Reviews tagging 'Suicidal thoughts'

Rosemary's Baby by Ira Levin

4 reviews

carlytenille's review

challenging dark mysterious 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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Murder, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Blood, Gaslighting, Rape, Suicide, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Pregnancy, and Religious bigotry

notthatcosta's review

dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced

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

4.75

I watched Rosemary's Baby for the first time in 2021 and I became besotted with it quite quickly. It's worth saying that my original reference for the film was Tyra Banks' obsession with Mia Farrow's haircut in the film, which she proceeded to force on a season 5 contestant (and then a season 6 contestant) of America's Next Top Model.

Even more so than The Stepford Wives, the book is pretty much a mirror of the film's plot, with the exception of a brief trip that Rosemary makes to Hutch's cabin (which doesn't feature in the film). I was impressed at how much more concise the book is than the film, but both feel equally weighty and intricate. 

While the book is highly disturbing and frustrating in equal measure, the most salient aspect is the resolve and determination of Rosemary, which Mia Farrow channels excellently in the film adaptation. The way she is surrounded/smothered by people who are almost all conspiring against her and using her body to carry Satan's child (spoiler alert), and yet manages to figure out the plot and intervene is a testament to Ira Levin's ability to craft dynamic heroines in the most wild of circumstances.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Pregnancy, Emotional abuse, Suicide, Gaslighting, Death, and Rape

Moderate: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Gore, Medical trauma, Child death, Confinement, Medical content, Misogyny, and Suicidal thoughts

Minor: Addiction and Homophobia

tysuckz's review against another edition

dark funny mysterious sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A

4.0

Quite possibly one of the weirdest books I have ever had the pleasure of reading. The ending was marginally disappointing but despite the absolute bizarre nature of it, it was easy to read, having finished the whole thing in a matter of 3 hours or something close. 

Felt bad for Rosemary but also felt absolutely furious for her too with the way everyone was so against her except Hutch. Was so frustrating to feel that kind of struggle alongside her, especially as she is/was a pregnant woman. 

Didn't get 5 stars based on the ending alone. I wish there would've been more to it and maybe some kind of resolution for the horrible things that happened to her based on everyone's opposition to her. It is the least she deserved!! 

Having said that, the gaslighting from Guy especially is so intense. I knew quite a bit about the book in the first place since it was recommended to me by my partner, but even still I felt like Rosemary was going crazy and was genuinely just having paranoid delusion about Witches!!! 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gaslighting, Suicide attempt, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide

Moderate: Rape

georgiaaa's review

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gaslighting, Body horror, Pregnancy, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, and Rape

Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Racial slurs, Sexual content, and Suicide

Minor: Homophobia