtaposed against the image of perfection that the family’s wealth projects in public. it also tackles women’s autonomy and abortion, which i don’t think was talked about so plainly and openly at the time this was written. it was very dialogue heavy but the conversations were done well - witty and ironic.

scruffbucketragamuffin's review

emotional reflective 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

5.0

b_austridge's review against another edition

dark 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

3.0

krobart's review against another edition

3.0

See my review here:

https://whatmeread.wordpress.com/2023/10/19/review-2253-1962-club-the-pumpkin-eater/

lucy_junor's review against another edition

emotional funny reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

I picked this book up because I liked the cover art and didn’t except to love it as much as I did. 
Funny, witty, heartbreaking, and very much ahead of its time. 
I also think this is a book I’d like to come back to and appreciate more with older eyes.