Like many other readers, when I picked up this book, I expected a quick read. After all, how could one sketch a history that penetrates deep into a person and stays with them for a long time in just under two hundred pages?

Oates surprised me. More than that, she blew me away. The first two pages are powerful. Because the rape scene is not presented from the perspective of the raped, no. We experience it in the company of a twelve-year-old girl who herself just escapes the crime by hiding from the rapists.

The rest of the story hurts even more. Because the most accused person in society and during the trial is the victim, not the rapists themselves. And one can then say, "fortunately, this would never happen in real life!", but is that really the case? How many situations are there where young people are behind the crime and instead of condemning them, everyone around talks about how their lives have been wasted.

Does justice finally triumph? Does the victim find peace? Perhaps, I don't want to spoil it for you. However, I believe that in this book it's about something else. It's a demonstration of how people are able to excuse their closest ones even for their worst crimes. A demonstration of how much women are stigmatized at the moment when their only guilt is that they are women who happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.

This book hurts, it shocks, and it definitely stays with a person for a long time.

Violence: A Love Story by Joyce Carol Oates is a captivating and thought-provoking work.

The story delves deep into the complex and often disturbing nature of human relationships. It explores how love and violence can become intertwined in the most unexpected ways.

Oates' writing is masterful, painting vivid pictures and creating characters that are both relatable and deeply flawed.

The novel takes readers on a journey through the lives of its protagonists, exposing their secrets, desires, and the consequences of their actions.

It challenges our perceptions of love and forces us to confront the darker side of human nature.

Overall, Violence: A Love Story is a must-read for those who enjoy exploring the depths of the human psyche and the power of storytelling.

https://booknation.ro/recenzie-violul...

Oates is an author whom I can only consume in small amounts. Her writing style is so spare that this book feels more like a legal document than a novel. However, her stories are brutally honest, and her characters rarely seem to embody "our better angels".

This novella begins with the gang rape of a young widow who resides in a small town in New York. Even more tragically, her twelve-year-old daughter is present during the attack. Set in the 1990s, Oates presents a community all too eager to blame the victim and families willing to go to extreme lengths to exonerate their sons, even if they themselves doubt their innocence.

But this is not the main focus of the story. Instead, we witness how "justice" is attained by deeply flawed individuals, and we experience all of this through the eyes of young Bethie. To be honest, I don't think I could ever endure reading a longer Oates novel. I simply don't desire to spend an excessive amount of time in her worlds. Nevertheless, there is no denying that she can write.

NB - It has been proposed that Oates most definitely merits a Pulitzer but will likely never receive one because the judges would have to read every single work by the proposed author, which is an impossible task. At the time of this review, she has penned 58 novels, along with plays, novellas, volumes of short stories, poetry, and non-fiction. No one could possibly read all of that within a single year. However, her writing and her ability to mirror American thought and culture make it certain that she should win.

Desgarrador pero necesario.

This short book is desgarrador (heart-wrenching) yet well-defined. It holds a powerful message that speaks to the core.

In a world where there are many challenges and difficulties, we must unite our forces. We should come together and shout on March 8: "Sola, borracha, quiero llegar a casa" (Alone, drunk, I want to get home).

The harm done to one is in fact done to all of us. We need to stand in solidarity and support each other. This book serves as a reminder of the importance of unity and the need to address the issues that affect us all.

It is a call to action, urging us to be more aware and take steps to make a positive change. Let us not turn a blind eye to the suffering of others but rather reach out and offer a helping hand.

By doing so, we can create a more just and equal world for everyone.

It has been a remarkable book. I simply couldn't put it down and finished it within a few hours. It seems unbelievable that it is such a contemporary novel.

Carol Oates employs a clear language and presents the most spine-chilling images in a clear and direct manner, aiming to raise the reader's awareness of the painful process to which justice and society can subject the victims of a rape.

If I had to point out any drawback to the reading, it would be that some points could have been delved into a little more deeply. However, overall, it is a powerful and thought-provoking work that leaves a lasting impression on the reader.

My girl JCO does it again!

Tragic, disturbing, and suspenseful, yet at the same time, tender, beautiful, and hopeful. It's a story that delves into the worst things people can inflict upon those they know, and also explores the best things that people are capable of doing for complete strangers.

Vigilante justice takes center stage here, as it seems to be the only form of justice that can truly make a difference. The narrative unfolds with a sense of urgency and mystery, keeping the reader on the edge of their seat from beginning to end. JCO has once again crafted a tale that is both thought-provoking and emotionally engaging, leaving a lasting impression on all who dare to venture into its pages.

