Reviews tagging 'Child abuse'

Cien años de soledad by Gabriel García Márquez

38 reviews

leonormsousa's review against another edition

challenging 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

3.5

Overall opinion: I liked it. I didn't love it like I thought I would, but I honestly think the way I read it also had quite a big impact on my experience and final opinion.

I took two weeks and a half to read this book, which is quite a lot for me, and I think that stopped me from feeling fully immersed in the story.

On the other end, the misogyny (and incest) didn't sit well with me. I recognise that it might make sense given the context but nonetheless, I can't help but feel that there were unnecessary parts that could have been handled better. And even with the context, it made me feel uncomfortable and that's something that always stains my reading experience. 

I feel like I need to justify myself because I know this is the favourite of so many (and because it was a direct rec from someone that means so much to me). I especially feel like I need to talk about what I didn't like because what I liked it's quite obvious.

Gabriel Gracía Márquez writes in a wonderful and quirky way. He's an excellent storyteller that knows how to make a message come to life in the form of a narrative. His mastery of magical realism is indisputable.

I guess this was more of a me problem. I feel like I failed to see the big picture and the whole thing fell short to me. The good news is: I can't stop thinking about how a reread in a couple of years will likely become a much more enjoyable experience. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Rape, Sexual assault, Emotional abuse, Grief, Pedophilia, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, War, Abandonment, Child death, Chronic illness, Colonisation, Confinement, Toxic relationship, Adult/minor relationship, Vomit, Body shaming, Child abuse, Incest, Infidelity, Murder, Animal death, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Death, Death of parent, and Violence

zendthyl's review against another edition

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Infidelity, Miscarriage, Pedophilia, Rape, Suicidal thoughts, War, Adult/minor relationship, Dementia, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Police brutality, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Sexual content, Mental illness, Medical trauma, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Child abuse, Gun violence, Murder, Sexual assault, Eating disorder, Genocide, Incest, and Violence

natgeographic's review against another edition

dark emotional funny lighthearted reflective sad slow-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Death, Sexual content, Incest, War, Pedophilia, Infidelity, and Confinement

Minor: Child abuse and Dementia

bookishplantmom's review against another edition

challenging funny reflective slow-paced

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

4.0

I don’t quite know how to review this novel. It’s a sweeping tale that follows several characters across multiple generations. Each generation of individuals having to deal with the aftermath of the forefathers’ actions and inaction. I really enjoyed the is though I could have done without some aspects of story which I won’t mention here for fear of spoilers but would encourage folks to take a look at the content warnings. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, and Child abuse

loudandlittle's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Dementia, Gore, Adult/minor relationship, Child death, Blood, Body horror, Child abuse, Eating disorder, Incest, Violence, and Sexual content

lief_'s review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Incest, War, Sexual content, Murder, Adult/minor relationship, Mass/school shootings, Infidelity, Gun violence, and Child abuse

Moderate: Blood and Sexual assault

Minor: Child death, Religious bigotry, and Pregnancy

elisabeth_with_an_ess's review against another edition

challenging dark inspiring mysterious slow-paced

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

3.0

Wow. Folks, I have got THOUGHTS on this book. Up to the last two chapters, I would not have said I was enjoying this book, in spite of being amazed by the undeniable brilliance of the writing. The plot seems to ramble all over the place, with events that I expected to be ultimately climactic in nature being nearly thrown away in the narrative. On top of that there were lots of scenes and events that made me feel deeply "squicky" (check the trigger warnings on this book before you read it, because there are some doozies). However, just when I would nearly make up my mind to stop reading, I would encounter a phrase or a piece of imagery that was so breathtaking that it would keep me reading. And then, as the book ended in a whirlwind of revelation and fulfilled prophesy, I was so glad that I finished the story. 

Even so, I don't think I can honestly give the book more than three stars, even for the brilliance of the final chapters. I don't think it makes up for the unnecessarily graphic descriptions of the Buendia family's hereditary vices.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Dementia, Excrement, Gun violence, Mass/school shootings, Mental illness, Police brutality, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Child abuse, Cursing, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Misogyny, Murder, Pedophilia, Pregnancy, Rape, Death, Incest, Infidelity, Sexual violence, Violence, Vomit, and War

_cecilie_'s review against another edition

1.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death of parent, Gun violence, Mental illness, Murder, Physical abuse, Self harm, Sexual content, Violence, Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child abuse, Colonisation, Death, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Incest, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Police brutality, Pregnancy, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, and War

kia_y_k's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark mysterious reflective medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Alcohol, Blood, Child death, Child abuse, Incest, Infertility, Excrement, Vomit, Sexual content, Rape, Police brutality, Animal cruelty, Confinement, Death, Death of parent, Dementia, Colonisation, Cursing, Genocide, Grief, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, War, Violence, Toxic relationship, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence

cj1234'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? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

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Content Warnings

Minor: Child abuse, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Self harm, Eating disorder, Grief, Incest, Infidelity, Torture, Classism, Death, War, and Abandonment