Reviews tagging 'Stalking'

Dio di Illusioni by Donna Tartt

28 reviews

saeruh's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No

5.0

    This is without a doubt the strangest book I have ever read. I did not particularly enjoy reading this as I became disgusted almost every line with everything the characters said or did. All of the characters were just so heartless and lacked any type of empathy. However, this is the best writing I ever seen and while I may not want it to, this novel and its prose will stay me for my entire life. 
      I really don’t know how to feel about any of the characters since Tartt was so good at making you sympathize with them and then immediately having them do something incredibly rude/perverse/gross. Also I recommend reading a list of content/trigger warnings BEFORE you read this because I did not and oh boy there is so so many.
   

Overall, I wasn’t really grossed out by the murdering since it wasn’t that graphically described but when it came to the part when Tartt describes the incestuous relationship between Charles and Camilla where Richard watches them kiss, I literally thought I was going to throw up. And it was so fucked up how nobody else in the group really cared/already knew 🤢🤢🤢🤢🤮🤮🤮. And then Richard only cares because he wanted to fuck her!!!! what??? There was another scene where you really see how fucked up Richard has become by being involved in all this/maybe it was in him all along when Camilla is in a vulnerable state describing the physical, emotional, and sexual abuse she receives from her brother and the narration is actually something like “I thought I might rape her” What The Fuck man. Who is this dude that we’ve spent so long in ONLY his head actually.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gaslighting, Alcohol, Toxic friendship, Sexism, Physical abuse, Murder, Misogyny, Incest, Homophobia, Emotional abuse, Addiction, Alcoholism, Bullying, Sexual violence, Drug abuse, Cursing, and Classism

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Homophobia, Suicide attempt, Stalking, Blood, Outing, Suicide, and Panic attacks/disorders

Minor: Gun violence, Racial slurs, Antisemitism, and Racism

zoehakim's review against another edition

challenging reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Abandonment, Alcoholism, Bullying, Car accident, Classism, Cursing, Pedophilia, Racism, Rape, Religious bigotry, Sexual harassment, Panic attacks/disorders, Stalking, Suicide attempt, Terminal illness, Toxic friendship, Antisemitism, Confinement, Dysphoria, Fatphobia, Fire/Fire injury, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Animal death, Grief, Murder, Outing, Chronic illness, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Homophobia, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual violence, Vomit, Body shaming, Suicide, Violence, Ableism, Blood, Child death, Gaslighting, Gore, Islamophobia, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Addiction, Alcohol, Body horror, Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Incest, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Misogyny, Sexual assault, Sexual content, and Xenophobia

readinghavoc's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense slow-paced

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

4.75

I really enjoyed this book – it was dense at times and intimidatingly long, but the pay-off is well worth it. Kept me on the edge of my seat and continuously shocked me. The first hundred pages dragged and I almost put it down, but I'm so glad I didn't. The last 100 pages alone more than make up for it. The characters were hard for me to connect to because they were so pretentious but as you progress through the book it becomes clear that that serves its own purposes in the story. Super bizarre story, would recommend it to someone looking for a really thoroughly laid out thriller who doesn't mind making the investment for a big thrill. Interested to read some of Tartt's other work (after some easier, quicker reads lol).

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Death, Violence, Addiction, Body horror, Incest, Alcoholism, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Sexual content, Cursing, Suicide, Gore, Mental illness, Gun violence, Alcohol, and Medical trauma

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Panic attacks/disorders, Forced institutionalization, Drug use, Drug abuse, Homophobia, Domestic abuse, Blood, Grief, Gaslighting, Classism, Suicide attempt, Animal death, Sexism, and Infidelity

Minor: Animal death, Physical abuse, Death of parent, Outing, Sexual harassment, Animal cruelty, Chronic illness, Domestic abuse, Excrement, Kidnapping, Misogyny, Stalking, Toxic relationship, Vomit, and Toxic friendship

liaandersson's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense slow-paced

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

I really enjoyed reading this book. I had heard great reviews and plenty of recommendations from friends with similar taste to mine. I can not claim to be disappointed in the least. I listened to the audiobook and was completely submerged into this world, this life. I truly understand the common sentiment that this is considered a dark academia classic.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Gore, Physical abuse, Blood, Confinement, Grief, Homophobia, Incest, Toxic relationship, Chronic illness, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Sexual content, Abandonment, Antisemitism, Classism, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Mental illness, Murder, Racism, Religious bigotry, Self harm, Sexism, Stalking, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Toxic friendship, Drug abuse, Misogyny, Racial slurs, and Violence

Moderate: Sexism, Sexual content, Alcohol, Toxic friendship, Medical content, Murder, Abandonment, Addiction, Confinement, Suicide attempt, Toxic relationship, Physical abuse, Racism, Violence, Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Gaslighting, Gun violence, Incest, Racial slurs, Religious bigotry, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Chronic illness, Mental illness, Misogyny, Alcoholism, Drug abuse, and Emotional abuse

juliettea's review against another edition

adventurous dark hopeful mysterious reflective sad tense slow-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? Yes

3.0

Pretty pretentious and problematic with hardly any redeemable characters although a beautifully written enveloping story. I wouldn’t say I’m in either camp of Bible or abhor but I’m glad I read it. It’s an original story but weirdly felt as if it were written by a man. As Richard’s the narrator, Tartt might’ve done this purposefully so, perhaps I’ll read Goldfinch and see if it translates over. Also, could this have really occurred in the 90s? Of course it’s a more conservative circle, but still seems so dated.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Alcohol, Addiction, Classism, and Alcoholism

Moderate: Drug use, Biphobia, Blood, Violence, Sexism, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Xenophobia, Gun violence, Toxic friendship, Self harm, Misogyny, Grief, Emotional abuse, Addiction, Injury/Injury detail, Toxic relationship, Suicide attempt, Suicide, Murder, Homophobia, and Incest

Minor: Abandonment, Sexual content, Racism, Racial slurs, Vomit, Physical abuse, Mental illness, Medical trauma, Islamophobia, Ableism, Religious bigotry, Medical content, Sexual harassment, Stalking, Outing, Gore, Violence, and Gaslighting

patslibrary's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Alcoholism, Violence, Toxic friendship, Sexism, Murder, Misogyny, Injury/Injury detail, Homophobia, Drug use, Drug abuse, Death, Blood, and Addiction

Moderate: Outing and Grief

Minor: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Vomit, Suicide attempt, Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, Stalking, Panic attacks/disorders, Mental illness, Medical content, Kidnapping, Incest, Forced institutionalization, Death of parent, Cursing, and Car accident

acatcalledmartha's review against another edition

dark mysterious reflective slow-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Alcoholism, and Blood

Moderate: Death, Domestic abuse, and Emotional abuse

Minor: Homophobia, Incest, Medical content, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Stalking, Suicide attempt, and Toxic friendship

phoebedowling's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Alcohol, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Antisemitism, Blood, Body horror, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Gun violence, Grief, Incest, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Mental illness, Murder, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Sexual content, Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Stalking, Toxic friendship, and Violence