Reviews with content warning for Emotional abuse - The Collector

Reviews tagging 'Emotional abuse'

ellacostello's review

dark sad tense 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

4.0

If I had read this book 20 odd years ago I may have found it more suspenseful and shocking despite this it was still an “enjoyable” read (as far as kidnap can be classed as enjoyable). I found the switching of POV was good in knowing how each were thinking and feeling and I enjoyed finding out more about the attempted escapes however overall I did find it a bit repetitive and was bored going through the second section. I found both characters unlikeable but I felt for Miranda and wished she had survived. Going through the book I get I understood more about the kidnappers psyche and how truly unstable and crazy he was which I enjoyed seeing into that side. Overall I did enjoy the book but it wouldn’t be one I would be interested in rereading

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expatally's review

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challenging dark tense slow-paced

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

4.0

Phew-glad I’m done with this one! He does a brilliant job at making the reader feel trapped in the little cellar room. I couldn’t put the book down if only to escape myself. Great writing-to see the plot and main character
Is distasteful is an understatement, but it don’t let that keep you away from the book.

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silver_lining_in_a_book's review

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challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

3.75

I am one in a row of specimens. It's when I try to flutter out of line that he hates me. I'm meant to be dead, pinned, always the same, always beautiful. He knows that part of my beauty is being alive, but it's the dead me he wants. He wants me living-but-dead.

This book took me by total surprise. If not for a friends recommendation and insistence on me giving this book a try, I don't think I ever would have. I am so glad I did; not because I enjoyed the reading experience or found the plot particularly entertaining, it was quite the opposite. It was the character building, exploration of class-structures in society and the portrayal of our obsession with all things superficial and beautiful that really stood out to me and made this book worth reading.

There is a lot of emphasis on a person's ability to create and to progress, our complex thoughts and actions being what makes us human and how the desire to hoard, capture and collect kills the beauty in whatever it is that you seek to preserve. I am certain that there is a lot in this book that I missed, but I certainly felt for the characters - Frederick disturbed me immensely and I absolutely loved Miranda and wanted her to be alright. Reading from her perspective made me feel more claustrophobic and near-panic than I have ever felt while reading a book. It is incredible to me that John Fowles was able to transfer her feelings and thoughts so vividly through pages, and as letter / diary entries no less.

It is very difficult to rate a book like this. As I have said before, it is not fun to read, but it is not meant to be; it is disturbing, triggering and ultimately very unsatisfying, but it is unique and incredibly successful in achieving what Fowles set out for it to accomplish. He deserves high praise, I doubt many writers would be able to create what he managed to here.

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abby_dexar's review

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dark reflective tense medium-paced

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

4.5

Genuinely enjoyed the book, especially from the perspective of written two different point of views! Fowels created great, believable and motivated characters and a story that intrigued, scared and fascinated me at the same time. It’s dark, triggering and well-written. Yes, it’s unhealthy and creepy, so be careful if you want to read it.

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boopsiedoopsie's review

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challenging dark tense slow-paced

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

3.0

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yvo_about_books's review against another edition

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2.0

Finished reading: June 5th 2023

"We all want things we can't have. Being a decent human being is accepting that."

WARNING: unpopular opinion ahead!!

I've had my eyes on The Collector for quite some time now as a possible title for the Reading Through The Centuries challenge. I'm trying to get in as many challenges as possible early this year, so I decided to finally pick up The Collector and see what I would make of this classic. My first impression was without doubt a positive one, and I absolutely loved my time with Frederick's POV. He is such a fascinating (and tragic) character, and his emotional state and reactions really take the story to the next level. I fully expected this book to be a new favorite... Up until the POV suddenly switches to Miranda's diary. Suddenly, things went downhill FAST. Miranda is such a despicable, self-centered and snobbish character, and I absolutely hated having the spend time inside her head. I couldn't bring myself to feel not even the tiniest bit sorry for her, and to make things worse her diary entries are mainly not even focused on her time trapped, but are instead ramblings about her 'superior' world views and life as well as her 'special' relationship with G.P. I started to despise her more and more with each page, and I kept wishing Frederick would just kill her already so that I could avoid more suffering. What a way to completely ruin the first fantastic 40% of the story... I confess that I only made it to the end because I started skimreading and skipping all the bits where Miranda talked about G.P. or her life outside. The ending was a major anticlimax as well, although by then I was already feeling hugely disappointed with this book in the first place.

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