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Reviews tagging 'Forced institutionalization'
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Annie Barrows, Mary Ann Shaffer
4 reviews
sophiaofbroadmoor's review against another edition
hopeful
inspiring
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? No
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and War
Moderate: Deportation and Forced institutionalization
Minor: Vomit
isobelline's review against another edition
emotional
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
I can see a lot of people falling in love with this book. Unfortunately, I am not one of them.
Things I liked:
- the descriptions of Guernsey, its nature and the daily life of its inhabitants
- the premise. The idea of a book club on a secluded island during World War II is a really interesting concept!
- the side-characters. They were rather charming and I wish the book was about them and not about Juliet.
Now, let's move on to the things that I didn't like:
- the format. I feel that ultimately the epistolary format is a hinderance to this narrative. It can work in a lot of other cases, but this one probably should have been told straight. Also, the epistolary format could have been a great tool for character development, it could be used to give each character a unique and distinct voice. Unfortunately, that didn't happen. All letters were written in the same kind of tone with the same type of humor, almost all of them expressed the same sentiments. A real missed opportunity, in my opinion.
- the protagonist. Oh, Juliet. You know, she is a lot like Mrs. Maisel. At times, she is incredibly funny and charming. At other times, she is insufferable. Despite what some might say, at several moments I found her to be rather close-minded and self-absorbed. She couldn't possibly think that other people might have opinions that are different from hers. That other people might not like the things that she likes, or not care about the things that she cares about. I should also point out that Juliet and Elizabeth are basically the same character; they have the same personality traits, the react to things similarly, have the same attitudes, etc. That made it really hard for me to care about Elizabeth (and this book really wanted me to!) because I was really not on board the Juliet-train.
- the lack of realism. Characters in this book are surprisingly happy for people who have just witnessed the horrors of World War II and the German Occupation. They're way too accepting for people from the 1940s, they're just too damn nice. I would have loved to see a greater diversity of opinions and attitudes when it comes to characters.
Entering spoiler territory:
The Oscar Wilde letters storyline was when this novel really jumped the shark for me. That just came out of nowhere and led nowhere, was completely unnecessary and random. Also, why would they give Isola a book on phrenology??? You know, a pseudoscience that was used by THE NAZIS??? The ones that occupied Guernsey??? That was so goddamn weird.
Things I liked:
- the descriptions of Guernsey, its nature and the daily life of its inhabitants
- the premise. The idea of a book club on a secluded island during World War II is a really interesting concept!
- the side-characters. They were rather charming and I wish the book was about them and not about Juliet.
Now, let's move on to the things that I didn't like:
- the format. I feel that ultimately the epistolary format is a hinderance to this narrative. It can work in a lot of other cases, but this one probably should have been told straight. Also, the epistolary format could have been a great tool for character development, it could be used to give each character a unique and distinct voice. Unfortunately, that didn't happen. All letters were written in the same kind of tone with the same type of humor, almost all of them expressed the same sentiments. A real missed opportunity, in my opinion.
- the protagonist. Oh, Juliet. You know, she is a lot like Mrs. Maisel. At times, she is incredibly funny and charming. At other times, she is insufferable. Despite what some might say, at several moments I found her to be rather close-minded and self-absorbed. She couldn't possibly think that other people might have opinions that are different from hers. That other people might not like the things that she likes, or not care about the things that she cares about. I should also point out that Juliet and Elizabeth are basically the same character; they have the same personality traits, the react to things similarly, have the same attitudes, etc. That made it really hard for me to care about Elizabeth (and this book really wanted me to!) because I was really not on board the Juliet-train.
- the lack of realism. Characters in this book are surprisingly happy for people who have just witnessed the horrors of World War II and the German Occupation. They're way too accepting for people from the 1940s, they're just too damn nice. I would have loved to see a greater diversity of opinions and attitudes when it comes to characters.
Entering spoiler territory:
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Forced institutionalization, and War
naomi_k's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Vomit, War, Violence, Bullying, and Forced institutionalization
Minor: Dysphoria, Genocide, Hate crime, Pregnancy, Xenophobia, Animal death, Child abuse, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Slavery, Child death, Death of parent, Torture, Alcoholism, Antisemitism, and Gun violence
rieviolet's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
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? No
4.0
I went into this book not expecting much, I thought it would be just a pleasant and easy read to end the year and start a new one, but oh boy it was much more! I'm not the biggest fan of WW2 fiction but this book was a very pleasant surprise.
I really liked how the authors didn't shy away from and handled the heavy topics related to war, occupation and concentration camps. But, at the same time, the book was also very hopeful and filled with such lovely humour and funny situations.
I really loved the big cast of characters, with all their idiosyncrasies, they felt really well depicted and vivid on the page.
I appreciated the narrative choice of telling the story through letters/telegrams and the theme of "reading/loving books" that was an undercurrent throughout the story.
I'm not giving full marks because some plot points and situations felt a little bit too predictable or far-fetched/bizarre, although it made for a very heartwarming and feel-good story.
All in all, a lovely way to begin a new reading year!
I really liked how the authors didn't shy away from and handled the heavy topics related to war, occupation and concentration camps. But, at the same time, the book was also very hopeful and filled with such lovely humour and funny situations.
I really loved the big cast of characters, with all their idiosyncrasies, they felt really well depicted and vivid on the page.
I appreciated the narrative choice of telling the story through letters/telegrams and the theme of "reading/loving books" that was an undercurrent throughout the story.
I'm not giving full marks because some plot points and situations felt a little bit too predictable or far-fetched/bizarre, although it made for a very heartwarming and feel-good story.
All in all, a lovely way to begin a new reading year!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Antisemitism, Confinement, Death, Death of parent, Genocide, Police brutality, Slavery, War, and Violence
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Alcoholism, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Medical content, Mental illness, Murder, Trafficking, Torture, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Excrement, Religious bigotry, Vomit, and Xenophobia
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