Reviews tagging 'Abortion'

As I Lay Dying by William Faulkner

22 reviews

hlyhms's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional reflective sad tense fast-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

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Abortion

lauren_shilling's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark reflective 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

1.0

I had to read this for school, and I'm usually good at giving books the benefit of the doubt when I read them for school and think about whether they might have been more enjoyable had we not aggressively picked them apart in a classroom of people who did not read/hated the book. However, this book was awful. I truly cannot understand what anyone likes about this book. It's confusing, the characters are awful, and there is nothing redeeming about any part of it. This book was terrible, and I cannot fathom how it ever became a classic or how it was chosen to be studied for school.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Death, and Pregnancy

Moderate: Sexual assault, Abortion, and Animal death

Minor: Racial slurs

addimop's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective slow-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

5.0

I will not rate Faulkner lower than five stars but this book did take a second to get into. He drops you into a chaotic scene narrated by people with differing masteries of English. At first it felt very confusing but eventually the story and characters come together, partly because the family members (most) accept the death of their matriarch but also partly because you just start to catch on to their narration style. The book grapples with the fragility of existence, death and loss, and religion. I especially like the comparisons of pregnancy and children to dying, I felt like Addie was dead from the moment she married Anse but especially after she had Cash.

Dewey Dell is so preoccupied with her pregnancy it feels like she is in a totally different world than the rest of her family.

---

Content Warnings

Minor: Abortion

emack11's review against another edition

challenging dark medium-paced

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

3.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Abortion, Body horror, Rape, and Animal death

lindseyas's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective tense fast-paced

• 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

3.75

I read this for my new English class, which is analysis of Southern literature. Having Faulkner as our first book was definitely an intense beginning, and "As I Lay Dying" was just the cherry on top to set the scene for the variety of insane tales we'd be reading in class. A story about being set in your ways and stuck in your born environment, Faulkner tells the story of a family that barely acts like one, characters that can't get out of their own personal ruts and a death that rocks even the strongest of people to their cores. "The poison trickles through," as they tend to say, and it doesn't just stop when you're born: no matter how old or physically/emotionally separated you are from your parents and family, you can become like them whether you like it or not. Poverty, class distinctions and the ravages of war — both on the battlefield and in the brain — tend to do that.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Abortion, Animal death, Death, Forced institutionalization, War, Classism, Pregnancy, Grief, Pedophilia, Emotional abuse, Racial slurs, and Sexual assault

brynhayes's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark reflective sad 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? No

2.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Abortion, Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Confinement, Death, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Forced institutionalization, Grief, and Pregnancy

dabraham2664's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark funny reflective tense slow-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? It's complicated

3.75

The beginning is a slow burn but the book picks up in the middle and towards the end. There are many characters, and it can be a bit difficult to keep track of who is talking to who. Overall good short story to read. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Abortion and Death of parent

Minor: Sexual content and Vomit

jakobmarleymommy's review against another edition

challenging dark 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

4.5

One of the weirdest books I’ve ever read. 

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Fire/Fire injury, Pregnancy, Vomit, Abortion, Body horror, Medical trauma, Death, Mental illness, Injury/Injury detail, Grief, Infidelity, Death of parent, Forced institutionalization, and Incest

tigeryear's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

• 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

1.5

naive of me to read this the same year my dad died! at least he was loved by many, unlike addie bundren. i'd almost excuse what her husband did to her (in life and as a corpse) if i didn't absolutely hate his guts, too. sorry poverty kicked you in the ass; could you NOT take it out on your children, you groveling bum?? (note: it's too much of an ask)

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Fire/Fire injury, Death, Death of parent, Forced institutionalization, Misogyny, Toxic relationship, Classism, Emotional abuse, Grief, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Racism, Child abuse, Bullying, Sexism, Abortion, Ableism, and Animal death

Minor: Vomit and Pregnancy

kyleigh_cecelia's review against another edition

challenging dark medium-paced

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

3.0

still thinking about dark confronting jewel. ‘whose son are you’ ‘you goddamn lying son of a bitch’  like okay then horse boy

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Death of parent, Mental illness, and Infidelity

Moderate: Abortion

Minor: Racial slurs and Sexual content