Reviews tagging 'Torture'

Paradais by Fernanda Melchor

23 reviews

connieevans's review against another edition

challenging dark medium-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

2.0

This was just too brutal and too much for me. I can appreciate what (I think) Melchor is trying to do - highlight how poverty/wealth can warp an individuals grasp on life and what is worth doing and what they’re entitled to do - however I really struggled to see past the disgustingness of this novel and I just spent the whole time feeling sick and wanting it to end. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Murder, Rape, Sexual violence, Gun violence, Sexual harassment, Torture, Toxic friendship, Misogyny, Fatphobia, Body shaming, and Alcohol

mmefish's review against another edition

dark 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

4.5

Well, I don't know. Her books are something else.
Great build-up, even greater execution. Horrific. Fernanda Melchior can certainly fucking write.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Murder, Pedophilia, Cursing, Alcoholism, Alcohol, Incest, and Misogyny

Moderate: Rape, Excrement, Torture, Blood, Dementia, Stalking, and Pregnancy

mermaidstears's review against another edition

challenging dark tense slow-paced

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

1.5

read the content warnings before you even consider picking up this book. Heavy topics don't really deter me but I wouldn't recommend this to anyone. I understand why some enjoy this but it's an absoulte no from me. stay safe out there x

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Classism, Cursing, Fatphobia, Incest, Kidnapping, Misogyny, Murder, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, and Stalking

Moderate: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Torture, Gore, Grief, Racism, and Violence

Minor: Dementia, Blood, Death, Drug use, Bullying, Excrement, Gun violence, and Injury/Injury detail

bloupibloupreads's review against another edition

dark 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

3.5

Horrific, disgusting, frightful and nauseating, ‘Paradais’ is a story about porn addiction, taking the reader directly in the mind of a raging misogynistic boy.

Located in a lavish residential complex in Mexico, ‘Paradais’ follows Polo, 16, alcoholic, living in an abusive house with his mother and “oversexed pervert” cousin Zorayda and Franco, or “Fatboy”, an overweight teenager addicted to pornography living in the wealthy residence of Paradise where Polo works as a gardener. Franco develops an unhealthy obsession with his neighbor, Senora Marian, a beautiful woman married with two children. 

The two boys end up in an mutualist relationship, Polo gets free alcohol from Franco and Franco gets to have an ear to listen to his horrific rants about Senora Marian. As time goes by, Franco convince Polo to follow him in a gruesome scheme he planned. 

‘Paradais’ is narrated in this torrent of prose and stream of thoughts, clustered-like paragraphs that make the reader feel trapped in Polo’s mind as he slowy drives himself to madness. 

I knew from the very beginning how the novel would end, not because I was spoiled but because it is quite obvious and yet I still found myself hoping for a good ending, a redemption arc from the characters, wishing for them to back up from their original plan. 

I was planning on giving 4 stars but I settled for 3.5 because this book just doesn’t sit right with me. Upon finishing it, I felt like it was more revenge-violence-porn oriented and was lacking in concrete depth and moral. I felt disgusted to say the least. This book is nasty, in a good and bad way. 

After sitting and letting the book marinate in my mind I came up with the conclusion that it was not a fun read and was never intended to be one. It is, ultimately, a book about violence and how normalized it is in our society. I applause Fernanda Melchor for her talent. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny, Murder, and Rape

Moderate: Incest, Alcoholism, Kidnapping, Body shaming, Fatphobia, and Torture

syd_the_bookish_kid's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

3.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Homophobia, Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, Gun violence, Kidnapping, Hate crime, Stalking, Drug abuse, Murder, Racial slurs, Sexual assault, Alcohol, Misogyny, Alcoholism, Racism, Pregnancy, Blood, Ableism, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Body horror, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Gore, Cursing, Addiction, Bullying, Body shaming, Child abuse, Death, Drug use, Excrement, Fatphobia, Rape, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Sexism, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Suicide, Torture, Violence, and Toxic friendship

sarrna's review against another edition

challenging dark tense fast-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Toxic friendship, Torture, Stalking, Murder, Alcohol, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Addiction, Emotional abuse, Body shaming, Gore, Fatphobia, Sexual content, Bullying, Rape, Kidnapping, Gun violence, Classism, and Child abuse

seethinglloron's review against another edition

challenging dark tense medium-paced

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

4.25

Hard to put words to how this made me feel. I might have been primed to finish it tonight, and I felt truly cored like an apple by the end. The whole time, Melchor's praise is like a corkscrew to the eye, digging and digging into the nerves until I was left as electric with misery as Polo. Incredible work here. 

