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paul_535's review against another edition
Not for me, funny in part but contrived humour and I found the narrative’silly’.
carolyn0613's review against another edition
4.0
Natasha is a young Russian girl sent to an English bording school. Eating disorders are rife and one of her friends disappears and the girls are told that she has died. There's a bit of mystery around this but the main point of the story is about the eating disorders and a kind of coming of age plotline. It all sounds a little grim but isn't. Worth a read. I enjoyed other books by Scarlett Thomas and this one was a little different but still good.
kelvox's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
A desperately interesting take on forgotten rich girls and how miserable and nasty they are and can be. Almost lyrical in its prose and beautifully self-referential.
Not for the faint of heart - skip if you've ever had problems with body image, weight, or food.
Not for the faint of heart - skip if you've ever had problems with body image, weight, or food.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Fatphobia, Adult/minor relationship, Eating disorder, Self harm, Death, Vomit, Emotional abuse, Body shaming, Sexual violence, Toxic friendship, Suicide, Pedophilia, and Sexual harassment
katydidreads's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
fast-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
2.75
Great writing but got a little lost/confused when giving nick names. Wasn’t really sure if this was a mystery or a book about school girls and their problems. Nice easy read though.
kleonard's review against another edition
4.0
A devastating morality tale about eating disorders, young women, manipulation, and self-worth. Natasha, the daughter of a Russian oligarch, is sent to boarding school in England. where he already-growing obsession with her body and appearance is fed by the anorexia and bulimia of her fellow students, also the neglected daughters of rich families. When one student dies, the faculty--all with their own body issues--seems to unintentionally bungle the job in teaching the students to avoid further disordered eating, but there are sinister motives propelling everyone involved towards horrible ends. Content warning for disordered eating, body issues, anorexia, bulimia, fasting, and other similar topics.
sarahweiss's review against another edition
dark
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
5.0
khetti's review against another edition
dark
emotional
funny
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Vomit and Eating disorder
Minor: Sexual harassment
thebookboy's review against another edition
4.0
I don't know what I expected from this book, but it definitely exceeded whatever I had in mind.
There's something about stories of people in boarding schools that really appeal to me, and Oligarchy so effortlessly captured the strange isolation of being in an environment where multiple characters are forced to interact with only the smallest segment of society around them.
The girls are mostly vindictive, snobby, nasty little madams, but what do you expect from a boarding school which clearly emphasises class disparities, barely addresses blatant eating disorders, and which is run by truly incompetent staff?
Perhaps one of the most appealing aspects of the book is it's interesting obsession with eating disorders, body image and the pressures faced by young girls in society. Although we are arguably moving towards a more tolerant "love yourself as you are" time, it's easy to believe how girls in such a unique situation would quickly spiral into these conditions, and reading about their thoughts, weird diets and obsessions over their weight was a really interesting insight to these mental disorders as a whole.
There are plenty of characters who stick out for the right reasons. Tash is an interesting Russian student whose father leads a shady life, Rachel is a "fat" girl who quickly becomes the envy of all as her eating disorder steps up a notch (excessive exercise as an eating disorder is well explained here) and there are plenty of other characters who help this novel feel rich and alive with their speech quirks, their obsessions over Estella from great Expectations and other really rich detail.
I absolute adore the weird little stories the girls tell each other - drowned princesses, dark gems, women ravished by sultans - it's exactly the sort of school lore that these institutions tend to have, and it created a wonderful atmosphere of childhood innocence against the dark realities of their everyday lives.
If I had to criticise something, I would say that the overall resolution of the novel is a bit underwhelming. I could of happily read so much more about these characters, and the wrap up of the story does seem a bit lacking somehow, but not enough to detract too much from the novel as a whole.
If you like quirky novels that also tackle very real issues, Oligarchy is one not to be missed.
4.5 stars
There's something about stories of people in boarding schools that really appeal to me, and Oligarchy so effortlessly captured the strange isolation of being in an environment where multiple characters are forced to interact with only the smallest segment of society around them.
The girls are mostly vindictive, snobby, nasty little madams, but what do you expect from a boarding school which clearly emphasises class disparities, barely addresses blatant eating disorders, and which is run by truly incompetent staff?
Perhaps one of the most appealing aspects of the book is it's interesting obsession with eating disorders, body image and the pressures faced by young girls in society. Although we are arguably moving towards a more tolerant "love yourself as you are" time, it's easy to believe how girls in such a unique situation would quickly spiral into these conditions, and reading about their thoughts, weird diets and obsessions over their weight was a really interesting insight to these mental disorders as a whole.
There are plenty of characters who stick out for the right reasons. Tash is an interesting Russian student whose father leads a shady life, Rachel is a "fat" girl who quickly becomes the envy of all as her eating disorder steps up a notch (excessive exercise as an eating disorder is well explained here) and there are plenty of other characters who help this novel feel rich and alive with their speech quirks, their obsessions over Estella from great Expectations and other really rich detail.
I absolute adore the weird little stories the girls tell each other - drowned princesses, dark gems, women ravished by sultans - it's exactly the sort of school lore that these institutions tend to have, and it created a wonderful atmosphere of childhood innocence against the dark realities of their everyday lives.
If I had to criticise something, I would say that the overall resolution of the novel is a bit underwhelming. I could of happily read so much more about these characters, and the wrap up of the story does seem a bit lacking somehow, but not enough to detract too much from the novel as a whole.
If you like quirky novels that also tackle very real issues, Oligarchy is one not to be missed.
4.5 stars
morethanthepages's review against another edition
3.0
"He has the eyes of a lifeguard who would let people drown." Might be my new favorite way of describing someone creepy or who makes you uncomfortable. This book is weird. But weird in the way I didn't want to stop but part of me had no idea what was going on at times. It was a lot of disbelief. It's like roadkill you can't look away but you're curious to know what animal it is. (Horrific way of putting I know but it's the best way to describe it.)
Around page 70 is where I was finally like okay I have to keep going because what the eff is going on at this school and what the eff is this girl's life!?
It was good, sometimes vague, but overall an interesting read.
Around page 70 is where I was finally like okay I have to keep going because what the eff is going on at this school and what the eff is this girl's life!?
It was good, sometimes vague, but overall an interesting read.
mackinseyjoy's review against another edition
dark
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
This book has moments of hilarity, but it literally has no discernable plot. Also, I think some authors seem to confuse literary fiction with writing the worst characters imaginable and having those characters say crazy shit. Unfortunately, where Thomas was looking to create characters in a similar vein to Fabienne from the 'Book of Goose', these characters fell flat. I just don't understand what Thomas was trying to say with this one, but I do plan to revisit some of her other work in the future because she is a funny and witty writer.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Eating disorder and Body shaming
Moderate: Excrement
Minor: Homophobia