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raniareads_'s review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
4.0
cowboyrat's review
3.5
found this disturbing and uncomfortable. zweig is definitely a great storyteller and he is brilliant at exploring the depths of a character’s mind.
every character in this book is deeply flawed. it raises so many questions about the nature of pity and kindness and there’s an excellent passage of anton describing himself as a god after so graciously using his pity to make others happy. there is so much to dissect here about ideas of good and self-sacrifice.
a bit too long though, with too much dialogue sometimes and a lot of rambling. but will give me a lot to think about for a long time!
every character in this book is deeply flawed. it raises so many questions about the nature of pity and kindness and there’s an excellent passage of anton describing himself as a god after so graciously using his pity to make others happy. there is so much to dissect here about ideas of good and self-sacrifice.
a bit too long though, with too much dialogue sometimes and a lot of rambling. but will give me a lot to think about for a long time!
mxxina's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
lighthearted
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0
sebwhalley's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
findingfrancis's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Possible the most accurately named novel I have (possibly?) ever read.
meadowlarked's review against another edition
4.5
This is a really good book about the dangers of pity, especially if one isn’t selfless enough to commit to the consequences. It is both fascinating and excruciating to watch Anton, led by his pity, fall deeper and deeper into a rabbit hole of lies and false hope, all for the sake of a poor paralyzed girl who he doesn’t truly love. I’d never really understood the phrase, “the road to hell is paved with good intentions,” but Beware of Pity does a great job of showing just how damning those good intentions can be when they lead to deception.
The writing in this book is very good, which ironically may have caused me to enjoy it less. Zweig is able to make the reader really feel all of Anton’s anxieties and fears, to the point where I had to take multiple breaks while reading just to escape out of his mind for a little while. My friends and family will know just how frustrated I was every time Anton would make an ill-considered decision because he wasn’t strong enough to resist his pity and tell the truth. It’s a testament to the good writing and strong characters — particularly Dr. Condor, who is a fantastic foil to Anton — that I was able to push through.
Beware of Pity isn’t a lighthearted read by any means, but I would definitely recommend it to anyone who enjoys stories that have strong writing and meaningful messages.
The writing in this book is very good, which ironically may have caused me to enjoy it less. Zweig is able to make the reader really feel all of Anton’s anxieties and fears, to the point where I had to take multiple breaks while reading just to escape out of his mind for a little while. My friends and family will know just how frustrated I was every time Anton would make an ill-considered decision because he wasn’t strong enough to resist his pity and tell the truth. It’s a testament to the good writing and strong characters — particularly Dr. Condor, who is a fantastic foil to Anton — that I was able to push through.
Beware of Pity isn’t a lighthearted read by any means, but I would definitely recommend it to anyone who enjoys stories that have strong writing and meaningful messages.
mlacante's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
brokenbraincell's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Some of these characters love to yappppp sheesh
Mc was super anxious and avoidant (lowkey #me)
The novel seemed to drag for the first 3/4, in part because many of the characters are given major background introductions which may be enjoyable for some; however, this wasn’t a concern for the last 1/4 of the book - relatively fast-paced, and got into the meat that the rest of the story was building up to
Mc was super anxious and avoidant (lowkey #me)
The novel seemed to drag for the first 3/4, in part because many of the characters are given major background introductions which may be enjoyable for some; however, this wasn’t a concern for the last 1/4 of the book - relatively fast-paced, and got into the meat that the rest of the story was building up to