Reviews tagging 'Antisemitism'

In Memoriam by Alice Winn

100 reviews

mooncandy's review against another edition

dark emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Mental illness, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Grief, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Child death, Homophobia, Panic attacks/disorders, Antisemitism, Medical content, Outing, Colonisation, and Classism

moony_reads's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

I don’t really think I could possibly ever find the words to describe what I feel right now. 

In Memoriam is sensational. Beautifully raw and gripping with the most talented prose and narration I’ve read in a while. It’s intimate, it’s genuine, it’s moving and it’s one of the best books I’ve ever read. 

I don’t think I have it in me to write a full review now, but I might be able to later. It’s just an instant classic and I don’t have words.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Body horror, Child death, Confinement, Death, Homophobia, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Violence, Blood, Antisemitism, Grief, Death of parent, Alcohol, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

terranstorm's review against another edition

emotional 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

4.5

This was well done. I don't reach for historical fiction very often, no special interest in WWI here, but I really loved this. I appreciated the way the story is carried both by our two mains AND their many letters with various others. Oh! And even the printed reports of casualties and the injured (which I say first in the ebook, then experienced differently in the audiobook; it was surprisingly well-managed for the audio format). 

The thread of slowly building romance between Ellwood and Gaunt felt well-balanced with the drama and action, contemplation of the machine of war, and the very deep, very personal injuries both suffered (physically and mentally). The prose is lovely and slow and haunting throughout. They struggle and don't necessarily "get better" but they keep trying, work to grow and forgive.

It's not a one-to-one comparison at all, but: I think this is great for fans of works like the Song of Achilles. Although it's a different sort of tragedy than that, the feeling was along the same lines: I went into this looking for a good, hearty cry and boy, I got it.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Blood, War, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Body horror, Bullying, Homophobia, and Classism

Minor: Racism, Suicide, Xenophobia, Antisemitism, Death of parent, and Alcohol

Claustrophobia including

a tunnel collapse and near-drowning incident

lucybird's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional sad tense fast-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: War and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Sexual content and Antisemitism

echolli's review against another edition

4.5

Read this if you love to deeeeeply understand and empathise with characters. Alice Winn takes you through every thought and experience and relationship that forms them, from their privileged upbringing and class ignorance to the harrowing things they learn in the trenches. You understand every decision they make and thing they say, because you’ve been there with them. If injury detail and death isn’t your thing, I would give this one a miss mind.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Death, Mental illness, Blood, War, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Ableism, Addiction, Child death, Gun violence, Homophobia, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicidal thoughts, Antisemitism, Grief, Fire/Fire injury, and Classism

mmwiseheart's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

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

3.0

I read this book for book group and was forwarded that it was a bit graphic with the description of war.  Even with that warning, I still wasn’t fully prepared for it.  I wanted to finish it for book group so I stuck with it,  it it was really difficult for me.  I also wasn’t really rooting for the main characters, so there wasn’t anything for me to look forward to exactly.  I did start to root for Gaunt’s sister, Maud, as she pursued a job and academia.  I also rooted for Hayes and hoped he’d get the promotion he wanted.

The book is split into three parts and the first part was slow-paced, which probably didn’t help me very much. Once I got to the second part, the pacing picked up and I was able to read faster. This is probably a very good book for people who like military history.  That has never been a subject that I enjoyed.  Even though I didn’t particularly enjoy reading it, I did learn some things and it did give me some food for thought.  I often struggle to express my thoughts and feelings. Ellwood uses poetry to express his.  I take notes as I read and one of the quotes I wrote down is “You are the poetry.”

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Gore, Violence, Blood, and War

Minor: Bullying, Homophobia, Antisemitism, Colonisation, and Classism

hmatt's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense 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

Starting off 2025 strong with this incredibly powerful read. I won't say I "enjoyed" it as such, because... war novel... graphic, gore-y violence and PTSD, but if you are alright to read on these themes I strongly recommend.

The characters' perspectives and emotions are conveyed in that just-right balance where they are (probably?) historically accurate - some level of repressed, some level of entitled public school boy, etc. Even though the narrative focuses on two privileged men, I thought the author did an alright job of incorporating other diverse voices into the story. The incredible class privilege of the two MCs is definitely consistently acknowledged.

I could "leave" some of the quotations from ancient epics and old poets I haven't read, but I don't feel alienated by their inclusion. In the context of the MCs and their upbringings and personalities, they make sense.

Format note: I really enjoyed this audiobook. The production is exceptionally well thought-through and the narrator does the different character voices impeccably.

I feel that the author did an excellent job acknowledging the not-happy parts of the "happy" ending, e.g. all of Ellwood's friends died, they ended up "in exile" of a sort, PTSD doesn't just disappear, etc.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Bullying, Confinement, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Homophobia, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Mass/school shootings, Medical trauma, Murder, Outing, Alcohol, War, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Sexual content and Classism

Minor: Ableism, Sexual assault, Suicide, Antisemitism, Suicide attempt, and Death of parent

xeroxi's review against another edition

dark emotional 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Cursing, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Homophobia, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Grief, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and War

Moderate: Antisemitism and Alcohol

Minor: Death of parent

jkpotteryu's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful 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? No

5.0

I cannot fathom how Alice Winn wrote this book as her debut novel. “In Memoriam” is brutal and blunt, yet also hopelessly intimate. It is less, I believe, a story about finding love, and more a story about existing love and how it changes and shifts under the influence of war and separation. The story does not wish to speak about WHY people love, but wishes to acknowledge the fact that people love and that fact will stay unchanging for the rest of time. We do not get REASONS for why Gaunt and Ellwood love each other as much as we are presented with the fact that they, simply, are in love.

I found the use of newspaper clippings and poetry masterful. It makes your heart clench when a person you’ve just read a graphic description of inhumane death of appears as simply a last name and initials on the weekly news. 

The use of poetry, I felt, added a somewhat dream-like experience to the book while being interrupted by the brute horror of World War 1. 

This book is not light. It is heavy, and dark, and horrific at times, and I would tread carefully recommending it to others, but I truly believe Alice Winn has written one of the greatest novels of the decade. It is honest, and brutal, and tragic, but ultimately it is hopeful. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Gore, Gun violence, Suicide, Violence, Medical trauma, and War

Moderate: Homophobia and Sexual content

Minor: Antisemitism

katcass's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful reflective sad tense medium-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? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Death, Gore, Homophobia, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Grief, Medical trauma, War, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Bullying, Antisemitism, and Alcohol