Reviews tagging 'Religious bigotry'

Three Daughters of Eve by Elif Shafak

10 reviews

allyemmahaworth's review

challenging mysterious reflective slow-paced

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

3.5

This book is not one for those who like a tidy ending. It leaves room for thinking and consideration and left me feeling I wasn’t quite smart enough too grasp the depth of the discussion of God that it’s constructed around. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Torture, Religious bigotry, Misogyny, Kidnapping, Alcoholism, Islamophobia, Child death, Suicide attempt, Sexism, and Rape

serendipitysbooks's review against another edition

emotional reflective medium-paced

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

4.0

 
Another gorgeously written novel from Elif Shafak’s backlist, albeit one that didn’t work as well for me as many of her others due to it’s subject matter. Perri is a young Turkish woman, raised by an non-believing father and a Muslim mother. She herself is fairly confused about her beliefs. She attends university at Oxford where she develops a friendship with two other Muslim woman - Mona who is devout and Shirin, who is very much not. At Oxford she takes a course on God, taught by an unconventional and supposedly charismatic teacher and develops something of an obsession with him. Lots of interesting inter-personal dynamics, commentary on the differences between East and West, as well as some important reminders for western readers about the diversity within the Muslim community and the dangers and limitations of assumptions and stereotyping. Overall there was too much discussion of God and spiritual beliefs for my personal taste. Had it not been Shafak I may have DNF’d but I really enjoy her way with words, the way she structures a story, and her storytelling abilities in general. This may not have been my favourite but it won’t put me off reading more from her backlist or any future releases. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Religious bigotry, Islamophobia, and Sexual assault

princessxnicole's review

challenging dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Religious bigotry and Child abuse

Minor: Suicide attempt

ohnoshin's review against another edition

emotional reflective slow-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Islamophobia, and Religious bigotry

Moderate: Torture and Suicide attempt

sarahec's review against another edition

adventurous hopeful reflective 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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Gun violence, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Toxic relationship, Child death, and Religious bigotry

vaniavela's review

emotional reflective medium-paced

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

4.0

Peri, a woman with a stable, upper-class life, is over-jumped by an robbery. She is a caring mother, but once upon a time she was a student in Oxford, England. When an old Polaroid snapshot falls out of her expensive handbag during the mugging, all the memories of that time [and of two friendships long gone] come flooding back to her. 

This is a slow-paced book, full of rich and realistic descriptions, with which we embark on an exploration of faith, religion and finding our own path. 

Three Daughters of Eve is a very philosophical book. I found it interesting to soak in these new perspectives and to meet a character like Peri. 

Unfortunately, when I picked up this book, I got carried away with the idea that the friend group would be more important. The title of the book gave me the idea that this story would revolve around them, and their ups and downs, but more than that, we were given an introspection of Peri's life. I don't mention it as a complaint, I loved getting to know her story, but I was expecting more of her friends. 

I really recommend this book.


CW: Graphic [Sexual assault, Islamophobia, Religious bigotry]  Moderate [Suicide attempt, Torture, Child death]  Minor [Animal death, Rape]

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Islamophobia, Religious bigotry, and Sexual assault

Moderate: Torture, Child death, and Suicide attempt

Minor: Rape and Animal death

ziege's review against another edition

challenging emotional informative reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Islamophobia, and Religious bigotry

Moderate: Suicide attempt

mariebrunelm's review

challenging dark inspiring mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

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

4.75

I first read this book last year, having been drawn to the diverse take on dark academia, and the first time round the book had come very close to being a favourite of the year. The good news is, it's just as engaging the second time round!

You have elements of mystery, a pinch of magical realism, nuanced characters, diverse representation, gorgeous prose and thought-provoking conversations.

This book very much feels like basking in the light of a very charismatic and very knowledgeable speaker, you  know the kind? These fascinating people you could spend hours listening to. That's close to what I felt reading this book, in a fiction format. I just wish the ending was a little less rushed, but that's probably because I would have happily read a couple more  hundred pages like that. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Islamophobia, Religious bigotry, and Sexual assault

Moderate: Alcohol, Suicide attempt, and Xenophobia

Minor: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Eating disorder, Fatphobia, and Self harm

the_literarylinguist's review against another edition

challenging reflective slow-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Emotional abuse, Islamophobia, Medical trauma, Misogyny, and Religious bigotry

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Cursing, and Suicide attempt

andrewbop's review

challenging mysterious reflective sad medium-paced

• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Islamophobia and Religious bigotry

Moderate: Suicidal thoughts and Xenophobia

Minor: Hate crime and Sexual assault