Reviews with content warning for Grief - The Red Parts

Reviews tagging 'Grief'

The Red Parts by Maggie Nelson

11 reviews

anomiques's review against another edition

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3.75

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relf's review against another edition

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dark emotional mysterious reflective slow-paced

4.0

A poet's memoir centered on the resolution--well, at least partially, and legally--of a 35-year-old cold case, the murder of the author's aunt, whom she never knew. Beautiful writing about the effect of violent and unresolved loss on a family over time--including on the next generation. The author brings in a recent romantic breakup, the long-ago break-up of her parents' marriage, and the subsequent death of her father. A lot of sadness in this book, but also an appreciation for the absurd and some discussion of the current public thirst for true-crime stories.

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karli_reads's review

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dark slow-paced

3.5

This book is not only about the brutal account of the murder of Maggie Nelson’s Aunt. But it is also about life post tragedy, fractures of such events on a family, and a memoir like description of Maggie Nelson’s life. This book is advertised as an autobiography of a murder trial, but it delves much deeper into events Nelson experienced through her life and the subsequent aftermath that culminates in the experience and verdict of this trial.

Content Warning for everything: Sexual/Physical Violence, Rape, Drug Abuse, Suicide, Loss, Grief. An extremely heavy read. Do not recommend if you’re not in healthy mental space.

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dorottyagoston's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional reflective medium-paced

5.0

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nixiethepixie's review

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dark emotional informative reflective slow-paced

4.5

I enjoyed the form and style of this - melding journal, essay and fact, across the trial of Nelson's aunt who was brutally murdered. Nelson captures this period of time with sharp and observed reflections, whilst reflecting her memories past and present, particularly with the death of her father, relationship with her mother and grieving a lost love. Loss and grief creates a web of mystery and what could have been. I particularly enjoyed the reflections on the act of writing and storytelling itself, and who and what the act is ultimately for. To immortalise, or let go of experiences? Is either possible? Why is she writing this book - for the live or for the deceased? And what does justice look like 30 years after the fact?

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