Reviews tagging 'Sexual violence'

Violets by Kyung-sook Shin

11 reviews

zoffi's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Sexual violence and Violence

katialena's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad slow-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicidal thoughts and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Abandonment, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Mental illness, and Sexual violence

Minor: Kidnapping, Rape, Blood, and Self harm

Major character death? Ambiguous.

saintmaud's review against another edition

emotional sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence

hannah_cogo's review

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Grief, Sexual harassment, Sexism, Abandonment, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Sexual violence, Violence, Sexual assault, Police brutality, Rape, Injury/Injury detail, and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Death, Sexism, Blood, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Murder, Police brutality, Child abuse, Death of parent, Grief, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Alcohol, Chronic illness, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Suicide attempt, Terminal illness, Violence, Animal cruelty, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Misogyny, and Rape

theecatreaders's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad slow-paced

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

3.25

It took me a long time to finish it. My first time reading Kyung-Sook Shin's book and turn out less for my taste. Beneran ngerasa frustasi banget sama karakter San-yi nya. Aku paham dia sudah melalui banyak hal dihidupnya, even the traumatic event. To thinking again it's really sad, like the moment she was happy at same time her life back to the sad moment (again). Cerita San-yi berbicara banyak hal menurutku, tentang trauma penolakan dirinya karena identitas dia sebagai perempuan dan karena itu dia juga ditinggalkan orang-orang terdekatnya terutama dari keluargannya. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Sexual violence

sunflowerwork's review

challenging dark emotional reflective tense slow-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence and Sexual violence

beccaruthe's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide, Abandonment, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Death of parent, and Rape

lesenilpferd's review

challenging dark emotional reflective sad slow-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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Sexual harassment, Misogyny, Sexual violence, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Rape, Sexual assault, and Mental illness

biblioghoul's review

emotional sad 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: Rape, Sexism, Sexual violence, Abandonment, and Self harm

Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Injury/Injury detail, and Fire/Fire injury

Minor: Sexual harassment and Animal cruelty

nini23's review

4.0

Violets by Shin Kyung-sook has lingered in my mind days after reading. It's left an imprint like afterimages after a camera's flash. I wish San and Su-ae could have used the flower shop as a sanctuary forever. Violet, violence, violator. Unremarkable flowers, unremarkable women. The afterword by the author is very touching, this novel was written in the early 2000s and yet, seeing how the latest South Korean president has been elected in 2022 on promises of fighting against feminism, not much has changed.  The aggression and sexual violence toward women has to stop.

I had previously read Shin's Please Look After Mom in translation. While that was from the missing/lost mother's point of view, Violets interestingly takes the abandoned daughter's perspective. I'll confess to not fully grasping the significance of the childhood incident in the minari fields but it ends where it starts with a fitting symmetry. The loneliness in the middle of busy bustling Seoul experienced by San is piercing in its intensity. 

Hats off to Anton Hur for the translation, I've read his thoughtful insights on translating Korean on his blog. Each word was carefully considered and I found myself sometimes pondering what the original Korean word was, like for 'darling.'

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Abandonment, Misogyny, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence