Reviews tagging 'Sexual assault'

The Silence of the Girls by Pat Barker

244 reviews

ltsang08's review against another edition

adventurous emotional reflective medium-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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Suicidal thoughts, Emotional abuse, Grief, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Death, Murder, Slavery, Sexual violence, Violence, Adult/minor relationship, Domestic abuse, War, Animal death, Blood, Body horror, Death of parent, Suicide, Trafficking, Injury/Injury detail, Medical trauma, and Rape

josiejavier's review against another edition

dark reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, War, Rape, Death, and Violence

katelynwillliams's review against another edition

dark reflective fast-paced

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

4.5

i loved how this book used the classic narrative techniques and themes/struggles of the Iliad to recall the original text, while also adding new meaning. For example, she uses a catalog to evoke the stories of the numberless men who die at Troy, but it is through their mothers’ stories that we hear of them. Similarly, themes of choice, fate, honor, hospitality, and glory were explored through Achilles, like the original text, but also through Briseis, who reflects on her own feelings as well as Achilles’. 

For all it’s accuracy to the original epic, the amount of British slang really bothered me. While the imagery could evoke the distant past, the constant use of “bloody” / “bloody hell” brings the reader immediately back to the present. It also made this dark book on the realities of war comical in a way. 

Though the British slang was kinda crazy, this was an accurate and refreshing retelling of the Iliad. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault

Moderate: Fatphobia and Suicide

gkm00's review against another edition

tense medium-paced

3.75

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Content Warnings

Minor: Animal cruelty, Child death, Death, Excrement, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Adult/minor relationship, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Death of parent, Animal death, Alcohol, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Grief, Misogyny, Rape, Sexism, Blood, Gore, Emotional abuse, and Murder

joelrandeblad's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

Wow.

Jag fastnade direkt. Språket, huvudkaraktären, den poetiska brutaliteten.

Boken följer Briseis, kvinnan som tas som slav av Achilles och sedan blir ett byte för Agamemnon och Achilles att bråka över. Boken tar vara på något som böcker som The Song of Achilles och självfallet Illiaden... missar? Eller om man vill vara snällare kan man säga att det inte är deras ärende. Men här ligger fokus på kvinnorna som inte har en röst, inget val. Det är Briseis och hennes intrikata känsloliv, att behöva natt efter natt utnyttjas av mannen som mördat hennes bröder, bränt hennes stad och hem. Om kvinnorna som ser sina unga söner dödas, tvingas i sängs med männen som mördat dem, är byteshandel, är slavar, kastar sig själv från murarna för att en säker död är bättre än den framtid som väntar dem. Boken är våldsam och vacker, sorglig som jag vet inte vad. Man känner verkligen hur något går sönder. 

Jag känner redan här att den här recensionen inte gör boken rättvisa. Att mina ord räcker inte riktigt till för att fånga den komplicerade känsla som Pat Barker använder hela boken för att försöka få grepp om. Den är komplicerad, djup, otrolig.

Kanske att man vill ha lite koll på Iliaden och kriget i Troja för att man ska hänga med. Det är många namn, många karaktärer och konflikter. Men personligen (som rätt mytologiintresserad) hade jag inga problem alls att hänga med. Nu vill jag bara dyka in i "The Women of Troy". Såg även att Pat Barker är på väg att släppa ännu en bok i höst på samma tema!

Sätter jag den på en piedestal? Absolut. Kommer alla tycka som jag? Förmodligen inte. Men det här var verkligen exakt min typ av bok! 5 välförtjänta stjärnor.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Child abuse, Sexual assault, Death of parent, Rape, Death, Murder, Physical abuse, and War

jose_kg's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad 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? It's complicated

4.0

I don't think you can really say you enjoyed this book, it's such a graphic retelling and so sad it isn't really something to be enjoyed, more endured along side the characters. That is not to say I didn't think it was a good book, I thought the writing was raw and reflective, but also unflinching. I always enjoy Pat Barker's work, and it was refreshing to have such a critical retelling of this story. This book was an experience, one I'm glad I had but also glad it's over, similarly to Briseis. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Sexual violence, Slavery, Death, and Sexual assault

andrewtes's review against another edition

dark emotional sad slow-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: War, Sexual assault, Rape, and Violence

helpelbowhittable's review against another edition

dark emotional sad medium-paced

• 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? Yes

3.5

A retelling of the Trojan War told from the perspective of Briseis. Compared to a Song of Achilles, this one is more dark and sad, focusing on the suffering that the women have gone through through the eyes of a very cold and salty woman. Whilst dark, it wasn't disturbing so that's good. I still prefer the Song of Achilles since I find that the character development and overall reach of the story is more limited and repetitive but it's a good book regardless, especially if you are a feminist. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Sexual harassment, Violence, War, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Misogyny, Slavery, and Sexual violence

olive_ia's review against another edition

dark sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Rape, Gore, War, Sexual assault, and Grief

Moderate: Alcohol

alice451's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional inspiring reflective sad tense slow-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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Child death, Suicidal thoughts, Emotional abuse, Rape, War, Violence, Genocide, Sexual assault, Blood, Sexism, Death, Misogyny, Sexual content, Slavery, Animal death, Pregnancy, Sexual violence, and Suicide