My only gripe is that I felt the start was a tad slow, but the whole thing is so short that you're through the whole thing in the amount of time it takes to flinch at the sound of a gunshot. My g-d.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gun violence, Misogyny, Body shaming, Fatphobia, Alcohol, Vomit, Sexual assault, Kidnapping, Murder, Rape, and Sexual violence

Moderate: Torture

veelaughtland's review against another edition

challenging dark 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Addiction, Sexism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Violence, Toxic friendship, Torture, Stalking, Sexual violence, Misogyny, Kidnapping, Injury/Injury detail, Incest, Gun violence, Gore, Fatphobia, Emotional abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Death, Cursing, Child abuse, Body shaming, Blood, Alcoholism, and Alcohol

Moderate: Pregnancy

kaiulanilee's review against another edition

challenging dark tense medium-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcohol, Animal cruelty, Emotional abuse, Excrement, Violence, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Misogyny, Murder, Sexism, Sexual violence, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Rape, Sexual assault, Stalking, Alcoholism, Fatphobia, Homophobia, Incest, Kidnapping, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, and Body shaming

Moderate: Colonisation, Drug use, Racism, Torture, Classism, Blood, and Child abuse

msaari's review against another edition

dark tense fast-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

4.0

Fernanda Melchorin edellinen suomennos, Hurrikaanien aika, oli hirmuista vyörytystä vailla kappalejakoja ja turhia välimerkkejä. Nyt Melchor on selvästi hieman asettunut: ensimmäisessä luvussakin – reilussa 30 sivussa – on jo kuusi kappalejakoa! Raju kirja tämäkin kyllä on, mutta mihinkäpä kartellien Meksikossa meno olisi rauhoittunut. 

 

Kansainvälisen Bookerin pitkälle listalle päässyt Paratiisi sijoittuu paratiisiksi nimetylle aidatulle asuinalueelle, jossa nuori mies Polo raataa puutarhurina ja yleismiehenä riistopalkalla, joka sitä paitsi menee suoraan Polon äidin taskuun. Asiat eivät yksinkertaisesti ole kovin hyvin. Niinpä vaikka Polo halveksuukin Paratiisissa asuvaa Franco Andradea – ja miten se tuleekaan selväksi – hän silti hengailee tämän seurassa, kun Franco haaveilee naapurin rouva Marián Maroñosta. Franco haluaisi vietellä rouva Maroñon ja päästy sänkyyn tämän kanssa; realistisesti ajatellen, suunnitelmalla on melko pienet mahdollisuudet toteutua. 

 

Polo on täynnä vihaa. Se tekee hänen näkökulmastaan kerrotusta tekstistä raskasta luettavaa. Polon puheenparsi raastaa; ”sheimaaminen” on liian loivasti sanottu. Tällaista kielenkäyttöä inhoavien ei kannata tähän kirjaan tarttua. Otetaan malliksi yksi virke heti kirjan alusta: 

 

Näin minä nussin sitä, Franco sössötti, seisahduttuaan kompuroiden laiturin reunalle, panen sitä noin ja sitten käsken sen kontilleen ja nussin sitä näin, läski pyyhki sylkeä kämmensyrjällään ja virne levisi pojan korvien väliin niin että hänen suuret valkoiset ja suorat hampaansa, kuin suoraan hammastahnamainoksesta, näkyivät puristuneen vimmaisesti yhteen läskin vapisuttaessa hyytelömäistä ruumistaan ja esittäessään raisua pantomiimiaan, niin että Polon oli pakko irrottaa katseensa, hän naurahti tahtomattaan ja hyödynsi pullukan huomion herpaantumisen, verotti pullosta huikan, sytytti toisen tupakan ja puhalteli savua kiivaasti ylöspäin ajaakseen mangrovesuolta ilmestyneet röyhkeät hyttyset kauemmas. 

 

Tällaista rivouksien ja vihan täyteistä vyörytystä kirja on alusta loppuun. Polo on todella kiukkuinen nuori mies ja kieltämättä ihan syystä: kaikki on häntä vastaan. Kotona on rähjäävä äiti ja raskaana oleva serkkutyttö laiskottelemassa, töissä on sortava pomo, läheisin ystävä katosi jonnekin kartellien maailmaan. Mahdollisuuksia ei ole: töitä saa hakea vaikka millä, mutta ei heru, koska koulu meni miten meni ja Pololla on vähän turhan tumma iho. Kaiken tämän keskellä ei kai ole ihme, jos raivostuttaa. 

 

Jos Hurrikaanien aika teki vaikutuksen ja haluat samaa vimmaista tekstitulvaa uuden annoksen, Paratiisi on nappivalinta. Kovin pitkä se ei ole, noin 150 väljästi taitettua sivua. Kun tekstin kyytiin heittäytyy, kirjan lukee aika ripeästi, eikä tähän pitkäksi aikaa välttämättä kannatakaan jäädä vellomaan, tulee vain paha olo. Hyppää Melchorin ja hienosti tämän tekstipötkön kesyttäneen suomentaja Emmi Ketosen kyytiin ja anna mennä. Mustelmia voi tulla, mutta kyllä tästä ehjänä läpi pääsee. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body shaming, Violence, Sexual assault, Murder, and Torture

Moderate: Racism