Reviews tagging 'Forced institutionalization'

Het bal der gekken by Victoria Mas

72 reviews

monsterre__'s review

dark mysterious sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.25

i read this in one sitting and it was honestly really great! it’s such an interesting topic, and i’ve never read a book like this before. i would definitely recommend it. the story made me pretty emotional, the last few pages had my eyes welling up with tears. 

one point of critique id like to add is this book would have benefitted from being longer. there was so much that was worth exploring, that wasn’t touched. for example other patients, more detail of what happened after the ball (esp w louise!) and the discoveries of the doctor.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child abuse, Mental illness, Misogyny, Suicide attempt, Domestic abuse, Forced institutionalization, Sexual violence, Kidnapping, Sexism, Medical content, and Rape

tinybluepixel's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense slow-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Confinement, Ableism, Body horror, Medical trauma, Rape, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual violence, Suicide, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Self harm, Sexual assault, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Torture, and Suicide attempt

ktrain3900's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful mysterious sad medium-paced

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

3.5

Strong female characters are a surefire way to get me to read a book. The women (both "mad" and otherwise) are real, nuanced, opinionated. Their story is complemented by concise writing, rarely an unnecessary word or detail. (Sure, I had some difficulty picturing Salpetriere, a character in itself, but I always tend this sort of difficulty when reading.) Judgment is largely reserved and kept among the men. There is a matter of fact nature in dealing with spiritualism and communicating with the dead that lends a distance with which I'm not entirely certain I agree. Yet, you feel of and for these women. There but for the grace of God and all that. A solid, promising first effort. 

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Content Warnings

Minor: Alcoholism, Adult/minor relationship, Incest, Rape, Suicide attempt, and Forced institutionalization

Minor content warnings selected because these are vital to the story.

mattiedancer's review against another edition

informative tense fast-paced

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

3.0

Writing: 3.25⭐️/5 

The writing, while insightful in many sections, focuses mostly on telling rather than showing. For many passages, the passage directly stated Mas’ thesis, pushing forward a firm theme rather than allowing the reader to come to conclusions on their own. This did make the book extremely accessible and a much quicker read.

Characters: 3⭐️/5

The characters felt real enough, and yet also rather flat in comparison to the content matter. Where I hoped to find depth, I was met with surface-level characters who occasionally displayed features that dipped below the surface. That being said, the characters were relatively intriguing and, since the story was short, they kept interest for the course of the novel. 

Plot: 3⭐️/5 

The concept of the plot is incredibly interesting but the execution fell a bit flat. While still enjoyable and interesting, both the main plot and the side plots left me wanting more.

Who Should Read This Book? 

• Those looking for an introduction to historical fiction
• Those wanting to learn more about Salpêtrière

Content Warnings? 

• Misogyny, sexism, classism, death of a parent, death, illness, toxic relationships, toxic friendships, 

Post-Reading Rating:  2.75⭐️/5

Left me wanting more.

Final Rating: 3.0⭐️/5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Chronic illness, Death, Medical content, Medical trauma, Sexual harassment, Blood, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Self harm, Sexual violence, Toxic friendship, Sexism, Sexual content, Body shaming, Drug abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Toxic relationship, Confinement, Abandonment, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Drug use, Rape, Violence, and Vomit

crabbytaco's review against another edition

dark emotional medium-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement and Forced institutionalization

Moderate: Rape and Sexual assault

yum1_2's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective sad fast-paced

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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Sexual assault, Child abuse, Mental illness, Forced institutionalization, Suicide attempt, Incest, Misogyny, and Self harm

Moderate: Medical trauma, Death of parent, Chronic illness, Domestic abuse, Blood, and Medical content

Minor: Alcohol

stitchbooks22's review against another edition

dark emotional sad slow-paced

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

1.75

I was drawn to the cover of this book and the premise sounded interesting. However it was not well executed, did not deliver what was advertised and the story was pretty boring.

I nearly considered giving it 2 stars throughout the middle of the book as the writing was pretty good, despite the boring story and characters. But, unfortunately, the ending made me drop my rating down as it was not that good.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Medical trauma, Sexism, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Confinement, Ableism, Abandonment, Death, Forced institutionalization, Rape, Self harm, Sexual harassment, Blood, Classism, Torture, Mental illness, Misogyny, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence

anastasiamakes's review against another edition

challenging informative reflective sad 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? No

4.0

A beautiful, haunting tale, unfortunately based on true events (loosely). A really character-driven study of the plight of women in 19th century France, centred around the (real) Saltpêtrière asylum.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny, Forced institutionalization, and Rape

Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders, Incest, Self harm, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Medical trauma, Medical content, and Mental illness

Minor: Drug abuse

niamhyjay's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny and Forced institutionalization

Moderate: Mental illness and Panic attacks/disorders

Minor: Rape, Sexual assault, and Self harm

pjwanders's review against another edition

dark reflective sad 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? No

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Abandonment, Child death, Mental illness, Addiction, Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, Violence, Rape, Medical trauma, Sexual assault, Death, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, Sexual violence, Grief, and Suicide attempt