Reviews tagging 'Sexism'

Mr. Mercedes by Stephen King

14 reviews

jomojobo's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional tense medium-paced

• 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

4.25

Wow. Wow wow wow. Talk about a tense emotional roller coaster! As usual, King brings characters to life in a way that few other authors can. Their motivations, emotions, and responses feel realistic, even when the plot requires suspension of disbelief. Though this isn’t necessarily a “horror” novel, it’s plenty horrific, and even the slow parts maintain a sense of foreboding. Our antagonist and his thought process are also particularly relevant given the state of the alt-right manosphere today.

There was a stretch of several pages (and there is always a stretch of several pages in a King book) that I just skipped right over because it was too distressing.

Freddy’s final disposition.

 

I wasn’t sure while reading if I would continue with the series, but after finishing Mr. Mercedes I will definitely be checking out book #2!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Gore, Car accident, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Animal death, Child abuse, Child death, Incest, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicidal thoughts, Blood, Stalking, and Death of parent

Minor: Bullying, Cursing, Pedophilia, Sexism, Vomit, Medical content, and Classism

charlieeee's review against another edition

dark medium-paced

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

3.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Racial slurs, and Racism

Moderate: Fatphobia, Incest, Sexism, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Bullying, Suicide, Blood, and Vomit

bracamontelau's review against another edition

dark mysterious 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? N/A

2.5

Aunque ha sido muy entretenido y engancha, soy incapaz de no ver la parte sexista, racista y homófoba.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Fatphobia, Mental illness, Racism, and Sexism

idk_indigo's review

dark tense medium-paced

• 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

1.0

Okay, guys... hear me out but... I think the character Jerome might be black... I could be wrong though, please don't cancel me

Mr Mercedes was my first finished Stephen King novel, and I think maybe a combination of the very white author constantly using racial slurs and the very white narrator constantly saying them, just turned me off so much. I felt like Jerome could not be mentioned once in the entire book without reference to the fact that, yes, he's black. But wait, guys, it's okay that he's black cause he's applying to Harvard and Yale. Like, everyone who meets him points this out and it's constantly brought up as, like, part of his character and I genuinely don't think "Jerome" was ever alone in a sentence without "black." Like, girl... 

Sort of similar to Hodges being fat, though there weren't so many comments about weight, but like I don't think I've heard so many fat jokes in a single book before. Like, Hodges fucking hates himself and cannot even talk to his girlfriend without being like "Woe is me, I'm so fat, how could you ever love me?" Or to his neighbor Jerome without a couple self-deprecating jokes about needing to lose 50 pounds. And like how old he is, too, but then he mentions being 62 at some point and I'm like, where is the old?? I felt sort of like Hodges was meant to be a grumpy old man character-turned heartfelt fatherly figure bc of the love from his community, which we all know I love <3 Maybe this trope doesn't work too well with the genre because I was like, girl shut up, you're ugly. And fat too, apparently. Don't care. I hated his character, he drove me nuts & was hella sexist and even openly admits to not taking women seriously because they're "crazy" and women. Then at the end he

fucking has a heart attack, probs because he's so fat

The villain/antagonist/perp (not too familiar with the genre, so what's the correct term here?) was I think influenced by like Ted Bundy and other serial killer types, complete with killer Freudian mommy issues. He was very unlikable, which I guess is one thing King did right bc I am sick and tired of these characters being "undercover misunderstood good guys." 

