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kutreen's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Damn! I'm really impressed by Moshfegh. She reeled me into the drunken stupor/brain damaged/denial-stage-of-grief cloudiness of McGlue's mind without getting too abstract or confusing. McGlue is in and out of consciousness as memories from his time spent with the man he allegedly killed (but had a quite vulnerable brother-like bond--which you can guess what that means when it's between two sailors in the 1850s) intermix with memories from his poor and emotionally neglected childhood, intermix with him currently trying to process his situation as he awaits trial while withdrawing from alcoholism and having a huge untreated gash in his head. We can empathize with McGlue's pain much more than he could allow himself to at that time.
The most unpalatable parts for me were the ways McGlue referred to gay men, women, and black people, but I suppose it's true to how a man like that at that time would have referred to them.
Looking back not sure I could get through this if I was more emotionally vulnerable right now, but luckily it was a quick read.
Graphic: Alcoholism
Moderate: Vomit, Grief, Homophobia, Biphobia, Confinement, Violence, Suicidal thoughts, Gore, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Racial slurs, Sexual content, Murder, Child death, and Sexual harassment
alexandrabelze's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.25
Graphic: Self harm, Alcoholism, Death, Misogyny, Sexism, Cursing, Racism, Racial slurs, Injury/Injury detail, Alcohol, Vomit, Blood, Confinement, Homophobia, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Body horror
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts and Violence
Minor: Sexual content, Child abuse, Sexual harassment, Child death, Rape, Murder, and Slavery
directorpurry's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Confinement, Alcoholism, Excrement, Vomit, Suicidal thoughts, and Homophobia
Moderate: Murder
jp_riemersma's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Homophobia, Vomit, Blood, Suicide attempt, Torture, Toxic friendship, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Xenophobia, Confinement, Drug abuse, Mental illness, Murder, Self harm, Death, Medical trauma, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Excrement, Hate crime, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, and Racism
readerette's review against another edition
- 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
4.5
I'm glad it is a novella; a whole novel of this writing style and this level of darkness would have been too much.
Graphic: Sexual violence, Alcohol, Cursing, Injury/Injury detail, Homophobia, and Alcoholism
Moderate: Confinement, Violence, and Misogyny
nialiversuch's review against another edition
- 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
3.25
Graphic: Body horror, Bullying, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Murder, Addiction, Fatphobia, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Abandonment, Ableism, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Body shaming, Colonisation, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Forced institutionalization, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Racism, Sexual violence, Blood, Child death, Classism, Grief, Homophobia, Mental illness, Racial slurs, Self harm, Suicide attempt, Toxic friendship, Violence, Vomit, and Xenophobia
gracetrimper's review against another edition
- 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
3.5
Graphic: Blood, Misogyny, Excrement, Vomit, Suicidal thoughts, Grief, Alcohol, Homophobia, Alcoholism, Violence, Body horror, Sexual content, Murder, Gore, Child death, Racial slurs, Injury/Injury detail, Death, Confinement, and Addiction
littleboatadrift's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Body horror and Confinement
Moderate: Death, Grief, Homophobia, Racial slurs, Racism, Self harm, Toxic relationship, and Violence
maureelee's review against another edition
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Graphic: Alcoholism, Body horror, Confinement, Death, Gore, Homophobia, Misogyny, and Racial slurs
labinsky's review against another edition
- 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
4.5
Graphic: Addiction, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Body horror, Confinement, Death, and Homophobia
Moderate: Racial slurs