Reviews tagging 'Sexual content'

Snow by John Banville

10 reviews

velozebra's review

sad medium-paced

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

2.0

Content warning that I didn’t have:

this book contains a horrific scene of the sexual assault of a child told from the offender’s POV about halfway through

. I wish I had known about it. It’s unnecessary for the plot development, it was obvious long before this what had happened and it did NOT need to be there. I do not read past books that contain gratuitous scenes of sexual assault when they are clearly there for prurient reasons and do not advance the story in any way. Like, is this supposed to be edgy? Because it’s most assuredly NOT. It’s exploitive. Also, I can’t stand books where you’re not sure if the MC, a detective, is meant to be an idiot? Because this one surely is. Even if he’s annoying and stuck up, I don’t think he’s meant to be stupid enough to miss obvious clues and

cross boundaries with a waif-like damsel in distress

. The tropes are strong in this novel, and not in a good way. What a waste of my time. It could have been a good book, which is why I read more than half of it. Ruined by a lack of subtlety and imagination. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia, Mental illness, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Misogyny, Murder, Pedophilia, Child abuse, Rape, Sexism, Toxic relationship, and Violence

atamano's review against another edition

dark slow-paced

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

2.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Murder, Rape, Religious bigotry, Classism, Blood, and Pedophilia

Moderate: Suicide, Sexual content, Alcohol, Body shaming, and Grief

Minor: Fatphobia

dorsetreader's review against another edition

dark reflective sad slow-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Pedophilia, Blood, Suicide, Violence, Physical abuse, Rape, Grief, Sexual content, Murder, Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Death, and Injury/Injury detail

primaproulla's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Pedophilia, Sexual content, Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Child abuse, Rape, Murder, Religious bigotry, Sexual assault, Alcohol, and Infidelity

cstein's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

3.0

Enjoyable read with interesting insights into Irish history/politics, but too many knowing nods to mystery genre tropes and archetypes, the motive was obvious to the reader long before the detective, and

there was a frustratingly long break between when we learned a character was dead and Strafford got it together to find the body.

 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Sexual violence, Sexual content, Body horror, Child abuse, Death, Murder, Pedophilia, Gore, Rape, and Sexual assault

Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Violence, Alcohol, Bullying, Classism, Alcoholism, Death, Forced institutionalization, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Suicide attempt

Minor: Vomit and Child death

alicelily's review against another edition

mysterious medium-paced

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

2.0

A rather dull mystery. I’m not normally one to care if something is “predictable” but this was incredibly obvious quite quickly. Also the protagonist has no personality or emotion, apart from fantasising about every woman that he encounters. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content, Child abuse, and Violence

Fairly detailed descriptions of

sexual abuse of young boys by priests

shelleys_shelf's review against another edition

DNFed at 50%. The premise was great; the execution not so much. The pacing is way too slow for my taste in mysteries. Maybe I'll try this again later. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Sexual content

justcallme_d's review against another edition

dark slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

1.0

TW: pedophilia, sexual abuse

No, just no. This book makes me so mad. This did not need to exist. This is unbelievable that this was published in 2020. Not only is it boring and extremely predictable (ridiculously so that you think "surely, there has to be more?"), but it is disgusting and creepy and cliché. The portrayal of women, sexual abuse, and child molestation are disturbing and completely unchallenged. 

What a embarrassment. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Pedophilia, and Sexual content

travelseatsreads's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad tense slow-paced

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

3.0

A well constructed murder mystery which kept tension slowly simmering throughout.
I didn't love or hate this one but thought the interlude while downright disgusting was fantastically well done. A brave move by Banville to try and get into the heads of these absolute monsters.
I felt Jenkins going missing was done in a bit of a lazy fashion and felt like it was there just to wrap up the plot at the end, and think developing that aspect of the story may have been more beneficial than the countless unnecessary pubs scenes.
A solid 3 star for me, a good read but nothing spectacular.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Death, Mental illness, Murder, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, and Toxic relationship

devilstatedan's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

An outstanding piece of gothic noir literary historical crime writing! A young 1950's detective is called to an estate in Ireland to determine who killed the local priest. The priest's body has been mutilated and the crime is under threat of being suppressed by the catholic church higher-ups, who have a loose control over Ireland. The detective's journey is mysterious and as he attempts to deduct the truth from the constant lies of those around the estate. The cast of characters is interesting and all are self-serving in one way or another, and Banville's way with words is something to marvel at indeed, as he describes the oppressive environment of freezing snow and relentless cold. It's gothic and dark and the subject matter becomes increasingly challenging as the story unravels and we learn the truth of just who all these people really are beneath the surface. Truly amazing writing.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Religious bigotry, and Sexual content