Reviews tagging 'Grief'

The Word for World Is Forest by Ursula K. Le Guin

6 reviews

trailmixraisins's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful tense fast-paced

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

5.0

This Ursula K. Le Guin classic is a short and bittersweet parable-like story. She uses vivid and explicit depictions of colonialism in the setting of an alien planet years in the future where humans have developed the technology to travel through space. Selver, an Athshean man, and his society are irrevocably changed after humans settle the planet to harvest wood to be sold on Earth. Though ultimately hopeful, the toll of human violence and hatred on the non-violent society puts its continued existence in jeopardy.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Fire/Fire injury, Genocide, Murder, Colonisation, Sexual harassment, Slavery, War, Xenophobia, Violence, and Death

Moderate: Confinement, Alcohol, Blood, Drug use, Misogyny, Torture, Grief, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual violence, and Sexual assault

Minor: Gun violence, Emotional abuse, Racism, Injury/Injury detail, and Sexism

some_random_person_hi's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Loveable characters? N/A
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

A brilliant exploration of violence/ war and its effects. Currently, the only reason it's not 5 stars is bc I personally enjoy books more when I get attached to characters but this book is more idea/theme-focused than trying to get readers to root for the characters. Was in no way a comfortable book to read but that was intended so I'll let it slide. Davidson was quite hateable though, and ended up swearing in annotations quite a bit during his chapters. Will reread for ecolit so I'm looking forward to seeing how my views change.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Slavery, Violence, Fire/Fire injury, Torture, Grief, Murder, Racism, War, Xenophobia, Colonisation, Death, Gun violence, and Mass/school shootings

Moderate: Misogyny, Genocide, Sexual violence, Drug use, and Rape

Minor: Confinement and Suicide

Davidson POV chapters have very intense misogyny, racism, genocidal inclinations, toxic masculinity & sadism in general.

ka_cam's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

A heart wrenching and thought provoking read. I was impressed how she introduced complex characters, relationships, and ideologies in a short time. Deeply flawed characters navigate themes of violence, humanity/inhumanity, colonization, reality, subconscious, gender, cultural difference, self defense and more. Ultimately tragic.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual violence, Kidnapping, Misogyny, Blood, Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Hate crime, Body horror, Sexual assault, Slavery, Violence, War, and Colonisation

achingallover's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

The first chapter, in Davidson's head, is viserally uncomfortable. He's so awful, as he must be to represent a number people. The switches in POV were used really effectively to drive the plot, and also because you could see how one POV's actions would impact another, even if they did not. It's a short book, but there is so much packed in there. I felt such grief for the Earth, as well as Athshe. 
The final conversation between Selver and Lepennon gave me shivers.

"There is no use pretending, now, that we do not know how to kill one another."..."But you must not pretend to have reasons to kill one another." Says so much without saying it.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Colonisation, Fire/Fire injury, Rape, Death, Murder, Grief, Slavery, Violence, War, and Misogyny

lucystolethesky's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective sad slow-paced

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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence, Violence, Blood, Slavery, Animal death, Forced institutionalization, Genocide, Grief, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Gun violence, Murder, Colonisation, War, Xenophobia, Misogyny, Racism, and Rape

hanz's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Colonisation, Confinement, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, and Violence

Moderate: Drug use, Gun violence, and Grief