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Reviews tagging 'Pedophilia'
Death in Venice by Michael Cunningham, Michael Henry Heim, Thomas Mann
31 reviews
tommy_g's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Stalking, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Pedophilia and Pandemic/Epidemic
Minor: Medical content, Chronic illness, Bullying, Death, and Mental illness
writtenbypoets's review against another edition
dark
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
So. It's complicated.
In the first half of the book, I was mesmerized by the poetic writing style and descriptions. I can only speak for the German version and its writing. I loved to see Aschenbach come to terms with his struggle and finally realize that he needed a change. I was convinced that it would be a 5-star read.
Then the pedophilia entered the subtext, at first very subtly, but quickly added very clearly into dialogue and the plot. His obsession with the 14-year-old little Polish boy took me aback. It pulled me completely out of the story and I couldn't ignore it or just observe it from afar.
Aschenbach's behavior gets criticized by the story through the boy's family trying to keep him away from Aschenbach. But still.
Maybe I'm just very sensitive when it comes to pedophilia.
If you like poetic writing and can read about the themes listed above I would recommend it. It just wasn't for me in that regard.
In the first half of the book, I was mesmerized by the poetic writing style and descriptions. I can only speak for the German version and its writing. I loved to see Aschenbach come to terms with his struggle and finally realize that he needed a change. I was convinced that it would be a 5-star read.
Then the pedophilia entered the subtext, at first very subtly, but quickly added very clearly into dialogue and the plot. His obsession with the 14-year-old little Polish boy took me aback. It pulled me completely out of the story and I couldn't ignore it or just observe it from afar.
Aschenbach's behavior gets criticized by the story through the boy's family trying to keep him away from Aschenbach. But still.
Maybe I'm just very sensitive when it comes to pedophilia.
If you like poetic writing and can read about the themes listed above I would recommend it. It just wasn't for me in that regard.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Pedophilia and Terminal illness
welkinvault's review against another edition
dark
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
Dense, beautiful prose. I was merely enjoying the prose (just wash over me until the first time the object of Gustav's obsession, a beautiful older child (and the all descriptions is of a child in his apparal and interactions with his family in the earlier part of the book). I have difficulties getting beyond the descriptions of his 'gratification', his stalking, his desire to continue to observe and to devise ways to touch the boy's hair, etc.
I felt it was very fitting that this desire, and the inability to leave Venice, brought about his mortal destruction.
Not really for me. This is in many way, a very unemotional book, stunningly descriptive, often reflective, but passive.
I felt it was very fitting that this desire, and the inability to leave Venice, brought about his mortal destruction.
Not really for me. This is in many way, a very unemotional book, stunningly descriptive, often reflective, but passive.
Content Warnings
Minor: Pedophilia
No sex., just a lot of pent up desire expressed towards an older child.lauraetlabora's review against another edition
dark
reflective
tense
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
2.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Pedophilia
Moderate: Pandemic/Epidemic
Minor: Death
bazzie101's review against another edition
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.5
A self righteous author has a midlife crisis and stalks and lusts after a prepubescent boy on vocation with his family. So gross
Content Warnings
Moderate: Pedophilia and Racism
shrewdbard's review against another edition
challenging
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
Reading Death in Venice, it got me thinking about how biographers of Mann thought him to be a pedophile, based on diary entries he wrote about his feelings towards his own sons. Thinking about how Vladimir Nabokov thought Mann was a hack. Thinking about how, although it escapes many people’s reading comprehension, Lolita is not a romance. Thinking about The Enchanter, the novella Nabokov wrote as a precursor to Lolita, where the pedophile narrator stops short of assaulting his victim, and is so wracked with guilt he kills himself. Thinking about, in Lolita, how Humbert Humbert meets a pedophile who targets young boys, and is disgusted by him. Doesn’t seem to realize they are ultimately the same. Thinking about the person reading the introduction, saying this was a more sympathetic translation, when it came across as quite damning to me. Thinking, thinking, thinking.
I loved the imagery where Venetian gondolas are compared to Death’s boat on the River Styx. Also, Tadzio as the sunrise itself lighting outside Aschenbach’s window every morning.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Stalking and Pedophilia
alisylvi's review against another edition
challenging
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
2.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Pedophilia
eviebryant's review against another edition
dark
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
This was violent, truly. The way that tadzio is not only based on a real boy, but also the way mann describes the fourteen year old boy within the book as nothing more than a statue of absolute perfection really makes your spine tingle. Aschenbachs devotion to watching tadzio on his trip to venice is truly disturbing.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Pedophilia
lunalyce's review against another edition
dark
emotional
fast-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
3.75
Content Warnings
Minor: Pedophilia
paulathepudding's review against another edition
reflective
slow-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
2.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Pedophilia and Stalking