Reviews tagging 'Blood'

The Prince of Tides by Pat Conroy

4 reviews

fkshg8465's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad slow-paced

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

4.0

My only disgruntle is the format. I generally dislike stories that go back and forth on a timeline, but I really dislike inserting a story inside another where it’s mostly a plot device to tell the story. If one is to be folded into another, I prefer it to be better integrated and for each layer to be strong egg to stand alone not also tightly knit in each other. Because of the way it was written here, there were numerous stands that could tell a story on their own, but they really weren’t knit together enough.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racial slurs, Homophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Rape, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Grief, Infidelity, Physical abuse, Abandonment, Blood, Domestic abuse, Racism, Body horror, Child abuse, Death, Sexual violence, Suicide attempt, War, Confinement, and Violence

shannonm306's review

dark emotional funny sad tense slow-paced

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

4.5

After reading Prince of Tides I can’t wait to watch the movie. This was a beautiful sad story. Conroy wrote a realistic description of mental health and how trauma manifests in different people. Tom is an adoring brother who loves his sister very much and there’s evidence throughout the story that all he wants to do his help her, but isn’t sure how. The ending was unexpected, but still very well written. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Alcoholism, Mental illness, Gaslighting, Rape, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Infidelity, Blood, and Physical abuse

Moderate: Cancer, Bullying, and Animal death

writingcaia's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

5.0

The story, the writing, the setting, the characters… I’m awed and in love.
“My wound is geography. It is also my anchorage, my port of call.”
Thus starts this tale.
A story of a man who wants to save his thrice suicide attempting twin sister and in doing so with the help of her therapist, and in the midst of a quasi-divorce, ends up saving himself by recounting the amazing and terrible upbringing in an idillic island on the marshes of Colleton South Carolina, of his incredible and brutal family, the raging abusive veteran father, the deceitful cunning mother, the pious good hearted grandfather, the adventurer passionate grandmother, his strong and beautiful older brother - the prince of tides, his twin the artist, the genius, the mad, and of himself and his terrible fault of trying to be conforming and sane amidst insanity. 
The words are poetry and they take you down the path of Tom Wingo and his love for the south and his family, even when there’re as many reasons to love and to hate it.
The racist south, that is also so homecoming, the beautiful marshes, the oysters and shrimp always on the table, the otters and dolphins, the sunsets, the salty and tanned skin, the brine and mud, the wonderful nature, and the isolation that can be peaceful and treacherous.
One of my favourite things is the desperate honest need Tom has to be helped, and how finally he gets the will to procure it and be better, and fix himself as best he can.
A road to beauty, joy, hate, love, brutality, violence, love, madness and fantasy. It was a joy and wonder to follow this road through the author’s words, and I can’t wait to read more from him.

P. S.: some may say it has a lot of purple prose but for me it is just poetic and wonderful, able to conjure all the feelings.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Rape, Child abuse, Animal death, Racism, Racial slurs, Domestic abuse, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Blood, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide attempt

Minor: War and Antisemitism

misskeesa's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense slow-paced

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

2.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Animal death, Blood, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, and Violence