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Reviews tagging 'Abortion'

The Dictionary of Lost Words by Pip Williams

85 reviews

mckiheather's review against another edition

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emotional reflective slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

The Dictionary of Lost Words was a nice storyline, just slow in parts. The main character, Esme, was a very curious and intelligent character who reminded me of Liesel from The Book Thief in her independence and love for words, especially neglected words. This, and the chance to see how Esme changed over time through the words she collected, gave the book a unique voice and style that I enjoyed.
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siobhanward's review against another edition

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emotional 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

2.5

 Reese's Book Club Pick 56/67


I think I'm just burnt out of UK/US based historical fiction in the 19th/20th centuries, because this just dragged for me. It felt like the dictionary was only relevant for the first third of the book and then everything swiveled to Esme and her life. I know that she was the protagonist but I truly thought the dictionary was going to be a bigger plot point and not just kind of pushed to the back. I really didn't find the book or characters that memorable and don't see myself taking much away from this one. 
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lenchen25's review against another edition

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informative inspiring reflective sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes

3.0

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natalia_booksss's review against another edition

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challenging emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective 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? It's complicated

4.25

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reagans_reads's review against another edition

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emotional inspiring reflective sad 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? It's complicated

4.0

This book was very enjoyable! I enjoyed how feminist the text was, it was an unexpected but nice addition. 
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brimcnull's review against another edition

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emotional reflective 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? No

5.0

This book was a major weeper for me. The Dictionary of Lost Words asks the question do words mean different things to different people. Written when the Oxford English Dictionary was being published, heroine, Esme quickly discovers words are being left out, especially those used by women and the disenfranchised. This book was a coming of age story and a love story to words.
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selincck's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional informative 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? No

3.75

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katekatiekait's review against another edition

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

2.0

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laurenleigh's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

One of my favorite reads in a long time! This felt so relevant to me right now. The creation of the Oxford English Dictionary is fascinating to me on its own, but I loved exploring that through the lens of class and gender politics. Language is yet another bastion of the patriarchy, and it’s so important to constantly consider how it affects our thinking, in terms of power dynamics. I could have done with less of the depressing aspects of Esme’s life, but I get that being a woman at the turn of the century was hard. My favorite part was when Edith writes a letter to Esme about woman’s suffrage. It was extremely timely, and I feel like I need to buy this book in print just so I can reference that section again and again. Great narrator too!
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mattiedancer's review against another edition

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hopeful sad 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? Yes

5.0

Writing: 5⭐️/5 
Genuinely some of the most beautiful writing I’ve read in a bit. Part of the reason the writing felt so gorgeous was definitely the focus on words and their definitions, and yet a lot of the writing was thoroughly developed in a way that did much to show without telling. While being slow-paced, I never felt bored or confused. 

Characters: 5⭐️/5
While I didn’t love every character, they all felt real. People who annoyed our MC, Esme, weren’t forced to annoy us in contrived ways. Instead, their characters grated against hers in a natural way. Characters who our MC loved were given consistent personalities and were thrown into situations in which they were required to react. 

Plot: 5⭐️/5 
It’s a simple story: a young girl grows up watching her father help build the dictionary and chooses that life for herself. And yet, the depth in which Williams is able to apply other themes and subplots into such a simple story is masterfully done. The inclusion of the rise of feminism, the faults of new movements, the coming-of-age aspects from a woman’s perspective, and the harsh realities of life and death were adeptly handled.  

Post-Reading Rating:  5⭐️/5
Oh, how sad and wonderful. 

Who Should Read This? 
  • Fans of historical fiction
  • Word-lovers and feminists
  • Those looking for a slow coming-of-age story that evolves into a story about life in general


CW: Pregnancy, adoption, death, war, violence, trauma, abuse, misogyny, classism 

Final Rating: 5⭐️/5
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