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itsbilliam's review against another edition
dark
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
okay so this book had been on my physical TBR for literally 3 years lol. wow. the writing is incredible. the tones of melancholy, humor, and grief all rolled up into one was just addicting and so relatable. as someone who has dealt with grief, especially grief relating to suicide, Toews depiction of the anger and love is just amazing. i loved this book.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, and Suicide
room334's review against another edition
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
4.0
Absolutely heartbreaking. The way that Miriam Toews writes about grief and love between siblings is honest and devastating, but also filled with humor at times that feels so true to real life.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts and Suicide attempt
Moderate: Suicide
fkshg8465's review against another edition
emotional
sad
- 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
4.0
This really is a book of sorrows. Gives us a view of depression and determination and grief and resilience.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Death of parent, Forced institutionalization, Sexism, Suicide, Grief, Self harm, Eating disorder, Mental illness, Religious bigotry, Suicide attempt, and Death
kelly_may's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Death of parent, Religious bigotry, and Suicide attempt
mik_yekcuts's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- 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? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide attempt, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide
mgoscinski's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Content Warnings
Moderate: Suicide, Eating disorder, Suicide attempt, and Suicidal thoughts
silodear's review against another edition
dark
funny
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
5.0
TW: significant and detailed reference to suicide throughout the book. Death of a family member.
A heartbreaking story of family love and loss. Beautiful written and gorgeously read by the narrator. I savored this book in an unusually slow way. It was good.
A heartbreaking story of family love and loss. Beautiful written and gorgeously read by the narrator. I savored this book in an unusually slow way. It was good.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide attempt, Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, Medical trauma, and Death
xyzalice's review against another edition
Content hit too close to home at points- good book just not healthy for me to finish reading at the time
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide attempt, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide
mynameisvesper's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
All my puny sorrows broke my heart. But also made me laugh and thinking about the essence of living… The story of two sisters: one desperately trying to end her life and the other equally desperately seeking to save it, is a hard story to tell. It is tragic. And yes, Toews manages to express the raw feelings surrounding and flowing through everyone involved, and still she does not let us sink in despair. Plenty of black humour and irony, the way that the narrator just jumps between her thoughts and memories, the comfort and sadness the characters find in music and literature, there is so much to take from this book.
This all just felt honest, it hurt, it truly resonated with me- these little conversations we all had with family members in face of hardships, the impossible questions one asks themselves when a loved one keeps spiralling down, the frustration and fear when they are sick in the hospital, the way that grief comes and goes and how hard it is to move on (the passage about ‘shredding the guilt’ really struck me).
Toews serves beautiful prose, so authentic and sincere it almost feels like eavesdropping.
“Ours is essentially a tragic age, so we refuse to take it tragically. The cataclysm has happened, we are among the ruins, we start to build up new little habitats, to have new little hopes. It is rather hard”
This all just felt honest, it hurt, it truly resonated with me- these little conversations we all had with family members in face of hardships, the impossible questions one asks themselves when a loved one keeps spiralling down, the frustration and fear when they are sick in the hospital, the way that grief comes and goes and how hard it is to move on (the passage about ‘shredding the guilt’ really struck me).
Toews serves beautiful prose, so authentic and sincere it almost feels like eavesdropping.
“Ours is essentially a tragic age, so we refuse to take it tragically. The cataclysm has happened, we are among the ruins, we start to build up new little habitats, to have new little hopes. It is rather hard”
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Mental illness, and Self harm
Moderate: Medical content, Chronic illness, Forced institutionalization, Religious bigotry, and Death
vickyreptile's review against another edition
dark
emotional
funny
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Ya lo sabían los griegos, pero la tragedia y la comedia usualmente están bastante relacionadas. Miriam Toews también lo sabe, porque su forma de narrar la tragedia de dos hermanas, una con una vida terriblemente normal y la otra glamorosa, la primera con una fuerza vital que arrasa y la segunda con un instinto suicida agudísimo, es bellísima. En medio del drama, encuentra el espacio para el humor, para la risa cuando todo parece que se está yendo al tacho.
Me ha conmovido mucho Pequeñas desgracias sin importancia, su tratamiento de temas tan sensibles (la vida y la muerte, nada menos) es extremadamente humano, para nada solemne pero, a la vez, profundísimo.
Me ha conmovido mucho Pequeñas desgracias sin importancia, su tratamiento de temas tan sensibles (la vida y la muerte, nada menos) es extremadamente humano, para nada solemne pero, a la vez, profundísimo.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide attempt, Suicide, and Suicidal thoughts