Reviews tagging 'Domestic abuse'

The Tenant of Wildfell Hall by Anne Brontë

73 reviews

221bpinkst's review

reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Alcoholism, Sexism, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, and Toxic relationship

Minor: Misogyny, Confinement, Death, Cursing, and Infidelity

rieviolet's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad slow-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? Yes

4.0

I enjoyed The Tenant of Wildfell Hall much more than Anne Brontë's other novel, Agnes Grey. 
I liked the writing style and the use of different narrative techniques
(the alternating POVs and the mix of letters and diaries entries).

It is an engaging read, there is a bit of mystery to keep your interest alive and I was also really engrossed in the characters' emotions. Though I have to say, as the story progressed, I felt that the emotional portrayals moved a bit too much into melodrama territory. I also struggled to reconcile some of the characters' choices with their depiction and growth up to that point, they felt a bit unexpected (and not in a good way). 

The themes that are explored (such as addiction, domestic abuse and women's conditions) are really powerful and so releavant even in the present day. However, at times there was just too much of a 
religious focus for my personal taste and that lowered my overall enjoyment of the story. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Gaslighting, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Violence, Alcoholism, and Sexism

Moderate: Infidelity, Physical abuse, Confinement, Grief, Terminal illness, Suicidal thoughts, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Stalking, Medical content, Blood, and Child abuse

Minor: Animal cruelty, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Suicide, and Child death

rivercat0338's review

dark emotional hopeful 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? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexism, Infidelity, Alcoholism, Domestic abuse, Gaslighting, Toxic relationship, Emotional abuse, and Addiction

Moderate: Physical abuse and Animal cruelty

Minor: Drug use and Blood

lynnannwalsh's review against another edition

dark mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Grief, Infidelity, Bullying, Confinement, Death, Alcoholism, Alcohol, Abandonment, Addiction, and Child abuse

Minor: Cursing

emmaj_xo's review against another edition

emotional 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? It's complicated

4.0

“when I feel it my duty to speak an unpalatable truth… I will speak it” oh Anne you’re an absolute star!

To think this novel was suppressed for so long and by her own sister nonetheless. Anne was as fearless as her protagonist in writing and publishing this harrowing yet honest tale of spousal abuse, and a woman’s liberation from it.

Helen is a remarkable character. She’s both self-sacrificing for those she loves and utterly savage to those she loathes (and who deserve it.) I’d say we all need a Helen in our lives but she’s too good for us.

Gilbert, the narrator who frames the novel however, is a pathetic weasel of a man who doesn’t deserve to so much as walk in her shadow.  

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse and Alcoholism

Moderate: Domestic abuse and Sexism

maren_hemsath's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad 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? It's complicated

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Child abuse, Alcoholism, Infidelity, Domestic abuse, and Sexism

Moderate: Death, Injury/Injury detail, Alcohol, and Gaslighting

Minor: Suicide attempt, Death of parent, and Racial slurs

bridget1989's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional inspiring reflective 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? Yes

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Alcohol, and Domestic abuse

lillianreadsalot's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective 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: Domestic abuse, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Death, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Infidelity, and Toxic relationship

Minor: Injury/Injury detail and Violence

reclusivebookslug's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective tense slow-paced

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

4.0

I liked this way more than I expected. Possibly signifying a toxic trait of mine, I love the trope of misunderstanding leading to a character being unnecessarily mean to another, ending in guilty feelings when the misunderstanding is cleared up. There's something about the injustice followed by the satisfaction of the truth that does it for me.

I did feel like the diary section where Helen was describing the downfall of her marriage ran a little long. It did a great job of making me feel tense and dread along with her, but at a certain point, I had gotten the message and was ready to move on. In the social climate of the time, it was more necessary to draw this bit out, prove to readers that this marriage was unsalvageable and intolerable, and that the husband was cruel and incapable of meaningful change. Today we are much more understanding of abusive and toxic relationships and accepting of separation and divorce, so as soon as he started acting up I was in support of her leaving him, whereas even after reading I understand that many people at the time thought Helen was in the wrong. This makes the book probably the most subversive and radical of any of the Brontë sister's works, which I love.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse

Moderate: Drug abuse and Addiction

The female lead character was married to an abusive husband. The abuse was not physical but did include emotional/mental/verbal abuse, controlling/manipulative behavior, infidelity, and financial abuse. The situation is exacerbated by the social mores of the time that gave husbands undue amounts of control over their wives and prevented/discouraged separation/divorce except in the most severe cases of physical abuse. The substance abuse and addiction are in relation to the aforementioned husband and his friends. The substance in question is chiefly alcohol, but smoking and laudanum (an opiate) are also mentioned. These characters are all discussed negatively, and addiction is sort of implied to be a sin as opposed to a disease, so I could see this being triggering to people who have experienced addiction.

eisi28's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad tense slow-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? Yes

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship, Alcoholism, Emotional abuse, and Domestic abuse

Moderate: Misogyny and Sexism

Minor: Animal cruelty