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alishamegan's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Gaslighting, Physical abuse, Torture, Car accident, Child death, Emotional abuse, Grief, Infidelity, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Adult/minor relationship, and Death
blewballoon's review against another edition
dark
emotional
funny
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- 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? No
2.0
This book certainly affected me. I was unsettled, disturbed, and upset in the end and it stuck with me for a while. Most of the characters apart from Dorothy are almost comically awful, but not comically enough for it not to be distressing. Even during the parts of the book where pleasant things are occurring, there is a constant undercurrent of tension and dread.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Car accident, Child death, Toxic relationship, Infidelity, Adult/minor relationship, Medical trauma, Miscarriage, Rape, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Death, Sexual assault, Alcohol, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, and Toxic friendship
unroxy's review
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- 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? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship and Car accident
rorikae's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
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
4.25
'Mrs. Caliban' by Rachel Ingalls is an engaging novella that centers on one woman's issues with her marriage and her relationship with a lizard man.
Dorothy and her husband Fred have had a strained relationship ever since they lost their young son and she had a miscarriage. They have drifted apart and Dorothy suspects that her husband is having an affair. One day, she hears a story on the radio about a lizard man that has escaped from a local research facility. Questioning her sanity, Dorothy doesn't think much on it until the lizard man appears in her kitchen in need of help. As Dorothy talks with the lizard man, who she calls Larry, she learns more about his experiences in the research facility and the two start a quiet but caring affair.
If you enjoyed the movie 'The Shape of Water, but wanted more of the relationship between the protagonist and the sea monster and less of the spy plotline, then you really must read 'Mrs. Caliban.' I'm honestly shocked that this wasn't a direct inspiration for 'The Shape of Water' as it has a very similar plot line and explore how we connect to others.
Ingalls does a great job of plopping us squarely into Dorothy's life and then slowly expanding her world through her interactions with her husband, her friend Estelle, and with Larry. There are interweaving plot lines that pop back in and out throughout the story though ultimately, the story centers on Dorothy's relationships and how her grief over the loss of her child and her unraveling relationship with her husband affects those relationships. A lot happens in the story and though we don't get to delve deeply into the characters, I still found myself invested. There is consistent tension between Dorothy hiding Larry in her home and keeping up an affair with him while also hiding this fact from her husband.
The ending was not what I was expecting and given the quieter aspects of the rest of the book, felt almost over the top. I think this would be a good book for a book club as there is a good amount to delve into and unpack about Dorothy's relationships and the interweaving points of the story.
Ultimately, it's an engaging novella that expertly utilizes its speculative aspects to delve into the relationships of the main character.
Dorothy and her husband Fred have had a strained relationship ever since they lost their young son and she had a miscarriage. They have drifted apart and Dorothy suspects that her husband is having an affair. One day, she hears a story on the radio about a lizard man that has escaped from a local research facility. Questioning her sanity, Dorothy doesn't think much on it until the lizard man appears in her kitchen in need of help. As Dorothy talks with the lizard man, who she calls Larry, she learns more about his experiences in the research facility and the two start a quiet but caring affair.
If you enjoyed the movie 'The Shape of Water, but wanted more of the relationship between the protagonist and the sea monster and less of the spy plotline, then you really must read 'Mrs. Caliban.' I'm honestly shocked that this wasn't a direct inspiration for 'The Shape of Water' as it has a very similar plot line and explore how we connect to others.
Ingalls does a great job of plopping us squarely into Dorothy's life and then slowly expanding her world through her interactions with her husband, her friend Estelle, and with Larry. There are interweaving plot lines that pop back in and out throughout the story though ultimately, the story centers on Dorothy's relationships and how her grief over the loss of her child and her unraveling relationship with her husband affects those relationships. A lot happens in the story and though we don't get to delve deeply into the characters, I still found myself invested. There is consistent tension between Dorothy hiding Larry in her home and keeping up an affair with him while also hiding this fact from her husband.
The ending was not what I was expecting and given the quieter aspects of the rest of the book, felt almost over the top. I think this would be a good book for a book club as there is a good amount to delve into and unpack about Dorothy's relationships and the interweaving points of the story.
