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lorna17's review against another edition
dark
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Suicide attempt, and Self harm
Moderate: Sexism and Sexual content
mrettaxe's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-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
damn those girls will never know peace for real… men ain’t shit 💔
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide, Suicide attempt, and Suicidal thoughts
Moderate: Self harm, Pedophilia, and Sexism
Minor: Racial slurs and Adult/minor relationship
_nimko's review against another edition
challenging
dark
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.75
When first starting this book, the voyeuristic perspective of the boys made me quiet uncomfortable. This was a feeling that did come up again as I progressed through the book as the things and natural aspects of the girls' lives that the boys sexualised was quiet weird, they spoke of their hair and skin and body which is quiet normal but then, right after, also attempted to romantacise the girls' 'flaws'.
We only see the girls through their point of view, one through which they're either sexualised or villanised. Of course, there is blantant irony in how the boys fail to differentiate between the sisters yet they refere to themselves as 'we' and we never learn anything about the boys as individuals, not even how many of them there are.
The ages of the sisters and, as a result, the boys, is concerning considering the themes shown in the book however it is important to realise that despite their naivety and lack of world experience, teenagers aren't innocent. Also, the problems of society are better adressed when talking about teenagers, especially sheltered teenage girls, rather then working adult women (in this book at least). Obviously, women and girls share a great heap of problems however there is a distinct difference between adult woman - who has some semblance of power - and teen girl - who can be a victim of that power.
I feel as though teenage girls and women can see certain aspects of the sisters in ourselves or aspects of our own society which the sisters are affected by. This and the consistant prose of the book leads me to belive that the book is a criticism of our society in regards to how teenage girls are viewed and treated, often times dismissed and ignored despite us yelling, screaming, raging for help only to become another lost cause or, in extreme cases, 'tradgedies.'
What I fail to grasp is how a man could grasp this concept especially considering how the book was written in 1993. However, the perspective of the boys could only be written by a man. To put it simply, its drowning in the male gaze. Still, I refuse to belive that teenage boys think this way.
Also, tw for suicide, sexism, ableism, racism, potential child abuse, sex between minors, sex between adult and minor.
We only see the girls through their point of view, one through which they're either sexualised or villanised. Of course, there is blantant irony in how the boys fail to differentiate between the sisters yet they refere to themselves as 'we' and we never learn anything about the boys as individuals, not even how many of them there are.
The ages of the sisters and, as a result, the boys, is concerning considering the themes shown in the book however it is important to realise that despite their naivety and lack of world experience, teenagers aren't innocent. Also, the problems of society are better adressed when talking about teenagers, especially sheltered teenage girls, rather then working adult women (in this book at least). Obviously, women and girls share a great heap of problems however there is a distinct difference between adult woman - who has some semblance of power - and teen girl - who can be a victim of that power.
I feel as though teenage girls and women can see certain aspects of the sisters in ourselves or aspects of our own society which the sisters are affected by. This and the consistant prose of the book leads me to belive that the book is a criticism of our society in regards to how teenage girls are viewed and treated, often times dismissed and ignored despite us yelling, screaming, raging for help only to become another lost cause or, in extreme cases, 'tradgedies.'
What I fail to grasp is how a man could grasp this concept especially considering how the book was written in 1993. However, the perspective of the boys could only be written by a man. To put it simply, its drowning in the male gaze. Still, I refuse to belive that teenage boys think this way.
Also, tw for suicide, sexism, ableism, racism, potential child abuse, sex between minors, sex between adult and minor.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Child death, Injury/Injury detail, Self harm, Sexual content, Suicide, and Suicide attempt
Moderate: Ableism, Confinement, Grief, Medical content, Pedophilia, Racism, and Sexism
Minor: Alcohol and Emotional abuse
abbie_b_1493's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
slow-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? Yes
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide and Suicide attempt
Moderate: Misogyny, Sexism, and Sexual assault
Minor: Racism
devourfiction's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
I have such conflicting feelings on this one.
Can Jeffrey Eugenides write? Yes. Are his metaphors solid, shocking, haunting? Yes, yes, yes. Is this book full of ambition? Yes. Did I enjoy it? ...
As I read I couldn't help but think to myself: what is the point of treating the subject of girls' suicide and sexuality in this way? In this book, neighbourhood boys narrate their obsession with this group of girls only to find out they were unknowable, with this knowledge spurring their growth into men. Hold on, isn't this the manic pixie dream girl again? No, surely there is more to this - the writing seems so profound. Perhaps this book's racism and ableism (with Joe the R*****), praise of statutory rape as long as it happens to a boy (Trip, anyone?), and especially its constant objectification of underage girls is more than just that - maybe they are an attempt to reveal the insidiousness of the male gaze rather than promote it (the way Nabokov's Lolita had tried to with pedophilia)?
