Reviews tagging 'Terminal illness'

Tom Lake by Ann Patchett

6 reviews

bella_cavicchi's review

emotional reflective relaxing medium-paced

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

4.0

I’m not convinced that TOM LAKE is Ann Patchett’s best, or even her second or third best. It feels to me too quickly edited, the structuring of the memory scenes forced, the coincidences too good to be true. But man, did I still enjoy it. Perfectly imperfect, it is the epitome of summertime. I loved too how it captured the stillness that fell upon the world at the height of the pandemic without ever giving it a name.

+1 for showcasing summer stock theatre, what I lovingly call the “wild west” of the theatre industry. My heart! With it always.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Infidelity, Alcoholism, Sexual content, Grief, Death, Pandemic/Epidemic, and Medical content

Moderate: Terminal illness, Pregnancy, and Cancer

Minor: Child death and Abortion

ressicajicks's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful reflective medium-paced

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

5.0

Beautifully written and beautifully read by Meryl Streep. The pacing might have been too slow for me had I not listened to the audiobook, but I am so glad I did. Springtime in the year that I am the same age as Emily, the year that I will marry my Joe Nelson, was the perfect time in my life to have experienced this novel on walks around my neighborhood with my neighbors’ flower beds in bloom. I am so so lucky. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Pandemic/Epidemic, Cancer, and Vomit

Moderate: Child death, Alcohol, Terminal illness, Addiction, Drug abuse, Medical content, Mental illness, Drug use, Racism, Pregnancy, and Alcoholism

Minor: Suicidal thoughts and Abortion

tashtasher's review against another edition

emotional hopeful lighthearted relaxing medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child death, Infidelity, Suicide, Alcohol, Cancer, Toxic relationship, Death, Alcoholism, Pregnancy, Grief, Terminal illness, and Death of parent

Minor: Animal death and Racism

shae_reads's review

emotional reflective 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

This was a book club choice. It was very boring. This novel is character driven but the characters were one-dimensional, unlikeable and uninteresting. In my opinion nothing interesting happens except

when Uncle Wallace throws up all that blood on stage but still finished the show!

There is also very little romance involved in this “romance” novel. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Vomit, Alcoholism, Alcohol, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Terminal illness, Pregnancy, Pandemic/Epidemic, Medical content, Excrement, Adult/minor relationship, Sexual content, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, and Cursing

Minor: Death, Chronic illness, Abortion, and Cancer

hinkleh's review

adventurous emotional reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Medical content, Blood, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Abortion, Addiction, Death, Vomit, Cancer, and Racism

Minor: Suicide, Terminal illness, and Pregnancy

fanchera's review

emotional hopeful informative inspiring lighthearted reflective relaxing sad medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Terminal illness, Child death, Death of parent, Infidelity, Alcoholism, Suicide, and Cancer