Reviews tagging 'Pedophilia'

When We Cease to Understand the World by Benjamín Labatut

25 reviews

espringer43's review against another edition

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challenging dark informative mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

3.0

2 stars removed for very unnecessary pedophilia that went on for way too long
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lipka's review against another edition

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dark emotional informative tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? N/A
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
        Un verdor terrible is... blue, black, and devastating. It's a strange moment: the reality and unreality folded together, nonlinear and noneuclidean. You really could blot out the sun with this book. Hold it just high enough—the shadow it casts is a dark, ancient thing.

        The chapters fling themselves in all directions at breakneck speed. A comet, and a coma. "What wind drags it off with the fury of an angel cast out from heaven, falling, and falling, and falling?" Only the tail end of it can tell.
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solanum's review against another edition

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challenging informative reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

1.75

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cass_lit's review against another edition

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1.5

No. 
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a0ri's review against another edition

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dark mysterious reflective slow-paced
  • 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

2.75

I did not enjoy this as other did. I see where the author is trying to go, but it felt fixated on taking a very certain approach. As the book went on each speculative element seemed to try to top the previous, which also felt awkward.


The final section also felt detached from the first 2/3 of the book, but perhaps that's because I missed something in my desire to finish and be done with it

I really didn't understand why so many of the stories needed to focus the speculative aspects in the scientist being a sexual deviant. It really took away from the impact, especially since I'm one case the scientist was actually a known pedophile, which I would have just dismissed had I not looked up the backstory of each scientist afterward


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swadhi's review against another edition

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challenging dark informative inspiring reflective tense 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? It's complicated

4.0

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smarencik's review against another edition

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adventurous dark informative reflective fast-paced

5.0

incredibly interesting. loved the blend of fiction and nonfiction. ending stunned me
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enbyemu's review against another edition

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2.5

I am not a person who is easily baffled by books, but this one threw me for a loop. This was partially due to a poorly written synopsis that I read which made it sound like a book about the psychology of so-called geniuses - perhaps with a bit of science regarding the structure of the brain thrown in. That is not what this book is. This is a book about scientific breakthroughs - specifically in the realm of quantum physics and the mathematics used to prove specific theories - and the stories of the men who came to realize those leaps in understanding. The style of this book reads like a beautiful piece of nonfiction, so that's what I next concluded that it was. It was only after I had read a significant chunk of the book that I looked more into it and discovered that it is classified as historical fiction. Which lead me to question a great many things about the narration. The author seems to romanticize an "idealized" version of genius that is exemplified by hyper-fixation and over-work to the point of mental breakdowns that lead to inexplicable (even on the parts of the geniuses) scientific discovery - an unhealthy perspective, to say the least, not to mention the hyper creepy romanticizing of pedophelia in one of the chapters. When I thought these stories were entirely nonfiction, I felt the romanticizing of these things to be unsettling, but something I could work with. However, now knowing that this book is historical fiction, I am severely unnerved by the idea that these elements were added in simply due to the author's obsessions and desires. I wish I knew more about where the lines between fiction and nonfiction could be drawn. The writing is engaging and well-crafted, I will admit, and I wish that I had the proper impression of the book going into it because that may have greatly changed my perspective of it. As it is, I found the book to be disturbing. Not disturbing in a way that roils the mind and electrifies the soul (that is to say, disturbing in the best way possible), but disturbing in a way that makes you worry for the mental state of the author and for the health of those around him. I cannot say I enjoyed this book and I won't be recommending it to anyone, but I think it WILL stick in the mind for a long while yet...
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turtleghost's review against another edition

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dark informative inspiring mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Absolutely fascinating book, the storytelling was masterful, well done to the author and translator! Would hugely recommend to anyone interested in physics/mathematics/chemistry or history around the world wars- but I would not recommend if you are disturbed by imagery of chemical warfare, mental breakdowns or the romanticisation of a minor. Definitely challenging themes, but this book explores the dark history behind the discoveries that have created the world as we know it.
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alyx's review against another edition

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challenging dark informative mysterious reflective medium-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

4.0

I'm still trying to figure this book out. I'm not sure what I think about it, but I know I'll be thinking about it for a long time. A frequent word I've heard used to describe When We Cease to Understand the World is "haunting," and I can't imagine a more apt descriptor.
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