Reviews tagging 'Misogyny'

The Island of Sea Women by Lisa See

12 reviews

avsharp's review against another edition

dark emotional informative reflective sad medium-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

4.25

A raw, tragic and wrenching story about the ties between two women being torn by historic events and the cruelty of war, as well as the darker sides of men and tradition. I learned a lot about Jeju's 20th century history, the island's cultural practices and social customs, and was really engaged by the story of Young-sook and Mi-ja, though I was a little disappointed that the main barrier to resolution was the unrelenting stubbornness of the protagonist. 

The actions of some of the characters were understandable, even if not relatable, and the bitter resolution left me feeling quite reflective and sombre about the generations of civilians - and especially women - caught up and senselessly set against each other in conflict after conflict. A tale that looks back at the trauma echoing from past events, but no doubt carries much relevance today.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child death, Domestic abuse, Misogyny, War, Torture, Police brutality, Sexual assault, and Violence

brogan7's review against another edition

adventurous challenging informative fast-paced

4.0

I loved the beginning of this book.  I didn't understand how brutal the story it had to tell would become, and I can't say I was quite ready for it.
Also, I couldn't quite relate to the perfect friendship/turned so completely to trauma of a level so deep...I couldn't relate to either of them by then, Mi-ja and her seeming instantaneous change of heart, Young-Sook and her complete unwillingness to listen or interact with her, even if she felt betrayed. 

She had to know that Mi-ja didn't cause the massacre, and that no matter Mi-ja's failure to act, it wasn't all her fault.  And on the other side, what friend asks you to choose one of your children to save? What was that?

The book explicitly and implicitly favoured a "forgiveness" pathway that felt more like passivity than forgiveness.  The ending really pushed toward a particular interpretation, which felt imposed by non-survivors (the author? Or the cultural stereotype of the passive Asian woman?). The character of Young-Sook felt like she wanted to shatter those expectations, and for the better, but she wasn't allowed her free reign.

. Originally, when Mi-ja comes to the ceremony with Shaman Kim, what happened there was wide open for interpretation.  I thought that Shaman Kim was chastising Mi-ja by reminding her of the trauma of the day of the massacre.  She was saying the family members forgave, but they were speaking to Young-sook: they were easing her pain.  To Mi-ja, outside of it all, it seemed to me that they were showing her separateness from the massacre: she was there but not there, she walked away and washed her hands of it, they had nothing to say to her and they were showing their connection to the community, but not to her.  Mi-ja, who could not accept forgiveness anyway, would not have felt herself absolved of guilt by this.  She would have trebled in guilt, for thinking she didn't deserve their forgiveness.
When Shaman Kim reinterprets this at the end of the book, she chastises Young-Sook, she pushes her to forgive Mi-ja, and by extension their Korean attackers, but that is not what was necessarily meant by the family's statements or by Shaman Kim's words to a community member.  I thought Shaman Kim was originally enjoining Young-Sook to forgive herself, as a survivor.  This was much more interesting to me than anything about Mi-ja at that point... Mi-ja's husband could not help them, even if he wanted to, that kind of heroics is for Hollywood...he had chosen his side and Jun-Bu wasn't on it, even had they been friends, which they weren't.  Massacres don't tend well to exceptions, it's unlikely he could have saved his wife, at that point.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: War

Moderate: Colonisation, Physical abuse, Misogyny, Racism, and Sexual violence

TW: mass killings

chemicallykat's review against another edition

dark emotional informative medium-paced

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

3.75

This was really intense and dark and sad

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Colonisation, Death of parent, Classism, Alcoholism, Genocide, Child abuse, Misogyny, Violence, War, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Rape, Terminal illness, Grief, Murder, Physical abuse, Police brutality, Pregnancy, Sexism, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual assault, and Sexual harassment

galexy_brain's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

4.5

Sheesh. I've never read a book that's made me cry this much before. This book was an eye-opening look into a world that I'd heard very little about before and left me floored and humbled.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gun violence, Death of parent, Grief, Death, Murder, and Violence

Moderate: Colonisation, Gore, Physical abuse, Body horror, Domestic abuse, Torture, and War

Minor: Alcoholism, Blood, Abandonment, Infertility, Misogyny, Religious bigotry, Sexism, Body shaming, Child abuse, Excrement, Cancer, Child death, Classism, Pregnancy, Rape, Suicidal thoughts, and Vomit

naomi_k's review

dark 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Police brutality, Pregnancy, Violence, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Blood, Child death, Death, Grief, and Torture

Moderate: Pregnancy, War, Classism, Colonisation, Medical content, Xenophobia, Alcoholism, Body shaming, Toxic friendship, and Toxic relationship

Minor: Vomit, Sexual violence, Domestic abuse, Misogyny, Rape, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual assault, Child abuse, and Sexism

abrdoodle's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• 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: Body horror, Gore, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Violence, Child abuse, Child death, and Death

Moderate: Blood, Domestic abuse, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, Pregnancy, Mental illness, Toxic friendship, Racism, Sexism, Torture, and War

Minor: Infidelity, Misogyny, Addiction, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Bullying, Cancer, Sexual violence, Rape, and Suicidal thoughts

12grace4's review

challenging emotional sad slow-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny, Violence, and Genocide

Moderate: Domestic abuse

imogenrose97's review against another edition

challenging emotional informative medium-paced

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

3.75

Technically this is a beautifully researched, informative and interesting book. Emotionally and prose wise I struggled to find a light which would help me get through it.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Colonisation, Pregnancy, Violence, Sexism, Domestic abuse, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual assault, Child death, Police brutality, Misogyny, Emotional abuse, War, Death, Abandonment, Toxic relationship, Physical abuse, and Genocide

Moderate: Rape

thesapphiccelticbookworm's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• 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: Sexism, War, Violence, Death, and Misogyny

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Genocide, Rape, Pregnancy, Vomit, Colonisation, and Death of parent

Minor: Medical content and Alcohol

zombiezami's review against another edition

medium-paced

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

4.0

I always learn so much about history from Lisa See's novels, and this book was no exception. There was clearly a lot of research and care that went into producing this. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Torture, Gun violence, Violence, War, Death, Murder, Colonisation, Gaslighting, Mass/school shootings, Death of parent, Child death, Physical abuse, Domestic abuse, Police brutality, Injury/Injury detail, Pregnancy, Blood, Gore, Animal death, and Genocide

Moderate: Vomit, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Sexism, Misogyny, Rape, Sexual harassment, Excrement, Ableism, Alcoholism, and Medical content

Minor: Cancer, Fire/Fire injury, Vomit, Kidnapping, Drug use, and Infidelity

Starvation