More and more red flags appeared. I didn't want to be a lazy reader, or one who wants to make certain subjects taboo for literature. As in the case of Lolita, I stand by the fact that literature can powerfully depict immoral actions. But in this case, to what end? My inability to read the novel charitably won over at a prolonged and graphic scene of one of the boys kissing one of the girls without her consent while not wanting to actually speak with her. There, I thought, is a clear statement of the grossness of these boys' treatment of girls. Except boom! The girl actually turned out to have liked it, forms a connection with him and wants to continue the relationship. Huh? So the point is that actually it's all good now, and you can just do whatever you want because you can't ever actually get into these girls' heads anyway? There is a thin line between depicting a perspective and supporting it, and I don't think Eugenides walked it well. Over the book, few of the boys' perceptions came under any kind of resistance. In a world full of the sexualisation and objectification of girls, where does that leave us?
I had a lot of hopes for this book. I was intrigued by the ambition of using solely outside male perspectives. I was hooked by the concept, in what it could reveal about sexual relationships and mental health. I was mesmerised by the skill of Eugenides's prose. But ultimately, it came down to this: either this book is full-on promoting rape culture and the like, or its 4D chess game is so complex that it is obscuring its own point and promoting rape culture anyway. And I just can't vibe with that, not even for literature's sake.
Can Jeffrey Eugenides write? Yes. Are his metaphors solid, shocking, haunting? Yes, yes, yes. Is this book full of ambition? Yes. Did I enjoy it? ...
As I read I couldn't help but think to myself: what is the point of treating the subject of girls' suicide and sexuality in this way? In this book, neighbourhood boys narrate their obsession with this group of girls only to find out they were unknowable, with this knowledge spurring their growth into men. Hold on, isn't this the manic pixie dream girl again? No, surely there is more to this - the writing seems so profound. Perhaps this book's racism and ableism (with Joe the R*****), praise of statutory rape as long as it happens to a boy (Trip, anyone?), and especially its constant objectification of underage girls is more than just that - maybe they are an attempt to reveal the insidiousness of the male gaze rather than promote it (the way Nabokov's Lolita had tried to with pedophilia)?
More and more red flags appeared. I didn't want to be a lazy reader, or one who wants to make certain subjects taboo for literature. As in the case of Lolita, I stand by the fact that literature can powerfully depict immoral actions. But in this case, to what end? My inability to read the novel charitably won over at a prolonged and graphic scene of one of the boys kissing one of the girls without her consent while not wanting to actually speak with her. There, I thought, is a clear statement of the grossness of these boys' treatment of girls. Except boom! The girl actually turned out to have liked it, forms a connection with him and wants to continue the relationship. Huh? So the point is that actually it's all good now, and you can just do whatever you want because you can't ever actually get into these girls' heads anyway? There is a thin line between depicting a perspective and supporting it, and I don't think Eugenides walked it well. Over the book, few of the boys' perceptions came under any kind of resistance. In a world full of the sexualisation and objectification of girls, where does that leave us?
I had a lot of hopes for this book. I was intrigued by the ambition of using solely outside male perspectives. I was hooked by the concept, in what it could reveal about sexual relationships and mental health. I was mesmerised by the skill of Eugenides's prose. But ultimately, it came down to this: either this book is full-on promoting rape culture and the like, or its 4D chess game is so complex that it is obscuring its own point and promoting rape culture anyway. And I just can't vibe with that, not even for literature's sake.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual harassment, Self harm, Suicide, and Suicide attempt
Moderate: Child abuse, Racism, Rape, Sexism, and Ableism
babyanarkist's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
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
4.25
I loved the writing. Absolutely adored it.
It is one of those books that carries itself completely in the writing, and the plot becomes an afterthought. The way the sentences flow endlessly with details of places and people, because the boys know everyone but the virgins. From the diabetic kid to the old neighborhood lady. These people grew up. The girls didn't.
I tend to avoid books with male protagonists, about men (and this book is about the boys). But I can't help loving the deconstruction of the male gaze.
How do you make suicide boring? By making it realistic. By making it anything but scandalous. By criticizing the way we scandalize suicide. And in all ways, desexualize it. Brilliant.
I'm probably gonna re-read this in the future.
It is one of those books that carries itself completely in the writing, and the plot becomes an afterthought. The way the sentences flow endlessly with details of places and people, because the boys know everyone but the virgins. From the diabetic kid to the old neighborhood lady. These people grew up. The girls didn't.
I tend to avoid books with male protagonists, about men (and this book is about the boys). But I can't help loving the deconstruction of the male gaze.
How do you make suicide boring? By making it realistic. By making it anything but scandalous. By criticizing the way we scandalize suicide. And in all ways, desexualize it. Brilliant.
I'm probably gonna re-read this in the future.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Misogyny, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Suicide attempt, and Death
Minor: Pregnancy, Ableism, and Racial slurs
ainebeam's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
medium-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
4.5
fuck the male gaze.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Racial slurs, Suicide attempt, Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, Sexism, Mental illness, Grief, Death, and Child death
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