Reviews tagging 'Stalking'

Een klein leven by Hanya Yanagihara

127 reviews

cstein's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense fast-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

A Little Life was difficult to put down, difficult to dream about, difficult not to dwell on for hours in the middle of the night. Yanagihara's respectful, relatively sparse depictions of a laundry list of traumas made this book tolerable, while her depictions of human goodness and joy made this book hopeful and beautiful. Particularly impressive were the author's careful detailing of fictional artworks, fictional movies, fictional law cases, fictional renovations, etc. An engrossing and extraordinary feat.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Medical content, Trafficking, Grief, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, Acephobia/Arophobia, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Body shaming, Bullying, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Homophobia, Infidelity, Panic attacks/disorders, Terminal illness, Vomit, Dementia, Kidnapping, Stalking, Car accident, Death of parent, Toxic friendship, and Abandonment

Minor: Alcoholism, Cancer, Drug use, Racial slurs, Racism, and Alcohol

readwithbells's review against another edition

challenging dark sad slow-paced

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

1.0

I am incandescently enraged at the ending of this book. It feels inappropriate and frankly a little unethical. I cannot deny this is written well, and this would have gotten 4.5 stars from me until the last chapter which ultimately resulted in the most deliberately hopeless story I have ever experienced. It all could have been redeemed but it feels like Yanagihara actively made sure we could not take any hope out of the story whatsoever. I would be terrified if someone going through suicidal ideation or a depressive state were to pick up this book. It gets two stars because it was beautifully written, which made it all the more deliberately brutal. 

I’m so fucking mad I spent 3 weeks reading this. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Body shaming, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual violence, Suicide, Torture, Toxic relationship, Blood, Vomit, Grief, Stalking, Car accident, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Dysphoria, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Cancer

annabunce's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.0

This book is so sad and so well written and 1800 pages is ridiculous but I don't think anything less than 1400 would have sufficed to actually tell the story in a way that would have been respectful. But I would only recommend this book in RARE occasions. Those occasions being (but not limited to):

1) Someone you know and love is refusing to seek help for trauma and you don't understand

2) If you are a therapist trying to understand trauma (I'd actually strongly recommend this book if that was the case)

3) If you need to have a good cry and think it'll take you 1800 pages to do it

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Body shaming, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Death, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Gore, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Trafficking, Grief, Medical trauma, Stalking, Car accident, Suicide attempt, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Dysphoria, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Ableism, Addiction, Drug abuse, Drug use, and Infidelity

Minor: Biphobia and Abandonment

nabaraditi's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense 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? Yes

5.0

 Why I may recommend this book? (and i'm saying this being a lawyer, a teacher and a psychology student) 
1. Toxic masculinity, that its easier for a woman to ask for help but not a man and hence most of the men never get help 
2. What happens to us as children, we carry that baggage in our adulthood as well. It influences how we behave, how we think, how we talk to ourselves. 

3. Helps understand why people self-inflict harm or wish to die by suicide 
4. How difficult and helpless the person feels around people dealing with trauma (and even grief) 
5. Therapy is a two way street. You cannot be helped if you don’t want to be helped. 
6. People don’t always get “cured” from their childhood trauma (it depends on the individual, it depends on the trauma, how it deeply it has affected them how it’s perceived by them, etc). Like cancer can come back, so can old habits in people who have eating disorder or substance abuse and the same applies to people who were sexually and physically abused as a child. 

 One of the reasons why I loved this book is that it makes us feel part of these characters like you’re another friend to them or you’re a fly on the wall observing everything. 

Another thing I’d like to add is that if we talk about explicit writing

then yes the author did elaborate on suicide attempt(s) and self-harm. But the what Jude went through as a child and teenagar, the sexual assault/rape/prostitution (which would also be rape as he wasn’t an adult) is not elaborated but understood what kind of people were a party to those acts like calling them clients, groups, men, etc.

 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Blood, Grief, Suicide attempt, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Forced institutionalization, Kidnapping, Car accident, and Gaslighting

Minor: Homophobia, Stalking, and Death of parent

zannayo's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective sad slow-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Grief, Medical trauma, Stalking, Car accident, Suicide attempt, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail

The content warnings largely apply to the latter two thirds of the book.

jessica_serra's review against another edition

emotional sad slow-paced

• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Cancer, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Death, Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Infertility, Infidelity, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Terminal illness, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Medical content, Trafficking, Medical trauma, Stalking, Car accident, Abortion, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, and Abandonment

fairyribs's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense slow-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Gore, Homophobia, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Terminal illness, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Excrement, Vomit, Medical content, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Grief, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Stalking, Car accident, Suicide attempt, Acephobia/Arophobia, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Gaslighting, Abandonment, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Dysphoria, and Injury/Injury detail

isaac_salle's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Adult/minor relationship, Body shaming, Bullying, Cancer, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Gore, Infertility, Infidelity, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Terminal illness, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Dementia, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Grief, Medical trauma, Stalking, Car accident, Suicide attempt, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail

amelianotthepilot's review against another edition

challenging dark sad tense medium-paced

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

what a book
i simultaneously want everyone to read this and want no one to read it

an 800 page epic of a story detailing a life lived. Hanya Yanagihara has such a beautiful way of detailing daily life and it’s ebs and flows in such a mundane but entrancing way. Time is fluid as she jumps from present to past to future in the way someone tells a story to their friends. It changes perspective a few times which i found slightly confusing being that almost all the characters are male.

all on little lispenard

I enjoyed how a lot of the characters were queer in some way but in a casual and nonchalant way.
I enjoyed the diversity of representation: mental health, physical disability, queerness

However there are so many triggers in this book it is sorta ridiculous

TW for the following: chronic illness, sibling death, sexual abuse, rape, physical abuse, mental abuse, abusive partner, abusive parent, child abuse, sexual assault, self harm, suicide, suicidal thoughts, medical trauma, abduction, kid napping, ptsd, partner death, death, abandonment, addiction, adult/minor relationship, alcoholism, alcohol, drug use, blood, body dysmorphia, body shaming, bullying, car accident, confinement, domestic abuse, dysphoria, eating disorder, emotional abuse, vomit, fire, fire injury, amputation, forced institutionalization, grief, gore, medical trauma, gaslighting, pedophilia, grooming, injury detail, medical content, mental illness, panic attacks, sexual content, sexual violence, stalking, suicide attempt, terminal illness, torture, toxic relationship

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Gore, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Terminal illness, Torture, Toxic relationship, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Excrement, Vomit, Medical content, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Grief, Medical trauma, Stalking, Car accident, Suicide attempt, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Dysphoria, and Injury/Injury detail

kirsty_irwin's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense 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? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Biphobia, Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Gore, Hate crime, Homophobia, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Terminal illness, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Excrement, Vomit, Medical content, Dementia, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Grief, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Stalking, Car accident, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Outing, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Dysphoria, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Cursing, Drug abuse, Drug use, Acephobia/Arophobia, and Fire/Fire injury

Minor: Cancer, Child death, Incest, Miscarriage, Dementia, Car accident, and Outing