Reviews with content warning for Pedophilia - Paul

Reviews tagging 'Pedophilia'

Paul by Daisy Lafarge

17 reviews

coolchick_cesc's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.0

Frances, a young uni graduate, flees her lecturer-turned-lover in Paris by working at a HelpX kind of situation in rural France. There she meets Paul, a worldly and gregarious middle-aged bohemian type. From there, she is sucked into a relationship with this man, about whom she hardly knows her opinion. Of course, she doesn’t have a father.

Frances is vulnerable, depressed, and lacking agency, which is further impeded by the control these men have over her life. I think this book is so well crafted that it makes Paul’s gaslighting, patronising, and predatory behaviour so subtle and insidious. It feels to me a true reflection of toxic relationships such as this. Lafarge has expertly crafted a protagonist who lacks impetus and is overflowing with self doubt. I felt so awful for this character who is unable to stand up for herself and feels silenced by the men in her life, who take what they want without really care about her at all.

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charlottebees's review

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challenging dark emotional sad tense slow-paced

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

3.0

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nompilo's review

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reflective sad tense 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

3.25

This was such a tense novel, we are claustrophobically trapped in Frances’ mind as she herself struggles to articulate her needs. It is frustrating to watch her fail to take action in what is a continuously ominous situation but the book adeptly brings to light the skewed power dynamics between this older man and young woman. I liked how the ancient stories of the towns were woven and then mirrored in this book. It was a powerful character study of a relatable, lost and impressionable young woman and a persuasive and delusional (perverted) old man . Could be paired well with Raven Leilani’s Luster or Naoise Dolan’s Exciting Times.

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