Overall.... idk what to tell you. I'm glad I tried out a King novel. However, I believe I will stick to girly horror from now on. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Incest, Racial slurs, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, Car accident, and Murder

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship and Suicide attempt

Minor: Homophobia, Mental illness, Sexism, Stalking, and Death of parent

eadrianschmitz's review

adventurous challenging dark mysterious sad tense slow-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

3.5

I don't like the way he writes about the female characters, and if you can get over the unrealistic progression of the plot, it's a pretty good story. Two minor things from the first scene that drove me crazy: Costco doesn't have bags, misuse of the term "baby mama". Can recommend audiobook. Great narrator.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Biphobia, Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Cursing, Deadnaming, Death, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Homophobia, Incest, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Police brutality, Medical content, Dementia, Grief, Mass/school shootings, Medical trauma, Stalking, Car accident, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Lesbophobia, Gaslighting, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

I don't like the way he writes about the female characters, and if you can get over the unrealistic progression of the plot, it's a pretty good story. Two minor things from the first scene that drove me crazy: Costco doesn't have bags, misuse of the term "baby mama". Can recommend audiobook. Great narrator.

txbonnetreads's review against another edition

challenging dark tense medium-paced

I can't recall the last time a character made me as uncomfortable and angry as Brady Hartsfield. I wanted to rage and was rooting for him to be caught the entire time. I was heavily pregnant when I read the book and coming to the opening scene of Brady running the Mercedes through the crowd, killing the baby was difficult to stomach.

King is a master of making you feel his writing. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Cursing, Death, Gore, Hate crime, Homophobia, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Violence, and Murder

rcholly's review against another edition

dark medium-paced

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

4.0

This was my first Stephen King novel and what a novel to start with. What started off as a slow burner turned into a fast-paced ending, where you’re clamouring to find out what happens. It was dark and creepy, with some lighter bits throughout. Whilst the characters seem 2D at first, as the story develops this also opens up the complexity of the characters. Keen to read on in the rest of the trilogy. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Incest, Racism, and Sexism

michaelavictoria's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Animal death, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Mental illness, Racial slurs, Racism, Blood, Car accident, Death of parent, Murder, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Incest, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Violence, Vomit, and Stalking

Minor: Ableism, Addiction, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body shaming, Bullying, Chronic illness, Eating disorder, Fatphobia, Gore, Hate crime, Homophobia, Infidelity, Sexism, Slavery, Torture, Forced institutionalization, Police brutality, Medical content, Dementia, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

sgordon00's review against another edition

adventurous dark tense medium-paced

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

2.5

it took me a while to finish because the first part started out so slow to build the world we were in. crazy for stephen king to use the n word the way he did tho lmao

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Body shaming, Child death, Cursing, Death, Fatphobia, Gore, Incest, Mental illness, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Sexual content, Suicide, Xenophobia, Blood, Stalking, and Death of parent

renee_will's review against another edition

dark tense slow-paced

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

2.0

I don't want to spend any more time thinking about this book, tbh, but I'd just like to say that it is easily the worst of King's works I've ever read. I truly do not understand the positive reviews for it, it's baffling.

Aside from the frankly dull police procedural plot, it is just deeply offensive. The language is homophobic, fatphobic, sexist, racist, ableist, the list goes on. Yes, I grasp that we are meant to dislike the antagonist, but making him possess every single abhorrent quality imaginable is just so very lazy. And it just feels gross to read, it isn't enjoyable, it's disgusting and it made me want to put it down multiple times.

And don't get me started on the pathetic boomer protagonist. Jesus, he is just the saddest white cop who ever lived. My violins couldn't get any smaller. We don't really know why he's a curmudgeon, he just is. He's not really very nice, or interesting. The fact that he is "a fat ex-cop" is repeated ad nauseum as though being fat is his only defining trait. Then there's his sidekick, a black teenager who INEXPLICABLY uses an old-timey slave affectation AS AN INSIDE JOKE. WITH AN ADULT WHITE MAN. What. And I can't stress this enough, the f*ck. And oh lord the techno-speak is like my mom trying to understand how her VCR works.

It's just not a very good detective story. It's not a whodunnit because you know whounnit the whole time. There's no mystery. Just an unlikeable grumpy vigilante making stupid decisions.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Death of parent, and Murder

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Body shaming, Homophobia, Incest, Racism, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, and Blood

Minor: Animal cruelty