Reviews tagging 'Grief'

The Discomfort of Evening by Lucas Rijneveld

95 reviews

nilanilanila's review against another edition

dark emotional sad

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Grief, Sexual harassment, Incest, Sexual content, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Suicide attempt, and Animal cruelty

emzilia's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-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

This is an incredibly dark and disturbing novel, but the graphic content is juxtaposed by the poetic and beautiful writing from the perspective of a traumatised, hurting, child. It captures the way we used to think as children and would make logic connections to the things around us. For Jas, however, her sense of the world is informed by tragedy and disfunction. 

This is a beautiful novel because it is written beautifully, but the story is anything but. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Bullying, Child death, Death, Death of parent, Gore, Grief, Incest, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, and Violence

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Eating disorder, Injury/Injury detail, Toxic friendship, and Toxic relationship

sheryl_macca's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional 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

This one is disturbing and uncomfortable to read but it's written so beautifully that it becomes palatable, enjoyable even. Not for the feint of heart but so poignant.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide attempt, Vomit, Excrement, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Incest, Suicide, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Child death, Animal cruelty, and Grief

bomenvernietiger's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad slow-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? It's complicated

4.5

Disgusting. <3

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Religious bigotry, Sexual assault, Suicide attempt, Animal cruelty, Grief, Rape, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Domestic abuse, Sexism, Incest, Pandemic/Epidemic, Self harm, Sexual violence, Antisemitism, Child abuse, Child death, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Miscarriage, Suicide, Animal death, Death, Death of parent, and Excrement

Moderate: Cursing, Infidelity, Misogyny, Medical content, Alcohol, Body horror, Bullying, Injury/Injury detail, Confinement, Body shaming, Murder, and Violence

Minor: Pedophilia, Adult/minor relationship, and Vomit

syinhui's review against another edition

challenging dark sad 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

3.0

"Even though it will feel uncomfortable for a while, but according to the pastor, discomfort is good. In discomfort we are real."

Well, count on this book to give readers discomfort. 

Jas is a unique kid with a hyperactive imagination. She's able to vividly conjure elaborate fantasies and relate the darkness of her thoughts to the mundane things around her - twisting objects, people, the animals in their farm and everyday occurences into a haunting reflection of her state of mind. 

I am not one to shy away from dark themes. I could handle disturbing contents quite well so those aren't my main concerns (though I find the parts about bodily fluids the nastiest of all). Some would say it's gratuitous but I've read worse and while it covers a handful of taboos, it didn't delve much into it. A few sentences or a paragraph then it continues on to whatever bleak and imaginatively sordid ruminations Jas finds herself in. That's pretty much what the novel is about. 

My issue here is that there's not much going on. No substantial plot or clear direction.  Even the dialogues are sparse, often disjointed, cut short - never to be pursued again - which in fact fits the narrative but one I didn't really appreciate. It invites readers to immerse themselves in the depths of the character's mind but that's just about it. The use of similes and metaphors while at first brilliant becomes very tedious to read later on. After all, just how many grotesque comparisons for death and disintegration can there be until it loses its efficacy? 

I would only recommend this book if you're seeking to read something specific: about a character that offers a uniquely morbid and unsettling perspective, particularly, one seen through the eyes of a young girl as she grapples with the tragic loss of a family member and the grief that follows. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Excrement, Incest, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, and Death

Moderate: Child death, Eating disorder, Vomit, Gaslighting, Suicide, Suicide attempt, and Grief

Minor: Bullying and Pedophilia

serendipitysbooks's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective tense 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

 The Discomfort of Evening won the International Booker in 2020. When Jas is ten her older brother drowns in an ice-skating accident. Grief causes her family to unravel and Jas also has to deal with feeling responsible for his death. There’s a big focus on bodily functions, animal cruelty and death, violence, emotional abuse, plus self-harming sexual behaviour. Additionally the family belongs to a harsh punitive Christian sect and these beliefs added an additional level of darkness and judgement to the novel. Certainly there is little evidence of love or communication. While I can appreciate the role these factors play in the plot and in illustrating the book’s themes they are not things that I enjoy reading about. So objectively a good book, just not one suited to my reading tastes. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Body horror, Emotional abuse, Grief, and Child death

l4r4777's review against another edition

dark emotional 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

4.5

A gut-wrenching story about a family consumed by grief told by a deeply traumatised girl. Horrific and disgusting and just a lot. The writing is really good, some lines in particular really stuck with me. Far too many descriptions of (TW)

incest and sexual activity regarding minors

but other than that this book is an intriguing exploration into grief and a family falling apart.

Don’t pick this up if you’re easily squeamish and uncomfortable with any of the content warnings associated with this book.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Eating disorder, Suicide attempt, Grief, Incest, Mental illness, Abandonment, Animal cruelty, Child death, Death, Suicidal thoughts, Excrement, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, Sexual violence, and Violence

Moderate: Antisemitism, Pedophilia, and Adult/minor relationship

ileniis_'s review against another edition

challenging dark tense 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? It's complicated

1.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Sexual content, Child death, Incest, Suicide attempt, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Animal death, Death, Excrement, Grief, Pedophilia, Self harm, and Suicidal thoughts

_rosie_reads's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious reflective sad medium-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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Death, Grief, Sexual content, Suicide attempt, Eating disorder, Suicide, Body horror, Animal cruelty, Excrement, Child death, and Suicidal thoughts

brooklynlaura's review against another edition

challenging dark sad tense medium-paced

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Rape, Animal cruelty, Suicide, Child death, Incest, Animal death, Sexual assault, Death, and Grief