Reviews tagging 'Terminal illness'

The Tenant of Wildfell Hall by Anne Brontë

8 reviews

lindseyhall44's review

dark 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? Yes

5.0

“Whatever I am, you will be the same, and therefore, cannot possibly regret it; and whatever that change may be, we know it must be for the better.”
The Tennant of Wildfell Hall is an absolutely breathtaking novel, and one which I never wanted to end. A feminist text way ahead of its time, the story uncovers the dark past of Helen Graham, who lives alone in Wildfell Hall with her son Arthur.
This was one of the first novels to bluntly discus divorce, alcoholism, and other taboo topics, so much to the point that Charlotte Bronte did all in her power to stop its publication.  For any fans of the Brontes, or those looking to get into their woks, I would highly recommend. I can’t wait to read Agnes Gray.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Addiction, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Toxic relationship, Alcoholism, Alcohol, and Terminal illness

Moderate: Suicidal thoughts

nicolesbookreviews's review against another edition

challenging emotional mysterious reflective tense 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Death, Infidelity, Domestic abuse, Medical content, Toxic relationship, Emotional abuse, Alcoholism, and Terminal illness

mekowaletti's review against another edition

dark mysterious slow-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

4.25

i'm not usually a fan of classics due to pacing but this was captivating all the way through

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism

Moderate: Sexual harassment, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, and Terminal illness

Minor: Stalking

mattiedancer's review against another edition

emotional hopeful reflective slow-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

4.75

Writing: 5⭐️/5 

Anne Brontë’s writing, much like her sister’s, is thoughtful, intentional, poignant, and full. Reading a Brontë novel feels filling and, even as these novels tend to start slow, they’re always worth the payout. Most of this novel is beautifully written, even stunningly so. No notes.

Characters: 4.75⭐️/5

It was refreshing to see Gilbert’s immense growth through the story. From starting as a bit of a stuck-up farming boy to a thoughtful and moral man was an entertaining read. Similarly, I love Helen with my whole heart, deeply appreciating her desire to be more than just a wife or mother, while also placing those roles and their corresponding responsibilities on a bit of a pedestal. Her feminism was refreshing and her fight against her husband’s control reminded me a lot of bits and pieces of my own life and how, looking back, you realize how blind you’ve been. I struggled a bit with Lawrence, Helen’s brother, and his slightly inconsistent character, but where he failed to deliver, every other character seemed to step up.

Plot: 4.5⭐️/5 

I’m going to start with my critique, which is that one of our main characters, in a fit of rage, horrendously injures our other character’s brother. Gilbert is quick to apologize once he realizes the connection between the characters, but it felt like a large obstacle that was shoved conveniently out of the way. Otherwise, I think this novel’s plot progressed nicely, though slowly. I enjoyed the switch of perspectives as it gave a fullness to the story and, even though the switch was the majority of the novel, it felt perfectly timed and well-structured.

Who Should Read This Book? 

• Fans of the Brontë sisters
• Fans of classic literature
• Those looking for a slow, romance-heavy read that bends toward feminism

Content Warnings? 

• Misogyny, sexism, infidelity, emotional abuse, classism, death of a parent, death, injury, terminal illness, pregnancy, bullying

Post-Reading Rating:  5⭐️/5

I love Helen and Gilbert.

Final Rating: 4.75⭐️/5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Classism, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Toxic friendship, Violence, Alcohol, Gaslighting, Pregnancy, Sexism, Terminal illness, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Bullying, Death, Domestic abuse, Toxic relationship, Addiction, Grief, Misogyny, Alcoholism, and Child abuse

uncreativeoops's review

emotional mysterious reflective 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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Terminal illness, Addiction, Drug abuse, Gaslighting, Toxic relationship, Alcohol, Death, Domestic abuse, Sexism, and Alcoholism

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Confinement, and Infidelity

Minor: Rape and Suicide attempt

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

jessthanthree's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional 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? No

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Terminal illness, Child abuse, and Infidelity

jowmy4's review

emotional hopeful reflective medium-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? No

5.0

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Content Warnings

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

Moderate: Bullying and Violence

Minor: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Blood, Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Grief, Medical content, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Suicidal thoughts, and Terminal illness