Reviews tagging 'Abandonment'

Lessons by Ian McEwan

11 reviews

peckreadsbooks's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective tense medium-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? It's complicated

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Sexual harassment, Child abuse, Physical abuse, and Abandonment

zara89's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad 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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Chronic illness, Toxic relationship, Rape, Cancer, Terminal illness, Child abuse, Sexual content, Grief, Pedophilia, Death, and Emotional abuse

Moderate: Domestic abuse and Death of parent

Minor: Pandemic/Epidemic

bernard_black's review against another edition

emotional reflective

• Loveable characters? No

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Pedophilia, Sexual content, Death, Death of parent, Adult/minor relationship, Abandonment, and Domestic abuse

Moderate: Pandemic/Epidemic, War, and Cancer

pipnewman's review

adventurous reflective slow-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

3.0

I enjoyed this read, and stuck with it which is saying something as I don't often read books this long. Told from the perspective of Roland, who grows up in the aftermath of the Second World War, the book is very rooted in the historical context. It was interesting to feel that each character was deeply influenced by the historical and political contexts- arms races, the fall of the Berlin Wall, political movements in Britain, all the way through to the covid lockdowns. However it did feel very male centric- all the male characters were significantly more developed than the female characters and it felt like the genre of 'grandad telling his life story at the dinner table'. Also massive massive content warning for sexual assault / harassment / pedophilia - it jumps in right at chapter 1, threads through the whole novel and is very confronting if you are not expecting it.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Pedophilia, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, and Adult/minor relationship

Moderate: Car accident, Death, Cancer, Grief, Abandonment, and Terminal illness

Minor: Domestic abuse, Dementia, and Fatphobia

miaaa_lenaaa's review against another edition

emotional mysterious reflective 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

4.25

The start is a struggle tbh but it does improve a lot, about growing up and getting old and just life more generally

‘He wasn’t waiting for her. But if she ever turned up he wanted his options open. Which was another was of saying, he was waiting.’

‘A form of narcissism, or closely related paranoia.’

‘It was his right to want nothing.’

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Cancer, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Sexual harassment, Toxic relationship, Car accident, Child abuse, Grief, Pandemic/Epidemic, Adult/minor relationship, Death, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, and Sexual content

rosereadsalot's review

2.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Terminal illness, War, Death of parent, Dementia, Abandonment, Domestic abuse, Pedophilia, Adult/minor relationship, and Pandemic/Epidemic

jennikreads's review against another edition

reflective slow-paced

1.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content, Pedophilia, Terminal illness, Abandonment, and Cancer

Moderate: Confinement

Minor: Transphobia

schorlett's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional funny hopeful reflective 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? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Alcohol, Toxic relationship, Violence, Abandonment, Adult/minor relationship, Terminal illness, and Pedophilia

Moderate: Domestic abuse, War, Alcoholism, Sexual content, Dementia, Pregnancy, Addiction, Grief, Cancer, and Sexual assault

Minor: Abortion and Transphobia

bridgetkay's review against another edition

reflective 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? It's complicated

2.0

I wanted more from this book - and by more, I certainly don’t mean words or pages. From the blurb I was expecting some skilful weaving of a person’s life with the background of major world events. But I was not compelled to continue reading, and found myself quickly wanting to get this book over and done with. Some parts were enjoyable, but with the amount of different huge issues that were attempted, I didn’t feel like any were done justice. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Physical abuse, Pedophilia, Domestic abuse, and Adult/minor relationship

Moderate: Cancer

Minor: Chronic illness, Misogyny, Mental illness, War, Transphobia, Toxic relationship, Terminal illness, Medical content, Infidelity, Death of parent, Classism, Alcoholism, Alcohol, Abandonment, and Adult/minor relationship

stuffinmybrainhole's review against another edition

reflective slow-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Sexual assault, War, Pedophilia, and Abandonment