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mold_munchr's review
challenging
dark
emotional
fast-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
4.0
disgusting and I never want to read it again. and yet, I'm so glad I picked this book up
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny, Sexism, Body shaming, Fatphobia, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Toxic friendship, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Child abuse
Minor: Suicide
yvieharris's review
dark
medium-paced
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
0.5
Half a star purely because it was beautifully written
Absolutely hated it. Maybe I’m too angry, but Margot was a sympathiser and I understand there are two sides to the story but alas, she did not hold him accountable and it made the book seem to !? maybe not condone, but it felt remorseful that finally women are standing up for themselves and society is losing gentlemen??
anyway, I hated it. luckily it was only 80 pages long, but I especially hated the positive outlook at the end, as if he could continue his life with no remorse or punishment for what he’d done?? idk maybe that’s just me & I’ve met multiple Quin’s in my life and maybe I’m too angry to understand any deeper hidden meanings in this book
Absolutely hated it. Maybe I’m too angry, but Margot was a sympathiser and I understand there are two sides to the story but alas, she did not hold him accountable and it made the book seem to !? maybe not condone, but it felt remorseful that finally women are standing up for themselves and society is losing gentlemen??
anyway, I hated it. luckily it was only 80 pages long, but I especially hated the positive outlook at the end, as if he could continue his life with no remorse or punishment for what he’d done?? idk maybe that’s just me & I’ve met multiple Quin’s in my life and maybe I’m too angry to understand any deeper hidden meanings in this book
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny, Sexism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, and Sexual violence
gosiacal's review against another edition
challenging
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual violence, Sexual harassment, and Sexual content
librarymouse's review
challenging
emotional
funny
reflective
fast-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
4.25
This is Pleasure is very well written with a compelling narrative that switches between perspectives and with easily consumable sentence length and structure.
This is Pleasure gives an interesting perspective on sexual harassment in the workplace, and the idea that people can be grandfathered into respectability because they came from a different time. Quinn's lack of understanding of how his actions impact those around him doesn't show malice, exactly, but instead how he views himself to be a good person. He knows that he's different from the younger generation who are more attuned to the fact that women are people, but he doesn't understand the idea that he is in a position of power. Margo being from a similar generation and having the foundation of their relationships be her turning him down makes their relationship quite complicated in the face of the allegations against Quinn because she believes that if she was able to turn him down why weren't the other young women able to do the same. There is a lot of internalized misogyny in these characters. Aside from referencing the accusers as being like Shakespearean witches and calling one of them "a little bitch", Quinn views the women he interacts with as players in the game that is his life. He asked them on to play with him in the intimate and sometimes uncomfortably sexual space he creates in conversation. He's gregarious and powerful in his field, and he draws people in while simultaneously disgusting them. Margo's oscillation between anger at and love for Quinn makes her character particularly interesting to view through the lens of her interactions with other women. She decided that Quinn was better than her female friends because one of them didn't help her in a time of need. At the same time, she disregards the needs, fears, and heartache that plague Quinn's wife and daughter because of his "flirtations" and later the accusations against him. She admits to letting them fade into the background of her relationship with Quinn. For such a short read, this book was very interesting. Most of my friendships exist outside of this space, but every so often at work I'll have an interaction where an older man references me as doll or pretty, and asks me to bag up his book for him because "women always do it better", or one who always asks for help finding a specific variety of books in a specific section because he knows it means I'll have to kneel in front of him to get them. I'm glad to not have people like Quin as intimate friends, but I'm also glad to have read this to get a glimpse into their psyche.
This is Pleasure gives an interesting perspective on sexual harassment in the workplace, and the idea that people can be grandfathered into respectability because they came from a different time. Quinn's lack of understanding of how his actions impact those around him doesn't show malice, exactly, but instead how he views himself to be a good person. He knows that he's different from the younger generation who are more attuned to the fact that women are people, but he doesn't understand the idea that he is in a position of power. Margo being from a similar generation and having the foundation of their relationships be her turning him down makes their relationship quite complicated in the face of the allegations against Quinn because she believes that if she was able to turn him down why weren't the other young women able to do the same. There is a lot of internalized misogyny in these characters. Aside from referencing the accusers as being like Shakespearean witches and calling one of them "a little bitch", Quinn views the women he interacts with as players in the game that is his life. He asked them on to play with him in the intimate and sometimes uncomfortably sexual space he creates in conversation. He's gregarious and powerful in his field, and he draws people in while simultaneously disgusting them. Margo's oscillation between anger at and love for Quinn makes her character particularly interesting to view through the lens of her interactions with other women. She decided that Quinn was better than her female friends because one of them didn't help her in a time of need. At the same time, she disregards the needs, fears, and heartache that plague Quinn's wife and daughter because of his "flirtations" and later the accusations against him. She admits to letting them fade into the background of her relationship with Quinn. For such a short read, this book was very interesting. Most of my friendships exist outside of this space, but every so often at work I'll have an interaction where an older man references me as doll or pretty, and asks me to bag up his book for him because "women always do it better", or one who always asks for help finding a specific variety of books in a specific section because he knows it means I'll have to kneel in front of him to get them. I'm glad to not have people like Quin as intimate friends, but I'm also glad to have read this to get a glimpse into their psyche.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexism, Sexual harassment, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Sexual assault, Sexual content, and Sexual violence
Minor: Child abuse
marcia__amelie's review
challenging
reflective
sad
tense
fast-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
3.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexism, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, and Sexual harassment
manuelac's review
challenging
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse and Gaslighting
Moderate: Sexual harassment and Sexual violence
melmarques's review
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual harassment, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Misogyny
Moderate: Child abuse
daisymayl's review
dark
fast-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
How this fits into the feminism genre I have no idea. I understand the commentary it wanted to make - there are nuances and grey areas in the #MeToo movement but I think it was executed terribly. There was never any doubt in my mind that Quin was in the wrong, but Margot continuously defended him and shamed all of his accusers. If there had been a realisation moment where she understood that the other women clearly had different experiences to her then maybe this would make the point it wanted to, but no she just dismisses and shames women that she has never even met. I don't want to read a story about a creep who is clearly in the wrong but is painted as innocent.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, and Sexual violence
Moderate: Misogyny
Minor: Child abuse
issibelle's review
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body shaming, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, and Toxic friendship
rosalind's review against another edition
mysterious
reflective
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
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual harassment
Moderate: Sexual content, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence
Minor: Child abuse, Sexism, Suicide, and Emotional abuse