The title of the book exceeds any limit of reason. Perhaps in some respects the story is engaging, with descriptions that pre-sensitize the female audience. But to me, it seemed a book too light for my reading principles.

To associate two such opposite words and write them together: Rape and love represent an eccentric way to capture attention. However, the book seemed weak to me. It has some descriptive paragraphs that inspire, but nothing more than that. Rape remains an atrocious act against women and, in my opinion, should be punished with disgrace. I don't know how much courage one must have to associate them, to make them accomplices: love and rape?

In my opinion, it's not a book to waste your time on. The advantage is that you can read it in a single day, even in a public place where the commotion is too great. For me, the title represents something extremely painful and harsh, as if you were to tear off a mask alive, without anesthesia. Proof that I started reading it while waiting my turn at the dentist... hard to forget, traumatizing!

Cât de nedrepți și nepăsători pot fi oamenii… It is truly astonishing to witness the extent of people's injustice and indifference. In a world that is supposed to be filled with compassion and fairness, we often see acts that go against these values. Some individuals seem to have no regard for the rights and well-being of others,只顾着满足自己的私欲. They may cheat, lie, or take advantage of those who are weaker or less fortunate.

Moreover, the lack of empathy and concern for the suffering of others is also a disturbing trend. People walk by homeless individuals without a second glance, or turn a blind eye to the injustices happening in their communities. It is as if they are living in a bubble,隔绝 from the real world and its problems.

However, it is important to remember that not all people are like this. There are still those who are kind, caring, and willing to stand up for what is right. We need to look for these positive role models and be inspired by their actions. Only by working together and spreading kindness and compassion can we hope to make a difference and create a better world for all.

I have devoured it and I think it's stupendous.

It is realistic, tough, clear, sincere... with accurate and well-developed characters.

This is a very good book indeed.

The story unfolds in a way that keeps you on the edge of your seat from start to finish.

The author has done an excellent job of creating a vivid and engaging world.

Each character has their own unique personality and motives, which makes them feel real and relatable.

The plot is full of twists and turns that keep you guessing until the very end.

I would highly recommend this book to anyone who loves a good read.

It's one of those books that you won't be able to put down once you start.

Overall, it's a great piece of literature that will leave a lasting impression on you.

Not just those animals but you people at the courthouse have destroyed her.

First published in 2003, this book gives the impression of being written in a seething, ice-cold rage. In JCO's rendition of what has become a distressingly familiar tale, that of the brutalized woman who finds herself on trial for 'asking for' her rape, her control never wavers.

However, this is Joyce Carol Oates, and so the story doesn't end there. Instead, it takes a controversial turn of vigilantism that left me both deeply disturbed and profoundly questioning my own moral and ethical stance towards the characters and events. Is Dromoor the hero we all渴望 to have on our side - or is he something far more terrifying? Once the line of killing is crossed, can we be certain that his judgments will remain in line with our own? Is the final killing justifiable or an escalation of what could be regarded as a form of sociopathic revenge?

This is only a short book, easily readable in a couple of hours, yet its intensity belies the number of pages. The shifting narrative that jumps between characters bypasses the mundane and直击 the heart of what is at stake.

There have been numerous recent novels that have delved into issues such as rape, non-consent, violence against women, and the legal handling of sexual crimes. While I commend the fact that this topic is receiving the public exposure it merits, the books themselves haven't been controversial. What JCO accomplishes here is illuminated with her customary bold, courageous, and yes, disturbing intelligence: a short novel that makes us both feel and think.

Reading this book was a truly bizarre experience for me.

The summary on the dustjacket had a significant impact, presenting a rather narrow interpretation of a story that should have been left open to broad speculation.

Oates's writing is fluid, and her choice of details is as mundane and powerful as a Cézanne platter of fruit. Her decision to describe different scenes from different characters' perspectives enriches the story. The rape scene and the subsequent trial are skillfully depicted as horrific and harrowing events that no one should have to endure. I felt my hands tense with rage as the perpetrators were shielded by the senseless bureaucracy of the law and the victim's reputation was publicly assaulted almost as brutally as her own body. As I turned the pages, I needed to find an outlet for that rage.

However, the stealthy, vigilante approach to justice taken by the newcomer cop was not the outlet I had been longing for. His execution of each of the young men, one by one, escalating from unpremeditated murder to a brutal slaughter, was almost as harrowing as the rape scene. The dustjacket's proclamation of him as the victims' "champion - a man who understands justice. And love" left me with an extremely sickly feeling. I can't help but hope that this was not Oates's intended interpretation. The fact that the victim can move on to a happy, well-deserved ending once the last murder has occurred is disturbingly supportive of this idea. The rape victim may have embarked on a romantic road trip with her newfound love, but I'm still stranded in the desert where justice is nowhere to be seen.