Ultimately, it's an engaging novella that expertly utilizes its speculative aspects to delve into the relationships of the main character.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Car accident, Child death, Death, Grief, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Sexual assault, and Torture
msmoth's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child death and Death
Minor: Adult/minor relationship
rochelle_reads's review against another edition
challenging
reflective
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
3.0
꧁꧁Book Review꧂꧂
Weird. Funny. Unfinished.
The story follows Dorothy, a housewife in a lifeless marriage who develops a relationship with a frog-like creature that waltzes into her kitchen and eats her salad. After escaping abusive scientists, Dorothy must help him stay hidden while hiding her passions for the the amphibian from her unsuspecting husband by shutting him up in the guest room.
This book was bloody weird. I am still a little bit traumatised if I’m honest. Let’s start with why I actually decided to read this: it was advertised to me as “frogman porn” and colour me intrigued, I thought after reading that blue alien nonsense, how bad could it be? I was wrong. And very wrong.Let’s address the frog in the room. There was no smut. And his name was Larry…Larry the frogman.
I couldn’t take anything about this book seriously. How she described his “large nobly head” and then how attractive she found him, after she made him extra large glasses and a hat to fit his giant head. I’m cracking up as I write this because it’s just so utterly bizarre to hear it aloud but I didn’t laugh when I read it because I had absolutely no idea what was happening. I don’t know if this was intended to be funny but I can’t explain this book to anyone without crying with laughter because it’s so weird.
The writing style was very difficult to follow in places and I found that Ingalls put emphasis and descriptions on strange parts of the narrative, while leaving other important ideas for the reader to put together themselves in a complex way.
Overall, I read this with my friend and I’m glad I did, because I needed to talk through this absolute train wreck by the end. I would absolutely recommend everyone read this because I need to know what you think 😂
Rating: 🐸🐸🐸
Content Warnings
Minor: Adult/minor relationship
angel_kiiss's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child death, Death, Infidelity, Miscarriage, and Sexual content
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, and Car accident
issareads's review against another edition
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Grief, and Infidelity
Minor: Car accident, Child death, Miscarriage, and Torture
katselvocki's review against another edition
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
5.0
I came into this not expecting much, and it turned out to be charming, tragic, thoughtful, and sad. There’s a lot of reflection on what it means to be trapped, to be different, to be human. I feel like that sounds like a cliche thing to write, but... 🤷🏻♀️
Also, I’m craving avocados now.
Also, I’m craving avocados now.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Infidelity and Death
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Child death, and Car accident
abomine's review against another edition
dark
emotional
funny
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
A love story about a lonely housewife and a giant anthropomorphic frog, mixed with some satire about the drama of American suburbia sounds like it should be relatively lighthearted faire. Nope. This is a bleak book; this is a Shakespearean tragedy about loss, trauma, mental health (or lack thereof), and fractured relationships, which makes the tender romance, peaceful moments, joyful moments, and snippets of snarky humor shine all the brighter against such a dark background.
Therefore, it makes sense that the ending would be devastating, but I was quite unprepared for how devastating it would be, because not only was it WAY too real, it was completely justified and horrifically beautiful. No "drama for shock value" stuff here. This is the real deal.
This ending was like having your heart ripped out by a gourmet chef, who sautés it right in front of you with herb butter and garlic. You're reeling from the shock of such sudden violence, and by the time your senses return, the chef serves you your heart, glistening with luscious sauce beside some bright spring greens. You numbly take a bite...and it's the most delicious thing you've ever tasted.
Therefore, it makes sense that the ending would be devastating, but I was quite unprepared for how devastating it would be, because not only was it WAY too real, it was completely justified and horrifically beautiful. No "drama for shock value" stuff here. This is the real deal.
This ending was like having your heart ripped out by a gourmet chef, who sautés it right in front of you with herb butter and garlic. You're reeling from the shock of such sudden violence, and by the time your senses return, the chef serves you your heart, glistening with luscious sauce beside some bright spring greens. You numbly take a bite...and it's the most delicious thing you've ever tasted.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse
Moderate: Sexual assault and Adult/minor relationship
Minor: Animal death
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