Reviews tagging 'Religious bigotry'

Trespasses by Louise Kennedy

47 reviews

laedyred's review

dark reflective sad 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? Yes

2.5

I was strangely compelled to finish this book quickly, but I think that is due to some quality of the writing I haven't identified yet. The lack of quotation marks is strange and doesn't lend itself well to being a stylistic choice. Save one, I hated every single character. It seems we're supposed to be sad that

Michael is killed or that Cushla is finally free of shit abuse.

  There's nothing redeemable about the love interest. I didn't leave this book feeling sad, because the "love story" is just two selfish people who are most definitely not in love. What was the author trying to say? What were we supposed to learn? Belfast was violent? Yeah, we know. Cheating is bad? Obviously. I didn't hate the book, but I don't understand how it made it to the shortlist.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Infidelity, Misogyny, Sexual content, Religious bigotry, and Sexism

jacquelyneagleson's review

dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

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

3.75

What’s happening in the background of this novel (the Irish troubles in 1970s) are horrifying but serve as white noise to our MC who is 24 and falls for a married man twice her age. The first 3/4 of the book are slow and meandering, a well-written account of a young girl grappling with an affair, an alcoholic mother, and being a teacher to young children during a tumultuous time in Ireland. The last 1/4 picks up the pace and becomes much more plot-driven. A great debut novel. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Medical trauma, Cursing, Death of parent, Infidelity, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Religious bigotry, Grief, Hate crime, Gun violence, Alcoholism, Classism, Death, Police brutality, and Racial slurs

Moderate: Blood, Cursing, and Emotional abuse

emotionalsupportblonde's review

emotional mysterious sad slow-paced

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

3.75

A reflection on love and loss in a time of great turmoil, Trespasses left me feeling emotionally spent in a delicious and painful way. To reflect on the decisions we've made  – the power of a coincidence, a single moment in time – and to wonder what if, what if, what if...Trespasses captures the energy of a disjointed remembrance of a woman who lived and loved throughout one of modern times' greatest (and oft-forgotten) tragedies. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: War, Gun violence, Alcoholism, Religious bigotry, Murder, Death, Violence, Cursing, and Grief

Minor: Fire/Fire injury, Miscarriage, and Police brutality

thetiniestbookclub's review against another edition

emotional informative sad slow-paced

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

5.0

„Übertretung“ von Louise Kennedy, in einer Übersetzung aus dem Englischen von Claudia Glenewinkel und Hans-Christian Oeser im Steidl Verlag erschienen, wäre mir trotz des großartigen Covers wahrscheinlich durch die Lappen gegangen, wenn meine Kollegin nicht so voll des Lobes für diesen Debütroman gewesen wäre. Und was soll ich sagen? Absolut lesenswerte „Anti-Liebesgeschichte“. 

Louise Kennedy macht schon im Prolog deutlich, dass hier kein Happy End zu erwarten ist. Und dieses Wissen im Hinterkopf färbt den gesamten Roman, wie der nordirische Konflikt alle Beziehungen zwischen jenen färbt, die mit ihm leben (müssen). Nie ist die Liebesgeschichte zwischen der jungen, katholischen Lehrerin Cushla und dem deutlich älteren, verheirateten, protestantischen Prozessanwalt Michael rührselig oder kitschig. Kennedy schreibt schmucklos und klar von zwei nicht perfekten, mitfühlenden Menschen, die alles in ihrer Macht stehende tun, um dem Terror ihrer Umgebung mit Fürsorge zu begegnen und doch Religion, Nationalismus, Hass und Gewalt nur wenige Stunden abringen können. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Murder, Police brutality, Gun violence, Death, Religious bigotry, Infidelity, and Alcoholism

qqjj's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Colonisation, Death, Gun violence, Medical content, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Police brutality, Religious bigotry, Sexual content, Stalking, Death of parent, Alcohol, Emotional abuse, Grief, Misogyny, Murder, Xenophobia, Medical trauma, Chronic illness, Classism, Alcoholism, Fire/Fire injury, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Torture, Addiction, Violence, and War

teainthelibrary's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective sad tense fast-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Religious bigotry

Moderate: Murder

kaddictwithapen's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful informative mysterious reflective sad tense fast-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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: War, Hate crime, Religious bigotry, Alcoholism, Physical abuse, and Infidelity

Moderate: Sexual content and Sexual harassment

Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Hate crime, and Gun violence

vodkaalmelone's review

challenging dark emotional informative inspiring reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: War, Hate crime, Alcoholism, and Religious bigotry

greatexpectations77's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• 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

This one didn't upend my brain, but I liked it. I think it's an interesting look at survival during basically wartime. Everyone has to keep moving, but it also feels impossible to do so. I didn't love Cushla, but I don't think I had to, and maybe it created a nice separation to be able to look at the whole story. I DID love the precious little boy at school. And I do tend to like a little forbidden romance. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Alcoholism, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual content, Alcohol, Toxic relationship, Fire/Fire injury, and Infidelity

Moderate: Blood, Grief, Hate crime, Murder, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Death, Police brutality, Pregnancy, Religious bigotry, Bullying, and Violence

Minor: Pedophilia, Rape, Child abuse, Sexual harassment, Death of parent, and Stalking

marenvgl's review

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Religious bigotry, Addiction, Police brutality, and Alcoholism