Reviews

The Lonely Hearts Hotel by Heather O'Neill

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syringaflower's review against another edition

2.0

What a story. And I have quite a lot of opinions about it.
What I expected was a romance story that takes place in the circus- but what I got was a gritty, dark and unexpectedly hypersexualized story. (And repetitive. How often can you put sex in a book without it selling as a soft porn I wonder?)

The first part of the book, their childhood and early teenager years are dark, brutal, but still realistic and easy to read through, but the problems for me began when that part ended.

Spoiler

Around the time Rose became sexual and Pierrot started to use heroïn, the story started to drag and the scenes became more and more absurd, as if to portray some sort shock value over storytelling.
From dumping miscarriages / dead newborns in the toilet / trash / river to becoming a hooker. From selfish actions to purposefully ruining their own and other people's lives. From thousands upon thousands of sexual acts, and the fact that both main characters are very much Mary Sue and Gary Stue respectively, this book was a dumpsterfire from the begin to the end. Pierrot's suicide by overdose was the least shocking part of the story.
Objectively, Pierrot and Rose are both terrible people, unredeemable from the moment they were adults. And the so-called "soft and cute" ending is completely ruined by the fact that Rose is a gangster that turned into the person she hated most and that Poppy, thanks to Pierrot, has to fend for herself and is never heard from again.

This book is not one where you could, or should, identify with the main characters. If you want to enjoy this book, you have to let go of any kind of connection and read it for the trainwreck it is.

I strongly suggest that before reading this book, you should be warned it is filled with the worst things humanity and life have to offer, times a hundred.

jillian04's review against another edition

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challenging dark mysterious slow-paced

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

2.0

Not really my style

lauritzc's review against another edition

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dark emotional sad slow-paced

2.0

kaylamae0415's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional funny hopeful mysterious reflective sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

jpineau_k's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional medium-paced

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

2.75

cwolf83's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional sad medium-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

1.5

Content Warnings

ovenbird_reads's review against another edition

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4.0

A wonderful read that was full of equal parts joy and sorrow. and the ending. I had to read the last sentence three times to make sure of what had happened. there is so much I would like to discuss about this book. I really need to get myself a book club. and everyone with a book club should put this on the list. I must admit I've been left with a rather persistent ache in my heart since finishing this one though.

spowers26's review against another edition

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dark emotional sad 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

3.5

SHE COULD READ EVERYONE. SHE UNDERSTOOD THAT EVERYONE WAS LIVING A GREAT TRAGEDY.

HER TRAGEDY HAD TAUGHT HER THE LANGUAGE OF TRAGEDY- AND MADE HER ABLE TO READ THAT OF OTHER PEOPLE. IN THAT WAY, SHE SUPPOSED IT WAS A SORT OF BLESSING.

THEY WERE LIKE TINY BATTLEFIELD VETERANS. INJURED BY THE TRIALS OF BEING YOUNG, IN THE GREAT CHILDREN'S WAR. PERHAPS HE HIMSELF HAD NEVER ESCAPED HIS CHILDHOOD WOUNDS. THE ONLY DIFFERENCE WAS THAT THESE CHILDREN WORE THEIR INJURIES ON THE OUTSIDE.

I'M AT A LOSS FOR WORDS. THE LONELY HEARTS HOTEL DEALS WITH A SLEW OF TROUBLING SUBJECT MATTERS AND WAS AT TIMES UNCOMFORTABLE TO READ. (EXTREME TRIGGER WARNINGS)
O'NEILL EXPLORES THEMES OF ABANDONMENT, WOMEN'S ROLES. THEATRICS AS A VERSION OF REALITY MORE REAL THAN LIFE ITSELF, POVERTY, DEPRESSION, DRUG ADDICTION. ART AND THE IMAGINATION. AND THE MEANING OF LIFE.

I WENT INTO THIS BOOK EXPECTING A LIGHT WHIMSICAL READ BUT WHAT I GOT WAS DARK. VIOLENT, SAD BUT HOPEFUL STORY.

oricrowley15's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character

5.0

zetty91's review against another edition

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dark emotional 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

4.0

Content Warnings

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