Reviews tagging 'Sexual content'

The Dictionary of Lost Words by Pip Williams

36 reviews

raquelreadsalot's review against another edition

emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad 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? Yes

5.0

Such a stunning story. Any bibliophile would love it, with its emphasis on words, where they come from and how they are used.

Esme's story was wonderful, hopeful, sometimes sad, and portrayed the difficulties or women and other minorities 1900s. Truly, a beautiful read for anyone who loves a period piece, loves words, and loves am emotionally gripping tale.

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Content Warnings

Minor: Violence and Sexual content

laheath's review against another edition

emotional reflective slow-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

4.0

The description of this book really doesn't do it justice.  The decades-long compilation of the very first Oxford English Dictionary is at first a catalyst for Esme's love of words, then the background for her life of learning and experiences through WWI and the women's suffrage movement in the UK.  As she becomes aware of classism, sexism, and the struggles against them, she feels compelled to keep her own record of words in common usage that the editors have decided against including in the dictionary.  The supporting characters are strong and significant in their impact on her story.  In reading the author's note and interviews with the author, it was especially interesting to learn of her inspiration for this novel and where this historical fiction deviated from fact. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death, Pregnancy, Grief, Death of parent, War, Cursing, and Classism

Minor: Sexual content

molly16's review against another edition

emotional inspiring reflective medium-paced

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

5.0

This book was just incredible. It follows Esme's growth just as much as it follows the creation of the dictionary. It was heartbreakingly beautiful, shining light on the highest highs, the lowest lows, and everything in between. At times, Esme had so many words to describe what she was feeling and what was going on, she spoke in eloquent, winding sentences with alliteration that was second nature to her. At other times, there were no words. Not a single pigeon hole contained an adequate word. The dictionary failed to explain the depth of her emotion. And at times, it seemed the entirety of language failed her.

As someone who's felt some of the deep grief detailed in the book, it's as much an exploration of grief as it is an exploration of who decides what words are worth defining. Completely five out of five stars.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Death, Death of parent, and War

Moderate: Body horror, Sexism, Mental illness, Pregnancy, Sexual content, Fire/Fire injury, and Classism

Minor: Abortion, Medical content, Panic attacks/disorders, Hate crime, Infertility, Injury/Injury detail, and Suicidal thoughts

Additional note: there is extensive discussion of

a child being given up to another family at birth

that recurs through the book. On the grief CW: I cannot overstate how important it is that you take note of this tag. It recurs throughout the book and compounds on itself. On the mental illness CW: mentions of depression, very brief mention of suicidal plan, mentions of war related PTSD. On the body horror CW: once again war related injuries, mentions of both healed and fresh burn injuries (healed are mentioned more).

atamano's review against another edition

informative 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? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny, Sexism, Death, Death of parent, and Grief

Moderate: Classism, Sexual content, and Cursing

Minor: Fire/Fire injury

graceevalyn's review against another edition

emotional hopeful informative inspiring 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? Yes

4.5

I loved this book!! I really enjoy books that deal with big social issues by focusing on very intimate aspects of a single person's life, and by doing that are able to say something clearly about the social issue clearly without preaching. This book did that. It's so thoroughly researched and meticulously put together; the historical detail included about the making of the dictionary is fascinating. The main character and many of the supporting characters are masterfully drawn, flawed, yet sympathetic characters. It's beautifully written and reflects on the role of women (or lack thereof) in the development of language, as well as more generally the power of words and sometimes their inability to say what we want to say. It's also astonishing to read a book that covers a scope of so many years and yet is paced so well and keeps my interest/remains consistent in tone and ideas the whole time while growing along with the character. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Pregnancy, War, Cursing, and Grief

Moderate: Child abuse, Death, Death of parent, and Sexual content

Minor: Abortion

innerweststreetlibrarian's review against another edition

informative reflective sad slow-paced

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

3.0

I found this disappointingly slow going. There’s nothing particularly wrong with the book, it just didn’t grab me enough to get through it quickly. Esme is quite passive for a protagonist. Things happen around her and to her. It’s a bit depressing. 
The words are the real star of the story. I enjoyed the premise that there’s a gender bias in these original dictionaries and the process of collecting the women’s words and defining them was really interesting. The story could have benefited from more of that. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Grief, Pregnancy, and War

Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Fire/Fire injury, Sexual content, Child abuse, Death of parent, Abortion, Injury/Injury detail, Terminal illness, Violence, Mental illness, and Sexism

Minor: Misogyny and Infertility

maloki's review

lighthearted reflective relaxing slow-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? No

4.5

This is such a lovely read if you have any love for words and language and it's uses. I have so many friends who I share linguistic quips with on the regular, and I think they'd all love this book. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Sexual content

I wasn't expecting the sexual parts, considering how the book had been up until then, so it took my by surprise.

theseasoul's review against another edition

emotional informative sad medium-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: War

Moderate: Abortion and Sexual content

leahrosiee's review against another edition

emotional inspiring reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Classism, Misogyny, Sexism, Death, Death of parent, and Pregnancy

Moderate: Sexual content, War, and Medical content

Minor: Mental illness and Abortion

mel_s_bookshelf's review against another edition

emotional informative inspiring relaxing slow-paced

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

5.0

 

This is probably the most wonderfully unique story that I have ever read. 

 

It is the story of a dictionary. The Oxford English Dictionary to be precise. In its first publication, the Oxford English Dictionary was discovered to be missing a word; Bondmaid. This is the story of how that word came to be missing. It is the story of Esme Nicoll, the young girl who spends her childhood hiding beneath the sorting table of the Scriptorium, where a team of lexicographers are working on gathering and defining words for the dictionary. Over time, Esme beings to learn that certain words are deemed more important than others, a notion to which she finds she disagrees. So, she begins to gather words herself, words deemed ‘unimportant’, mostly from working class women, whom would otherwise not be heard. Words for another dictionary: The Dictionary of Lost Words. 

 

Esme’s story had me captivated from the beginning. This was in part due to how beautifully it was written – it was a very slow-paced book, but it was so rich in detail, of characters, setting, history and feeling, that I did not once feel bored. I listened to this mostly on audiobook, in small sized pieces over a few weeks, and honestly, I didn’t want it to end. It began to feel like a place of comfort I could turn to every night, so much so I almost want to just listen to it all over again. 

 

The other reason this story had me so captivated is more personal. I am a huge lover of words – reading them, discussing them, puzzling with them, and writing them. I share this love with my late Grandfather, who was an avid reader, always choosing a book over the television. He also wrote poetry, loved the daily crossword puzzle, and his own dictionary was never far away. 

 

His dictionary is now in my possession, and so of course I had to check – it is indeed an Oxford English Dictionary and just to make sure, I looked, and yes, the word bondmaid is now definitely in there! 

 

If you too are a lover of words, then make sure to give this a read (or listen – the narration was beautiful and captivating) 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cursing, Death of parent, Grief, Sexism, Death, and Pregnancy

Moderate: Medical content, War, and Classism

Minor: Sexual content and Abortion