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Reviews tagging 'Chronic illness'
Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead by Olga Tokarczuk
38 reviews
thursdd4y's review against another edition
- 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? It's complicated
4.0
Graphic: Violence, Grief, Death, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Animal death, and Chronic illness
bomenvernietiger's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
"Deep inside their anthill, the Ants cling to each other in a large ball and sleep like that until spring. I only wish people had the same sort of confidence in each other."
'"Why are you crying?" I asked.
"You're so kind..."
"I know," I replied.
"What about you? Why are you crying?" he said.
That I didn't know.'
Graphic: Death, Animal cruelty, Animal death, and Murder
Moderate: Chronic illness, Gore, Religious bigotry, Blood, Bullying, Misogyny, and Sexism
Minor: Alcoholism, Ableism, and Addiction
chloeam3103's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Animal death, Misogyny, Murder, Sexism, and Animal cruelty
Moderate: Body horror, Chronic illness, and Blood
jstilts's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
The book follows Duszejko - an elderly Polish lady - living remotely enough that in winter she only has two neighbours, and makes an income from keeping watch on and maintaining the houses of those that can't stand to live there in the colder seasons. She spends her time looking after the local wildlife, railing against hunters and poachers, translating Blake into Polish, and researching the horoscope in all sorts of unusual ways.
One morning one of her two neighbours discovers the other dead, and as they tend to the corpse Duszejko becomes convinced he was murdered by the very animals he hunted.
This surprising book reads almost as a stream-of-conciousness from a narrator that is not so much unreliable as mildly out of touch with reality.
Her worldview is disarmingly cosy and endearing, sometimes heartbreaking, and it's so wonderful to follow her unusual trains of thought - not just of her life but the very mechanics of existence itself - that it's easy to forget that Duszejko's state of mind is probably unhealthy, especially as she rarely if ever seems to be in anything approaching peril.
At once both relaxing and compelling, I honestly didn't want this book to end - but the terrible truths being laid out were done so with such verve it had me laughing in glee at the audaciousness of the author.
Highly recommended!
Graphic: Dementia, Grief, Murder, and Chronic illness
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Misogyny, Animal death, and Death
liesbethvv's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
The set-up was predictable (to me) yet executed in an entertaining way.
I could have done without the lengthy rants about astrology, though they did feel like part of the main character’s eccentricities. If you’d like to read something of
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Murder, and Animal death
Moderate: Blood and Chronic illness
rusina's review against another edition
- 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
4.25
Graphic: Animal death and Murder
Moderate: Misogyny, Violence, Sexism, Chronic illness, and Death
Minor: Animal cruelty, Religious bigotry, and Blood
chris_reads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Graphic: Murder, Animal death, and Chronic illness
Moderate: Grief, Confinement, and Gore
Minor: Misogyny, Racial slurs, Animal cruelty, Medical content, and Vomit
lifepath7's review against another edition
- 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
3.75
Graphic: Grief and Chronic illness
Moderate: Animal death, Animal cruelty, and Death
Minor: Murder and Gaslighting
willow_thewisp's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Animal death, Death, Violence, Animal cruelty, Chronic illness, and Murder
Moderate: Religious bigotry and Grief
cryfest's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Death, Violence, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Classism, Chronic illness, Grief, Murder, and Sexism