Reviews tagging 'Cancer'

Please Look After Mother by Kyung-sook Shin

6 reviews

tlindhorst's review against another edition

challenging emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-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? Yes

5.0

This story plumbs the depths of family, motherhood, loss, modernity. It is a masterpiece. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Dementia, Death, Grief, Terminal illness, and Abandonment

Moderate: Cancer, Medical content, Miscarriage, Misogyny, and Death of parent

sofiadanielle's review

emotional sad medium-paced

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

4.5

Ouch. This book hurt so much. Emotional and sad, moving me towards certain emotions despite my own personal feelings/family dynamic/etc. 

So many passages felt like a punch to the gut; realizations and parallels from real life being drawn in… So moving.

Though I’ve struggled to really phrase how this book moved me, I hope it’s conveyed just how powerful it was. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death of parent

Minor: Cancer, Suicide, Miscarriage, and Injury/Injury detail

parasolcrafter's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious sad tense fast-paced

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

5.0

this book made me. so sad...

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny, Sexism, Grief, Mental illness, Chronic illness, Death, Death of parent, Classism, Dementia, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Ableism, Abandonment, Cancer, Animal death, Body horror, Pregnancy, and Alcohol

Minor: Child death, Infidelity, and Fire/Fire injury

painausten314's review against another edition

challenging emotional mysterious reflective sad 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? It's complicated

4.0

I wasn’t used to the second-person narration used in this novel, but once I understood the flow of the story, I was hooked. 

This story had me thinking long and hard about my own mother and her role in my life. It was an emotionally complex and heartbreaking story. I hope to read more of this author’s work. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Dementia, Cancer, Medical trauma, and Death

Moderate: War and Child death

honeyvoiced's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad slow-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief and Dementia

Moderate: Cancer and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Fire/Fire injury and Miscarriage

jeanniea's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad slow-paced

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

5.0

truly encapsulates the korean culture surrounding family dynamics. was brought to tears various times thruout the book. i couldn’t help but reflect ipon my own life and my own mother. the writing was beautiful. am curious to read it in korean to pick up different nuances. might’ve rated it lower for several reasons, but gave it a 5 for speaking to me on a personal level.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief

Moderate: Abandonment and Dementia

Minor: Infidelity, Medical content, Alcohol, Cancer, Child death, and Fire/Fire injury