Scan barcode
takecoverbooks's reviews
177 reviews
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Graphic: Ableism, Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Bullying, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Gore, Incest, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexism, Antisemitism, Abortion, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, and Murder
- 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
4.5
Importantly, The Cure for Drowning doesn’t position WWII as the crucible in which the characters (and by extension, Canada) come of age. Instead, the war is simply an ordeal the characters survive. They aren’t benefited or matured by it, the characters that survive get to live. In that way, it’s a very interesting way to spin a narrative about the most overdiscussed and misunderstood war in English letters.
This is a beautifully written story about people often left on the margins of history: the poor, queer, racialized, and ostracized people who fought for a country that didn’t recognize their humanity. Definitely read it.
Graphic: Deadnaming, Sexual content, Outing, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Animal death, Domestic abuse, Homophobia, Transphobia, and War
Minor: Alcoholism and Violence
5.0
Graphic: Death, Police brutality, and Classism
Moderate: Gun violence, Suicide, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Confinement and Slavery
- 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
4.5
Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Deadnaming, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Homophobia, Incest, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Transphobia, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Vomit, Kidnapping, Grief, Mass/school shootings, Religious bigotry, Stalking, Car accident, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Lesbophobia, Fire/Fire injury, Outing, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Dysphoria, and Injury/Injury detail
3.0
Graphic: Ableism, Alcoholism, Bullying, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Xenophobia, Antisemitism, Religious bigotry, Car accident, Toxic friendship, and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Abortion
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Body shaming, Child abuse, Gun violence, Incest, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Forced institutionalization, Murder, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Bullying, Cursing, Torture, and Car accident
Minor: Xenophobia, Toxic friendship, and Classism
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Graphic: Infidelity and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Death and Grief
- 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
3.5
Graphic: Cursing and Death
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Suicide, Sexual harassment, and Colonisation
4.0
In terms of Biskind's commentary on the films of the era, he has some truly terrible opinions on Robocop, Apocalypse Now, Paul Schrader's 80s output, and The King of Comedy (to name a few), but overall he has keen insight into the reasons why movies like Chinatown, Bonnie & Clyde, Taxi Driver, and Easy Rider resonated with audiences in the way they did.
In my opinion, the book is prematurely elegiac for a type of collective Hollywood filmmaking that never truly existed in the 70s. For consistency, Biskind mostly elides the popular, popcorn cinema that absolutely existed while the New Hollywood directors were doing their French New Wave karaoke. However, while it does conveniently gloss over inconvenient truths in service of a narrative that the dream of the 70s died with Heaven's Gate (often ignoring the way veteran directors like DePalma, Scorsese, Schrader, and newcomers like Voerhoeven and Cronenberg worked subversively within the studio system to arguably create some of their best work in the 80s). That said, there's so much gold in here that the flaws feel like nitpicking. Check it out!
Stray Observations:
1. I will ride for Biskind's observation that the best, most consistent, New Hollywood director was Hal Ashby.
2. George Lucas is such a weiner. Throughout the book, he never fails to be self-pitying, self-righteous, pretentious, and closed off. I'm sure there were reasons people hung out with him, but they did not come through in the book.
3. In spite of its best efforts, the book doesn't make cocaine seem anything other than awesome.
Graphic: Addiction, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Murder, Toxic friendship, and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Homophobia, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, Rape, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Antisemitism, and Suicide attempt
Minor: Animal cruelty, Body shaming, Confinement, and Fatphobia
4.0
Graphic: Death, Torture, and Antisemitism
Moderate: Physical abuse, Violence, Excrement, Grief, Murder, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Chronic illness and Blood