Reviews tagging 'Sexism'

Lady Tan's Circle of Women by Lisa See

34 reviews

hvtardiswltrvl's review against another edition

challenging emotional 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? It's complicated

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Sexism, and Medical content

Moderate: Miscarriage and Child death

etherealskies's review against another edition

emotional hopeful informative inspiring sad slow-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Miscarriage, Pregnancy, and Death of parent

Moderate: Sexism

Minor: Suicide and Cancer

c_dmckinney's review against another edition

emotional hopeful sad tense medium-paced

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

4.75

My book group chose this for April 2024.

It broke my heart several times and was beautiful the whole way through. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Classism, Infertility, Terminal illness, Child death, Bullying, Slavery, Death, Chronic illness, Confinement, Grief, Infidelity, Medical content, Medical trauma, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Murder, Pregnancy, Sexism, Violence, Mental illness, Injury/Injury detail, Death of parent, and Adult/minor relationship

Moderate: Abandonment and Ableism

pattytru08's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative inspiring reflective sad tense 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abortion, Miscarriage, Misogyny, and Sexism

devynreadsnovels's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional informative inspiring reflective 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: Grief, Infertility, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Abortion, Child death, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Violence, Medical content, Murder, Pregnancy, Slavery, Classism, Confinement, Infidelity, Rape, Injury/Injury detail, Medical trauma, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual assault, Death, Adult/minor relationship, and Blood

micaelamariem's review

emotional reflective 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? It's complicated

5.0

Lady Tan’s Circle of Women was a beautiful historical fiction novel inspired by a real woman during 15th century China who learned medicine and treated other women despite society’s ill regard of women doing so. I loved watching Yunxian learn all the rules of society and then disregard them when she could, struggling with what she believed was right and what was expected of her. This novel isn’t just about that, though. At its core, it is a novel about friendship, and how, no matter how many things try to pull two friends apart, they wouldn’t let their friendship crack. The novel made me cry and angry at parts (like how women were treated in the 1400s) but that shows how much of an emotional tie I had to these characters. There was also so political intrigue in the book and that definitely kept me on my toes. Just a note though: not a book to read if you’re squeamish, as there is an emphasis on childbirth, smallpox, and foot binding that is a bit graphic.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abortion, Blood, Grief, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Body shaming, Confinement, Injury/Injury detail, Slavery, Violence, Alcohol, Death of parent, Infertility, Murder, Pregnancy, Sexism, Vomit, Abandonment, Bullying, Chronic illness, Ableism, Medical content, Medical trauma, Cancer, Death, Child death, and Classism

ariellovespizza's review against another edition

hopeful informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Infertility, Death of parent, Miscarriage, Medical content, Misogyny, Blood, and Sexism

Moderate: Murder, Alcoholism, and Grief

Minor: Classism, Rape, Sexual violence, Torture, and Abortion

stephyrm's review

adventurous dark emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• 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: Miscarriage, Murder, Confinement, Blood, Chronic illness, Classism, Vomit, Abortion, Death of parent, Pandemic/Epidemic, Child death, Death, Medical content, Medical trauma, Sexism, Injury/Injury detail, Pregnancy, Grief, Infertility, and Misogyny

elizabethwb's review against another edition

emotional informative reflective tense medium-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? N/A

5.0

I'm in awe. Lisa See's writing is breathtaking. Her research is in depth and never-ending. Even the Acknowledgments gave me a lump in my throat. Read this book. Savor it. I'm sad that it's over.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Medical content, Medical trauma, Sexism, Miscarriage, Death of parent, Pandemic/Epidemic, Terminal illness, Classism, Infertility, Pregnancy, Blood, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, and Torture

Moderate: Confinement, Slavery, Child death, and Chronic illness

Minor: Bullying, Abortion, Cancer, and Adult/minor relationship

This novel is historically written based on extensive research about late 15th and early 16th centuries in China.

moon_peach's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful informative tense medium-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

I will say at first I thought there were romantic feelings between Yunxian and Meiling and honestly by the end I still felt that, either way the girls (later women) are soulmates.
This story is a feminist one. Not like most stories where the single woman defies all of society's expectations. She still follows much of what is expected of her, including foot binding, but the story is that of supporting women in a society where they have so little. She eventually manages to empathize with every woman she encounters even if she herself would not do what they would. 
It is not on sharing gruesome details of illnesses or the sexism. But if you can manage, it is very worth it.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Abortion, Misogyny, Sexism, Miscarriage, and Sexual content