Reviews with content warning for Cancer - Lessons

The style is absolutely impeccable!

The plenty of historical events setting the scenes of a simple yet unusual life made for a wonderful read. Even the difficult topics are written in a way that draws you in and doesn’t let you look away.

The main theme? If inactions are valid choices to let life happen to you and hope for the best? Seeing that despite it all the main character died happy, I agree with McEwen, that they probably are.

Until I read this book, I didn’t realize I needed one telling me the story of a human who was not (trying) to be a hero, to make a change, who was just trying to get through life.

Content Warnings

rasputina_99's review against another edition

Go to review page

emotional reflective slow-paced

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

4.0

Content Warnings

mrs's review against another edition

Go to review page

challenging dark emotional inspiring reflective slow-paced

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

5.0

Content Warnings

zara89's review against another edition

Go to review page

challenging dark emotional reflective sad slow-paced

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

3.0

Content Warnings

bernard_black's review against another edition

Go to review page

emotional reflective

Loveable characters? No

4.25

Content Warnings

pipnewman's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous reflective 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

3.0

I enjoyed this read, and stuck with it which is saying something as I don't often read books this long. Told from the perspective of Roland, who grows up in the aftermath of the Second World War, the book is very rooted in the historical context. It was interesting to feel that each character was deeply influenced by the historical and political contexts- arms races, the fall of the Berlin Wall, political movements in Britain, all the way through to the covid lockdowns. However it did feel very male centric- all the male characters were significantly more developed than the female characters and it felt like the genre of 'grandad telling his life story at the dinner table'. Also massive massive content warning for sexual assault / harassment / pedophilia - it jumps in right at chapter 1, threads through the whole novel and is very confronting if you are not expecting it.

Content Warnings

raelin's review against another edition

Go to review page

challenging emotional reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No

4.0

I am glad I finished this, because I liked it more than I thought I did halfway through. I needed the reflections of the old man on the young man to balance out the thoughts of the young man, and I had to keep reading to get to that part.

There was a lot in this to digest and it is ripe for discussion in a book club.

Content Warnings

More...