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valentina05's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-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? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Hate crime, Sexual content, Violence, and Outing
lammiolivia's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
relaxing
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia and Violence
hmatt's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-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
5.0
I'm not sure I was sold on this story throughout part I, but it came together beautifully and tragically as the perspectives changed back and forth.
Despite how synopses may read, this is absolutely not a book about the title policeman (Tom). While he is the main subject, the story tells us very little about him except for how his wife and lover perceived of him throughout time. It really tells us more about the relationship between his wife and his lover. A reader who neglects to acknowledge the unreliability of these two narrators loses the point of the story entirely, in my opinion. I found it brilliant because they are each so selfishly obsessed with their own idea of this man who doesn't have a voice of his own throughout the narrative.
Despite how synopses may read, this is absolutely not a book about the title policeman (Tom). While he is the main subject, the story tells us very little about him except for how his wife and lover perceived of him throughout time. It really tells us more about the relationship between his wife and his lover. A reader who neglects to acknowledge the unreliability of these two narrators loses the point of the story entirely, in my opinion. I found it brilliant because they are each so selfishly obsessed with their own idea of this man who doesn't have a voice of his own throughout the narrative.
'What about my silence, Marion? Did you ever think about that? You have no idea...' His voice cracked. He loosened his grip on me and turned his face away.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia, Outing, and Terminal illness
Moderate: Grief and Sexism
Minor: Hate crime, Sexual content, and Violence
period-typical homophobia, sexismneptunereign's review against another edition
dark
emotional
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
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Hate crime, Homophobia, Lesbophobia, Medical content, Physical abuse, Police brutality, Pregnancy, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Violence, and Infidelity
Moderate: Grief and Sexual content
Minor: Alcohol, Sexism, and Misogyny
oliverlang's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.25
If you're looking for a book with a happy ending and queer joy, this isn't it. It's a telling of a life from 2 different perspectives - 2 people in love with the same man - and the outcome of those relationships as a result.
I didn't not enjoy this book, it was easy to read and there were some nice parts but it's not a must read for me. As a queer person, it will never not be wild to me reading about the criminalisation of the existence of lgbtq+ people.
I didn't not enjoy this book, it was easy to read and there were some nice parts but it's not a must read for me. As a queer person, it will never not be wild to me reading about the criminalisation of the existence of lgbtq+ people.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcohol, Alcoholism, Homophobia, Hate crime, Infidelity, Lesbophobia, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Sexism, Sexual content, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, and Violence
val_torre's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
9.9/10
A cruel raw story, with bittersweet moments, there is no happily ever after, just three people with their lives ruin.
Since the first sentence I was intrigued, and just couldn’t stop reading. I could picture the scenes, really beautiful and vividly.
I loved Patrick, the way he acts, thinks, the way he loves; he understood more than anyone that Tom did love him but was afraid of what will happen to him.
I had a struggle with Marion, I wanted to like her but I just can’t, she ruin two lives and her on, just because she wanted to “win” his husband, she never understood him, she thought he still could be cure, I understand it’s the 1950’ but still I can’t.
Tom on the other hand was a scared man, falling in love for the first time, and that was took from him, and his pride as well as his fear kept him from seeing that man again, and lived a loveless marriage for the rest of his life.
It shows that even the secondary characters weren’t really happy with their lives.
For what Marion says I like Tom, but when Patrick described him, I loved him, which is why I would’ve wanted more related by Patrick, and also that Tom would’ve tell his part.
It shows how a reckless and selfish decision can ruin a life, she regretted what happened to Patrick, simply because it destroyed Tom and her marriage, not because of Patrick.
She lost a friend for not accepting his husband, refused to accept the truth.
From like the last quarter of the book I cried a lot, I cry really easy honestly, and this completely destroyed me.
The final is something I didn’t love, I would’ve like Patrick’s thoughts, to describe to us what happens at the end between him and Tom, It felt like that was something really important that we didn’t get to see.
A cruel raw story, with bittersweet moments, there is no happily ever after, just three people with their lives ruin.
Since the first sentence I was intrigued, and just couldn’t stop reading. I could picture the scenes, really beautiful and vividly.
I loved Patrick, the way he acts, thinks, the way he loves; he understood more than anyone that Tom did love him but was afraid of what will happen to him.
I had a struggle with Marion, I wanted to like her but I just can’t, she ruin two lives and her on, just because she wanted to “win” his husband, she never understood him, she thought he still could be cure, I understand it’s the 1950’ but still I can’t.
Tom on the other hand was a scared man, falling in love for the first time, and that was took from him, and his pride as well as his fear kept him from seeing that man again, and lived a loveless marriage for the rest of his life.
It shows that even the secondary characters weren’t really happy with their lives.
For what Marion says I like Tom, but when Patrick described him, I loved him, which is why I would’ve wanted more related by Patrick, and also that Tom would’ve tell his part.
It shows how a reckless and selfish decision can ruin a life, she regretted what happened to Patrick, simply because it destroyed Tom and her marriage, not because of Patrick.
She lost a friend for not accepting his husband, refused to accept the truth.
From like the last quarter of the book I cried a lot, I cry really easy honestly, and this completely destroyed me.
The final is something I didn’t love, I would’ve like Patrick’s thoughts, to describe to us what happens at the end between him and Tom, It felt like that was something really important that we didn’t get to see.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia, Police brutality, and Violence
woolfism's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
sad
medium-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? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Toxic relationship, Sexual content, Outing, Infidelity, Homophobia, and Alcohol
Moderate: Chronic illness, Death, Gaslighting, and Terminal illness
Minor: Death of parent, Dementia, Medical content, Misogyny, Rape, and Sexism
aliciatn's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia
Minor: Violence
budloww's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-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? It's complicated
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia and Violence
tiredcath's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.0
I didn’t DNF this out of sheer stubbornness, but at what cost? My sanity. I think this might put me in a reading slump.
There’s so much I can say about how awful this book made me feel— not because it was sad. No. It’s because it’s gross and gave a gross feeling I haven’t felt in a long time. Because I want to stop thinking about it, I can’t write a proper review. (Perhaps later. But most likely, never.) I will say, I disliked every character here, but Marion ESPECIALLY was a different bread of awful. I’ve read bad characters, I’ve even liked the bad characters (see Henry from The Secret History) but Marion? Absolutely not.
[mild spoiler]
I don’t know why Roberts decided to write her as this suffering, oh poor Marion, martyr, savior. I hated every second Marion writes about taking care of Patrick. I felt so gross reading the last part especially.
I need a cleanse.
There’s so much I can say about how awful this book made me feel— not because it was sad. No. It’s because it’s gross and gave a gross feeling I haven’t felt in a long time. Because I want to stop thinking about it, I can’t write a proper review. (Perhaps later. But most likely, never.) I will say, I disliked every character here, but Marion ESPECIALLY was a different bread of awful. I’ve read bad characters, I’ve even liked the bad characters (see Henry from The Secret History) but Marion? Absolutely not.
[mild spoiler]
I don’t know why Roberts decided to write her as this suffering, oh poor Marion, martyr, savior. I hated every second Marion writes about taking care of Patrick. I felt so gross reading the last part especially.
I need a cleanse.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia and Violence