I admit, I am part of those women who, most likely, many consider lacking in solidarity and empathy. Why? Because there are cases where I believe the phrase "she asked for it" is true. Not that she deserved it. No! No one, except those who harm other beings, deserves to have their body used without their will. But I believe that, more and more often, freedom and feminism are confused with vulgarity and the idea that we should be able to do whatever comes to our mind, just because it makes us feel at ease. And here I'm not referring to a shorter dress or going out at night with friends, but to promiscuity. You know what I'm thinking, even if you might judge me right now.

Let's think differently, at least for a moment! We don't like it when a man grabs his genitals on the street and scratches, do we? We don't like to see him sweaty and shirtless in public transportation either. Although they feel at ease and we could just not look at them and move away, we pretend they should be elegant. Then why does it seem more and more normal for us to believe we are independent and strong just because we go to clubs, drink, leave alone at night and expose ourselves in all kinds of ways? We live in a world full of dangers. Drugs and alcohol are within everyone's reach, people with mental problems are everywhere and, let's not forget, we are animals in which instincts can be unleashed at any time. So, yes, when you don't follow some minimum steps for your safety, just because you care more about comfort, entertainment and appearance, and you expect the rest of the world to protect you, I consider that you could have avoided that tragedy. Just as we make sure when a car passes, when we are at a pedestrian crossing, although it is our right to cross whenever we want. Just as we teach our children not to go anywhere with a stranger, instead of waiting for pedophiles to control themselves.

And yes, I judged Teena too, despite the author's sharp attempt to make me feel guilty. Why would you take your teenage daughter to a party where alcohol and drugs are everywhere? Why would you then leave alone with her at night, refusing to be driven by a man you trust? Why would you do all this when it's the US and civilization is going crazy? Not to mention that, after that night, it seems she sometimes forgets that her daughter was there too. Beyond these things, "Viol, a love story" is among the most shocking, hard and realistic books I have read. It is a sincere and direct fight against sexual aggression and the legal system, but also an encouragement for victims. It is the truly deserved sentence for the aggressors (you will see at the end!) and the gentle hand placed on the woman's shoulder. Placed carefully, because now she flinches every time she is touched. It is a must-read. A story like an axe: simple, concise, brutal. The review here: https://bit.ly/3SATgIg.

"You heard how they were beating your mother. Muffled blows that met a docile flesh. They grabbed your mother's thin ankles, spread her legs with such violence as if they wanted to tear them from her body. They laughed at her cries of pain, at her fear. They laughed at her weak attempts to defend herself. They were insatiable, euphoric. You will find out that they were on a drug called methamphetamine. In their excitement, they forgot about you. You meant nothing to them, because they had an adult woman at their disposal. They tore her clothes, as if women's clothes angered them. They spat in her face, as if her beauty angered them. They pulled her hair, as if they wanted to tear it out by the roots. One of them kept trying to gouge out her right eye, blinding her. You had no way of knowing that on their faces there was a shining madness, a sparkle in their wolf eyes, a glint of their moistened teeth. You had no way of knowing how in their eyes there was a whitish edge around the irises. How their bodies were covered in an oily sweat. How they trampled on your mother's soft body and how they stuffed their penis into her bleeding mouth and into her bleeding vagina and into her bleeding rectum. You heard the sounds of the rape without fully realizing that it was a rape. You fainted from the pain in your dislocated arm, you tried to breathe through the cracks in the dirty and ashy floor. Just a few centimeters below this floor, the foamy water of the lagoon was lapping, swirling. For 20 minutes, you covered your ears with your scratched and bloody palms and you prayed: Lord, don't let them kill my mommy, please, Lord, help us."

This powerful and disturbing description really makes one's heart ache and forces us to face the harsh reality of such atrocities. It also makes us question our own attitudes and behaviors towards safety and responsibility. We need to be more aware of the potential dangers around us and take necessary precautions to protect ourselves and those we love.

At the same time, we should also be more understanding and empathetic towards victims of violence, instead of judging them. We should support them in their healing process and work towards creating a more just and safe society for everyone.

The book "Viol, a love story" serves as a wake-up call, reminding us that we cannot turn a blind eye to such issues and that we all have a role to play in making the world a better place.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who is interested in exploring the themes of violence, sexuality, and social justice. It will surely leave a lasting impact on you and make you think twice about the choices we make in our daily lives.