Reviews tagging 'Sexism'

The People in the Trees by Hanya Yanagihara

25 reviews

ivellon's review

challenging dark emotional mysterious tense fast-paced

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

4.0

(German Version below)

Next time someone complains about the ethics standards of a university etc., I will recommend them this book.

The main topic of this book is not immortality or aging. It is research ethics. And what I gathered from reading reviews is that it may resonate more with researchers than with other people.
I feel like the often mentioned moral relativism is not really that strong. The book is quite clear about what is right and what is wrong. Instead, it shows what happens if someone does not know.

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Das nächste Mal, wenn sich jemand über die Ethikstandards einer Uni o.ä. aufregt empfehle ich dieses Buch.

Kleiner Spoiler: das Hauptthema dieses Buches ist nicht Unsterblichkeit oder Altern, es ist geht um research ethics. Und mein Eindruck nach dem Lesen mehrerer Rezensionen ist, dass das Buch Leute, die selbst Forschung betreiben, deutlich mehr anspricht als andere. 
Ich fand auch den moralischen Relativismus in diesem Buch gar nicht so stark, wie manchmal behauptet wird. Das Buch ist schon recht klar darin, was richtig und falsch ist, es zeigt eher auf, was passiert, wenn man sich nicht darüber im Klaren ist.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Pedophilia

Moderate: Racism and Sexism

swetha062's review

challenging dark emotional sad slow-paced

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

4.5

It tells you how far and broken science remains at the hands of those who only intend to abuse. They abuse the nature of everyone around to seem intellectual. The time that people like Norton existed as captured by Hanya also remains as true outside the fictional world as well. I only wish those like Victor and our surrounding some peace and calm from everyone. The book itself remains interesting and veey hard to process as you travel through the eyes of an abuser. But I commend Hanya for the vulnerability showcased in her writing and structuring of this book.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Rape, Animal cruelty, Child abuse, Classism, Colonisation, Cultural appropriation, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Hate crime, Homophobia, Murder, Pedophilia, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Sexual assault, Torture, Transphobia, and Violence

rexpostfacto's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark reflective sad tense slow-paced

5.0

If ever a content warning was needed for a book, it's this one. Beautiful writing paired with a haunting and vile faux memoir tragically based on some true events. 

The epilogue and post script literally had me holding back gags and left me feeling nauseated. 

I highly recommend the audiobook; being able to really hear Ronald's notes and emphasis on things makes all the difference imo.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Confinement, Pedophilia, Racial slurs, Xenophobia, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Colonisation, Child abuse, Racism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Dementia, Death, Cultural appropriation, and Rape

Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Sexism, Suicide, and Medical content

blackbearbaker's review against another edition

4.0

This would have been a much better book if they didn’t tell you everything that was going to happen in the first few minutes.  The whole time I was reading I kept thinking how much more engrossing the plot would be if I hadn’t already known each plot development.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Sexism, Sexual assault, and Pedophilia

xshu1's review

adventurous challenging dark tense medium-paced

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

4.0

This book was a wild ride. Full of thought provoking moments and a representation of how colonialism occurs, the dark side of science and the deep dive into the white superiority complex.

nah but for real the plot was okay. it was a good medium to talk about the effects of colonialism and how it happens. Hanya really seems to be good at writing things from the perspective of men. The twisted mind of the main character was well fleshed out. The setting was amazingly thought out.
However the writing and pace at times were painstakingly long, and the amount of unnecessary information had me itching to try not to skip paragraphs/pages ahead
The only saving grace here is Ms Yanagihara's beautiful, spectacular and amazing writing. The writing is absolutely CARRYING my rating. The diction is simply *chefs kiss*. I could get lost in this world any day. 

Its so interesting how the editor of Norton's biography (Dr Kubodera) was so infatuated with him that he was willing to look past such a heinous crime (child sexual assault) and Norton's clear affinity towards touching children. Even more, he was willing to omit it to the reader in order to highlight Norton's "wit, his intelligence, his passion and compassion" so that it "will be the things the reader remembers from this account, will be the things that define him in history". 
*pikachu face*
Norton is borderline a narcissist yall. He single handedly destroyed a native population, a species of animal, his children's lives and Victor's life. And they gave him 2 years in Jail.
Also Yanagihara's portrayal of women rub me the wrong way. But it could be a realistic portrayal of what men often think of women, which is with disdain.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Pedophilia, Rape, and Child abuse

Moderate: Racism

Minor: Sexism

muccycloud's review against another edition

dark sad medium-paced

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

2.0

I hated this book but I also could not stop reading it. The main character is deplorable, horrific, I would not choose to read this again. I kind of want to scrub it from my brain. But it was well written and despite it being horrific felt the need to finish it. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Colonisation

Moderate: Mental illness, Emotional abuse, Sexual assault, Racism, Animal cruelty, Forced institutionalization, Pedophilia, Suicide, Medical trauma, Sexism, Trafficking, Child abuse, and Rape

abbielou's review

challenging dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Medical trauma, Racism, Emotional abuse, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Adult/minor relationship, Incest, Rape, Sexism, and Sexual violence

ennzito24's review against another edition

dark emotional sad slow-paced

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

4.25

This is a beautifully written book that discusses the horrors of colonialism and the unethical scientific practices of the 20th century. It is very dark and heavy, and you are essentially experiencing the story from the perspective of a very horrible person. I've never read anything like this and I personally found it to be memorable.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny, Animal cruelty, Child abuse, Alcoholism, Pedophilia, Racism, Sexual assault, and Sexism

micamicami's review

adventurous challenging dark medium-paced

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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Confinement, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Colonisation, Abandonment, and Dementia

Moderate: Sexism, Violence, Sexual content, Medical content, and Animal death

Minor: Alcoholism

lucykateburns's review

dark mysterious 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? Yes

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Colonisation, Sexual assault, Pedophilia, Rape, Toxic relationship, Sexual violence, Sexism, and Cultural appropriation