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cjmrand's review against another edition
5.0
It's quite impressive to me that the poems struck a chord when I would never usually enjoy poetry, I think that shows just how impactful the content and the writing style was for me. I loved how Godden captured so many small things so accurately and described them so perfectly in a way that made the story feel so close to life in a good way: how England is written actually, for once, feels like the England I know - I wrote this in my notes while reading: "I really feel like Godden has just perfectly captured the modern day in England, all the tiny details are just. So. Good. Like yeah, of course there's the 'sweet smell of vapes' in the air - of course there fucking is". Plus, the references to Tory apathy and Grenfell and so much else without ever explicitly stating those things was so good.
Godden manages to bottle the real world and put in this book, especially with the main themes of the consistent undervaluing and disregarding of women and ethnic minorities in society, more so with women who are ethnic minorities, and even more so with black women. My notes from page 163:"'it is exhausting how much space men want and how much credit and control man wants to take for mankind' And here I am immediately assuming that the Doctor is male. The bias is so deeply ingrained in me, in all of us."
I want to buy this book and write in the margins and put names of the people I love in the back, and I NEVER want to write in my books. That's significant to me.
The only complaint I have about this book is the occasional overuse of profanity (I feel so old even typing out the word 'profanity', ugh) - what I mean by this is the repetition of one word to an excessive point one one page or so. The repetitive use of "cunt" and talking about fucking and stuff reminded me a bit of those modern art pieces that are meant solely to shock the audience. These parts made me feel a bit iffy, but while they did make me squirm in the moment, it's honestly easy to breeze past them with how good the rest of the book is.
This book is so damn good in every other way though - content, pace, format, every word - and I couldn't stop reading, I was always excited for more. Books about death are my thing right now, I think they provide comfort on such a taboo topic, and this one covers so much more. If you're in the right mental space for it, I would heavily recommend.
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, and Death of parent
nreyno's review
- 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? N/A
3.75
Graphic: Police brutality, Mental illness, Islamophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Colonisation, Death, Physical abuse, Violence, Suicide attempt, Self harm, Murder, Suicidal thoughts, Slavery, Grief, and Fire/Fire injury
leanneymu's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Graphic: Death
Moderate: Mental illness, Violence, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide
maybephasing's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Graphic: Death and Suicidal thoughts
Moderate: Suicide, Murder, Death of parent, and Suicide attempt
Minor: Sexual assault, Child death, Mass/school shootings, Adult/minor relationship, Rape, and Pedophilia
keeganrb's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Death of parent, Death, and Suicidal thoughts
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Grief, and Suicide
aelillie's review
- 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? It's complicated
3.5
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts and Mental illness
Moderate: Domestic abuse
leabhar_love's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Violence, Death, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, and Murder
Moderate: Kidnapping and Alcoholism
Minor: Car accident
thalianni's review against another edition
- 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
2.75
Graphic: Death, Murder, Physical abuse, and Mental illness
Moderate: Slavery, War, Suicide, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Physical abuse, Violence, and Terminal illness
dlsmk's review against another edition
4.0
Graphic: Mental illness, Murder, Death of parent, Suicidal thoughts, and Death
Minor: Domestic abuse and Alcoholism
whiterabbitslibrary's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
The narrative perspective shifts between the “narrator” Wolf and the titular character “Mrs Death” and others occasionally seem to take on the role in tandem but in each case the prose is intriguing, intense and somehow both ferocious and reflective. I really enjoyed this book, and I expect to come back to it again and again.
Graphic: Death, Death of parent, and Suicidal thoughts
Minor: Domestic abuse and War