Reviews tagging 'Death'

Love Medicine by Louise Erdrich

11 reviews

evangelinew's review against another edition

dark emotional inspiring reflective sad slow-paced

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

5.0

I don’t think I’ve ever read a book with such interesting and compelling characters. Matter of fact, everything about this book is incredible. The setting, the conflicts, the prose in general. Erdrich has one of the most unique voices I’ve ever read, which allows her to beautifully articulate ideas I’ve always felt but never understood. These stories center around generational trauma, loss, suffering, and much more dark topics many native people face. It offered a window into a world I’ve never fully understood, despite the fact that it takes place within miles of my own home. Beautiful and compelling, though definitely not happy. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Physical abuse, Suicide, Alcoholism, Domestic abuse, Child death, Death, Rape, Infidelity, Alcohol, Addiction, and Colonisation

Moderate: War, Cursing, Gun violence, Classism, Car accident, and Murder

Minor: Dementia

bookishmillennial's review against another edition

emotional mysterious reflective sad slow-paced

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

This is about generational trauma and each chapter reads as a short story. I struggled with this one, as it was incredibly slow to get through in some perspectives. However, I have enjoyed enough of Louise's other work. I still don't know that I'd really recommend this one though. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Bullying, Domestic abuse, Death, Rape, Racism, Miscarriage, and Grief

ameliasbooks's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective sad slow-paced

• 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

4.5

I have to admit that I struggled with the books I've tried before by this author and therefore gave up on them.

This one is challenging too, but I loved it. The writing is lush and the characters (as always with Erdrich) are very interesting and well drawn. I struggled a bit with keeping up with the different families or to memorize each others kinship in my head. There's a family tree added to the book, but I still found it challenging. 

Also the way the book is structured didn't make it easier to follow everyone's relationship with each other or to which generation they belong.

Of course some of the metaphors and scenes went over my head, because as a white person, I can't get all of the references, rituals and approaches right, but it's completely  unimportant that I am able to do so. 

Still I thoroughly enjoyed these scenes and this is definitely a book to reread and to highlight a lot of sentences and passages.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcohol, and Alcoholism

Moderate: Infidelity, Suicide, Violence, Mental illness, Child death, Death, Death of parent, and Colonisation

Minor: Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Car accident, and War

internationalreads's review

dark emotional informative reflective fast-paced

• 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

10/10 no notes

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Dementia, Fire/Fire injury, Infidelity, Racism, Religious bigotry, Sexism, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Abandonment, Blood, Grief, Genocide, Sexual content, Suicide, Addiction, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Animal death, Car accident, Child death, Classism, and Colonisation

cleome37i's review against another edition

emotional reflective medium-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Alcoholism, and Physical abuse

Moderate: Racism, Rape, Racial slurs, Colonisation, and Death

bisexualwentworth's review against another edition

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

The character work and relationships in this book are stunning. I had trouble following all of the different dynamics at play, but I think that’s just cause I was reading too quickly.

Was it really necessary to use the n-word in that one passage? Cause yikes.

Definitely glad to have finally read something by Louise Erdrich, and I will be checking out more of her work!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Domestic abuse, and Death

Moderate: Murder, Rape, Fire/Fire injury, Pregnancy, Racism, and Racial slurs

krista_lm's review against another edition

medium-paced

4.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Domestic abuse and Death

scatteredsleep's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad slow-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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Toxic relationship, Suicide, Sexual assault, Religious bigotry, Physical abuse, Murder, Mental illness, Infidelity, Emotional abuse, Domestic abuse, Death, Death of parent, Colonisation, Child abuse, Alcohol, and Abandonment

ktrecs's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective slow-paced

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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Animal death, Bullying, Car accident, Child death, Colonisation, Death, Death of parent, Dementia, Domestic abuse, Grief, Infidelity, Suicide, and Suicide attempt

christalbotheindl's review against another edition

reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, and Violence

Moderate: Bullying, Death, Infidelity, Racism, Rape, and Sexual assault