Reviews tagging 'Body horror'

The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy

11 reviews

mirandaleighhhh's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.0

This was very heavy and the events were difficult to read. I have found myself thinking of this almost daily since finishing. So much of it was through the lens of children which made it both devastating and incredibly interesting. Reading afterward that there was a lawsuit against the author in her home state (now dropped) with charges of obscenity is not entirely surprising - more, it solidifies the whole point of the story that needed to be told, and the stories in real life that have been silenced. 

It's hard to rate this for enjoyment...it was profoundly depressing. But it is solid in its execution and deserves a 4 at least.

The imagery was 10/10...I annotated so much but these are some of my favorites.

"So small god laughed a hollow laugh and skipped away cheerfully. Like a rich boy in shorts. He whistled, kicked stones. The source of his brittle elation was the relative smallness of his misfortune. He climbed into people's eyes and became an exasperating expression."

"Liquid ache spread under her skin, and she walked out of the world like a witch, to a better, happier place."

"Pointed in the wrong direction, trapped outside their own history and unable to retrace their steps because their footprints had been swept away."

"War has made us adore our conquerors and despise ourselves."

"Ammu flew through her dream on heavy, shuddering wings, and stopped to rest just under the skin of it."

"If you're happy in a dream Ammu, does it count?

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Death, Child abuse, Child death, Emotional abuse, Abandonment, Gore, Police brutality, Body horror, Grief, Colonisation, and Domestic abuse

sabs98's review against another edition

dark emotional sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? N/A
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

This was a heart-wrenching story of pain, loss, and lifelong trauma. My heart breaks for Estha most of all, but for Rahel and Velutha, as well. Though there were many different avenues for pain to enter the lives of the two-egg twins, the way I see it, growing up in a house with a woman full of poisonous resentment and self-preservation to no end was the biggest factor of their suffering. I wanted to punch Baby Kochamma in the face multiple times throughout the story. For me, this book (perfectly) captures the silenced fury, the poignant heartbreak, the helplessness that can only be evoked by prejudiced systems designed keep certain, good-hearted, average people fearful and small, and to keep other fearful yet dangerously arrogant people powerful and important.
Although it was annoying at times to me, Roy's style of narration is very unique and intentional, and in the last 50 or so pages of the book the purpose of narrating in certain ways became clear to me. I would love to read this book again to understand better Roy's literary artistry (only after I've recovered from this heartbreak).

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror

Moderate: Child death

Minor: Incest

rosibook's review against another edition

mysterious reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Bullying, Murder, Hate crime, Racism, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Blood, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Police brutality, Abandonment, Colonisation, Death, Grief, Violence, and Vomit

Moderate: Incest

hannakutlu's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Classism, Gore, Murder, Colonisation, Police brutality, Sexual assault, Body horror, Child death, Cultural appropriation, and Gaslighting

miaaa_lenaaa's review against another edition

challenging dark hopeful reflective sad tense medium-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

4.0

Oof

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Police brutality, Rape, Sexual content, Violence, Grief, Confinement, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Murder, Classism, Kidnapping, Religious bigotry, Sexism, Animal death, Blood, Child death, Death, Body horror, Colonisation, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, Domestic abuse, Pedophilia, and Vomit

squiggle's review against another edition

challenging dark sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Body horror, Bullying, Child death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Child abuse, Gaslighting, Grief, Incest, Misogyny, Murder, Police brutality, and Sexual assault

hatoooz's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny mysterious sad tense slow-paced

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

4.25

a tough read tbh but it’s worth it

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Colonisation, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Murder, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Religious bigotry, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, and Sexual harassment

Moderate: Blood, Body horror, Body shaming, Cursing, and Gaslighting

Minor: Adult/minor relationship

alicerowano's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

This was a stunningly beautiful book, I’ve never read anything so skilfully written. The language is rich and very evocative, I really got a strong sense of place. The characters are fleshed out and each feels so real. Not an easy read at all, but very much worth it.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Death of parent, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Excrement, Gore, Grief, Hate crime, Incest, Medical trauma, Pedophilia, Police brutality, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexism, Sexual harassment, Sexual content, Vomit, and Violence

womanwill's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad slow-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child death, Confinement, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Grief, Incest, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Police brutality, Racism, Sexual content, and Violence

Moderate: Child abuse

Minor: Ableism, Rape, and Vomit

sharkycharming's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense slow-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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Alcoholism, Animal death, Body horror, Child death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Excrement, Hate crime, Incest, Infidelity, Medical content, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Police brutality, Racism, Sexual content, and Vomit

I would not recommend this book to anyone who is squeamish, because this books describes so many realities of bodies, sex, violence, hatred, and the [sometimes scary] animals and plants that live and grow in a tropical climate.