Reviews tagging 'Confinement'

The Postcard by Anne Berest

10 reviews

kerri_m's review

5.0

I've read many books about the catastrophe, and this is one of the best.

It's a story about identity, survival, memory, responsibility, hope. It's about telling their story. It's about not looking away (even when the telling makes you shake and feel sick). 

While many of the details may have been imagined and the research process likely went in a slightly different order, it's miraculous that the Rabinoviches got as much information as they did. We will never hear countless stories of other lives that were stolen.

Reading it now, in 2024, feels like a call to action.

Indifference is universal. Who are you indifferent toward today, right now? Ask yourself that. Which victims living in tents, or under overpasses, or in camps way outside the cities are your ‘invisible ones’? The Vichy regime set out to remove the Jews from French society. And they succeeded.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Genocide, Deportation, Violence, War, Grief, Confinement, Death of parent, Death, Hate crime, Antisemitism, Child death, Gun violence, and Murder

Moderate: Sexual assault, Abandonment, Body horror, Addiction, Suicide, Drug abuse, Grief, and Panic attacks/disorders

theresa_timber's review

dark emotional informative mysterious sad tense slow-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Antisemitism

Moderate: Death of parent, Genocide, Racial slurs, Child death, Grief, Confinement, Sexual content, Bullying, Dementia, War, Death, Murder, and Racism

knit_the_resistance's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative mysterious sad tense 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? It's complicated

4.75

The Postcard is an extremely difficult book to read, as are most books about the Holocaust. It's dark, and sad. But it's also a complex family history, and a mystery. I enjoyed it, and I was upset by it. I recommend it as an analog book rather than a digital copy so you can go back and forth and check on who different characters are. 
Also, there are sections you shouldn't read before bedtime.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: War, Dementia, Addiction, Rape, Drug abuse, Drug use, Injury/Injury detail, Suicide, Antisemitism, Child death, Confinement, Death, Deportation, Genocide, and Grief

bookworm_ohsea's review

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Antisemitism, Death of parent, Death, Violence, Murder, Deportation, Racism, War, Genocide, Confinement, and Xenophobia

leslie_overbookedsocialworker's review against another edition

emotional mysterious reflective 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? No

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Antisemitism, Death, and Child death

Moderate: Grief, Hate crime, Racism, Sexual violence, Deportation, Genocide, Police brutality, Religious bigotry, Suicide, and War

kristapeters's review

adventurous challenging emotional informative mysterious reflective sad tense 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? No

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Deportation, Drug use, War, Antisemitism, Confinement, Hate crime, Genocide, and Forced institutionalization

dnpatterson2's review against another edition

dark hopeful informative inspiring reflective 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

Graphic: Religious bigotry, Police brutality, Death, Racism, Antisemitism, Genocide, Grief, Physical abuse, War, Violence, and Racial slurs

Moderate: Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Torture, Bullying, Addiction, Child death, Confinement, Drug abuse, Drug use, Pregnancy, Sexual content, Suicide, and Toxic relationship

Minor: Infertility, Classism, Dementia, Excrement, Forced institutionalization, Mental illness, and Panic attacks/disorders

szmay's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense fast-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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Deportation, Forced institutionalization, Genocide, Antisemitism, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Death of parent, Religious bigotry, Kidnapping, Hate crime, Police brutality, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Racial slurs, Trafficking, and Xenophobia

Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Torture, Trafficking, Xenophobia, Medical content, Physical abuse, Violence, Hate crime, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Murder, Police brutality, Religious bigotry, and War

Minor: Rape, Religious bigotry, Excrement, Physical abuse, Medical content, Police brutality, Mental illness, Pregnancy, Racism, Sexual assault, and Murder

estam1's review against another edition

emotional inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Antisemitism, Child death, Death, Deportation, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Genocide, and Confinement

amandas_bookshelf's review against another edition

dark emotional informative reflective sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• 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

Graphic: Deportation, Hate crime, Drug abuse, Grief, Antisemitism, Classism, Murder, Child death, Colonisation, Death, Dementia, Drug use, Physical abuse, Confinement, Bullying, Genocide, Abandonment, Addiction, Death of parent, Xenophobia, Police brutality, Pregnancy, Rape, Religious bigotry, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, and War