Reviews tagging 'Grief'

The Women of Troy by Pat Barker

29 reviews

glowan4's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Physical abuse, War, Sexism, Pregnancy, Murder, Suicide, Misogyny, Grief, and Fatphobia

Moderate: Rape and Torture

Minor: Genocide

alexiasophii's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense slow-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? No

4.5

Just like the previous book in this series,   please be careful of the content warnings, they are NOT a lie or minimized, this is a very heavy, graphic, and pain-ridden book. 

This one, differently from the first, is a lot slower. Just like the Greeks are stuck in Troy due to the weather, so we are stuck in a moment in time in the plot. The entire book focuses on a very short time spawn and it is very character-focused. The characters are amazingly done and I really enjoyed it, though not as much as the first one! 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Pregnancy, Murder, Child death, Rape, Sexual assault, Slavery, Violence, Colonisation, Genocide, Grief, Kidnapping, Mental illness, Misogyny, Vomit, War, and Blood

remuslibrary's review against another edition

dark emotional funny hopeful sad tense 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Slavery, Sexism, Rape, Death, Violence, and Grief

Moderate: Torture, Child death, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, and War

Minor: Body shaming and Suicide

jesticulate's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Grief, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Gore, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Suicide, Abortion, Blood, Child death, Death, Sexism, Sexual content, Torture, Forced institutionalization, Injury/Injury detail, Rape, War, Death of parent, Misogyny, Murder, Domestic abuse, Genocide, Infidelity, Mental illness, Slavery, and Violence

Moderate: Fatphobia and Ableism

quinn22's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful sad slow-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Slavery, Murder, Rape, and Sexual violence

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Misogyny, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Child death, Torture, Physical abuse, Sexism, Abortion, Injury/Injury detail, Blood, Genocide, Miscarriage, Grief, Death, and Deportation

Minor: Torture, Dementia, Animal cruelty, Vomit, Fatphobia, Confinement, Cursing, Grief, Toxic relationship, Trafficking, War, Alcohol, Body shaming, Child death, Incest, Colonisation, Infidelity, Self harm, Violence, and Xenophobia

crazytourists_books's review against another edition

fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No

2.0

I wanted to like it and I tried. I really did. 
I pretended that the inconsistency between the points of view and the title of the book didn't bother me (it's more Pyrrhus and Calchas and Briseis of course than the "women of Troy"). I tried not to pay attention at the lack of story (the whole book could be summarised into fifty pages, with no problem). I tried no to pay attention at the anachronisms and inaccuracies (did the writer really think that's they way people spoke in ancient times even soldiers at war? Also, the veil, was something that only elite, free women wore, as a sign of status). And then I got to the drop that made the glass overflow; the fat shaming. Its never OK, never acceptable to fat shame someone, especially when, as here, does not serve any purpose. I doesn't add anything to the plot, nothing would change if it wasn't there. 
I was really underwhelmed, I had high hopes and expectations from this book...

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, War, Violence, Blood, Body shaming, Child death, Death, Gore, Genocide, Rape, Slavery, Grief, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, and Suicide

Minor: Torture

georgiatancred's review against another edition

dark emotional inspiring 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

4.25

I'm definitely going to read this again. Page 80-81 had me nearly in tears. I was so moved. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abortion, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Genocide, Grief, Misogyny, Pregnancy, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Slavery, Sexual content, Murder, Rape, Sexism, and Sexual violence

karo_lin's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? N/A
• 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: Murder, Death, and Domestic abuse

Moderate: Abortion, Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Murder, Rape, Sexual assault, Slavery, Domestic abuse, Suicide, Child death, Confinement, Death of parent, Grief, Kidnapping, Vomit, and War

heuteschongekurtet's review against another edition

emotional medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Suicide, Vomit, Child death, Cursing, Misogyny, Animal death, Blood, Death, Pregnancy, Sexual assault, Rape, Grief, War, Sexual harassment, and Slavery

cosycourtney's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional reflective 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? It's complicated

4.0

The books in Pat Barker’s Troy series always pleasantly surprise me. They are not really the genre I naturally gravitate towards but Silence Of The Girls and now Women Of Troy were both astounding reads. Anyone who is a fan of Madeline Miller honestly must also read these books. I would easily recommend the Troy series over Song Of Achilles because  it once again centers women in a story that typical surrounds the actions of men. I liked the way Women Of Troy had a more diverse range of female experience and highlights the varying natures of survival, anger and acceptance of the fate of the women in our story. It really mirrored similar experiences we still face in modern day world where female experience, feminism and fighting against the patriarchy exists in many different ways. Barker writes in such an accessible way with subtle contextual hints throughout her work. There is no huge expectation that you have to be a Trojan expert in order to enjoy the story. Despite a quite a large cast of characters, our women are deeply developed; their connections to one another solid & clear. Upon finishing Women Of Troy I found out there is a third Troy novel coming next year focusing on Cassandra, a character I really wanted more from so I can’t wait—knowing this now it feels like the tease of her potential abundance was intentional. This book only lost 1 star from me because some of the chapter were from a male’s POV and while I know it was essential to the story they were my least favourite chapters. Can’t wait for more Pat Barker in future! 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Rape, Body horror, Body shaming, Child death, Death, Gore, Grief, Murder, Pregnancy, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Vomit, Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, and Physical abuse