Mocarna proza, która roztrzaskuje na kawałki. It's like a powerful force that shatters everything into pieces. The words seem to explode on the page, leaving the reader in awe of the intensity.

And then, slowly, rozdział po rozdziale - skleja. Piece by piece, chapter by chapter, it starts to come back together. The author carefully weaves the story, stitching the broken fragments into a beautiful and coherent whole.

This kind of prose is both thrilling and captivating. It takes the reader on a wild ride, first tearing them apart and then gently mending their hearts. It makes you feel every emotion, from the initial shock to the final sense of resolution. It's a literary masterpiece that leaves a lasting impression.

This is an extremely tough book that touches you deep within.

You empathize with the victim and see the pain she endures, not just because of the rape but also due to the judgment, society, and the company that judges her.

The story unfolds, revealing the harsh realities and the complex emotions involved.

It makes you question the fairness of our world and how we treat those who have suffered.

The victim's struggle is palpable, and you find yourself rooting for her throughout the book.

It is a powerful and thought-provoking read that will stay with you long after you've turned the last page.

It forces you to confront the uncomfortable truths and challenges you to be more understanding and compassionate towards others.

Overall, this book is a must-read for anyone who wants to gain a deeper understanding of the human experience and the impact of trauma.

Oof, that was intense.

3, 5 or 4 stars. Hmm.

This simple expression makes one wonder. What could it mean? Is it a rating of some sort? Maybe it's a way to evaluate a product, a service, or even an experience.

When we see these numbers and stars, our minds start to think. Do we give a 3-star rating for something that is average? Or is a 5-star rating reserved for the absolute best? And what about a 4-star rating? Is it a step below the top but still very good?

Ratings can have a significant impact. They can influence our decisions, whether we choose to buy a particular item, visit a certain place, or use a specific service. We often rely on the opinions of others, as represented by these stars, to guide us.

So, the next time you see 3, 5 or 4 stars, take a moment to think about what they might signify. Are they a reflection of quality, satisfaction, or value? And how might they affect your own choices?

I am giving 4 stars for the suspension.

And I chose to read this book because of (not due to) the antagonistic title.

I read several reviews with which I resonate and which somehow gave me the "courage" to write a review, in my turn.

I am empathetic and I put myself in the place of the one who goes through an unfortunate event. It was extremely sad and painful to read about Tanei's rape and the forced maturation of her daughter. I think that for rapists and torturers, special prisons should be made and they should "benefit" from special treatment.

Misogyny and the lack of scruples on the part of the prosecutor's lawyer are, of course, present. Tanei and Beth's luck is that they "settled" the accounts for "natural" causes.

There are no excuses for such a thing - it is clear, yet Tanei's general behavior (seducing men through cars, consuming alcohol, flitting from flower to flower, being present at all parties, doing drugs, etc.) and the decision to walk through the park, in the middle of the night, provocatively and indecently dressed, with her 12-year-old daughter, when she had the possibility of staying overnight with her lover, Casey, cannot be overlooked. She loves her daughter, but in herself, she does not represent a model for Beth and does not guide her in life as she should.

This story makes one think deeply about the complex issues of society, morality, and the consequences of one's actions. It shows the harsh reality that some people have to face and the difficult choices they have to make.

Overall, despite its flaws, the book has managed to engage me and make me reflect on these important topics.

“That woman, but what did she expect? That slut was asking for it at the top of her lungs.
Dressed like a tramp. It's her word against theirs.
Who knows what happened in that park in the middle of the night!”

This is the story of a gang rape. Of a beautiful woman in her mid-thirties and her twelve-year-old daughter, assaulted by a group of degenerates at night as they were returning home after a July 4th party. A brutal attack that left the mother, Teena, in a coma and with severe consequences. An attack that ended the childhood of Bethel, her daughter.

It is the story of the “what ifs.” What if they had left the party earlier? What if they had stayed there to sleep? What if they hadn't crossed the park? What if Teena had dressed differently? What if they had accepted a ride home?

It is the story of the parallel trial of the neighbors of Niagara Falls. Because Teena, with that attitude, was looking for trouble. “What the hell is she doing alone, with a twelve-year-old girl, in Rocky Point Park at midnight? Putting a minor in danger? Putting the morality of a minor in danger?” Surely she had been drinking and was drugged. Surely her daughter had also been drinking. “Like father, like son.”

It is the story of a group of violent attackers, drunk, drug addicts, with a criminal record and who are not questioned for it. The blame is on “that bitch.” Everything was consensual. They almost kill her, but it was consensual. The only thing they regret is not finishing them both off.

It is the story of a preliminary hearing that doubly victimizes Teena, that breaks and destroys her even more than the rape itself. That of an inexperienced prosecutor, that of a judge who questions the victim and that of a defense attorney who distorts the truth, with the approval and applause of the audience. “The truth is not the only attraction nor the most powerful.”

It is the story of a young policeman in shades of gray, who believes in justice, but not in the system that provides it.

And it is the story of a before and an after. The “before” that marks Bethel's childhood until the day of the attack. The “after” in which both have lived ever since. An attack that was something more than an unfortunate random event, that became the identity that defined them for life. Mother and daughter became, the woman who was gang-raped and the daughter of Teena Maguire.

And what more can I say?

That Joyce Carol Oates tells it with the mastery that characterizes her. That it is a delight to read her. That the pace is agile and the chapters are short. That she uses italics like no one else. That she turns the risky bet of writing in the second person into a powerful narrative that traps you and doesn't let you go. That all the characters, victims and villains, are well drawn, despite the short length of the novel.

If with all of the above I still haven't convinced you to read it, there's not much more I can add. Recommended? A must-read and the best book to start with the author if you haven't read anything of hers yet.

One last note to congratulate the publisher Contraseña for the careful editing, for the cover illustrated by Elisa Arguilé, and for the translation by Pepa Linares.

It is a short but deeply moving story that has truly made me experience a wide range of emotions. There is pain, as I think about the hardships and injustices described. Anger wells up when I consider the treatment of women as third-class citizens in various aspects of life. Frustration sets in as I realize the difficulties faced by those who are victims of rape. Helplessness takes over when I see how the laws and their enforcers sometimes fail to protect the victims. Tenderness and compassion emerge as I empathize with the suffering of the characters. Sadness lingers as I reflect on the overall situation. And finally, admiration is felt for the courage and strength shown by some. I had to read this story in parts because it is so hard to confront the reality of how women are treated. When a woman is a victim of rape, it is not just her body and spirit that are shattered by the aggression. It gets worse when the laws and those who enforce them seem to violate her all over again. What little is left of her dignity is broken by the gossip, false news, and media filth that attack the victims. This is why there are hundreds of thousands of women who choose not to report such crimes. All of this makes me truly wish that there were more Droomers in the world, people who can bring about positive change and make a difference.

This book is a well-polished gem, belonging to the genre of the latest novels written by Philip Roth.

It offers a captivating reading experience, filled with rich characters and intricate plots. The author's masterful storytelling skills are on full display, as he weaves a narrative that keeps the reader engaged from beginning to end.

The themes explored in the book are both timely and universal, touching on aspects of human nature, relationships, and society.

Whether you are a fan of Philip Roth's work or simply enjoy a good novel, this book is sure to delight and satisfy.

It is a must-read for anyone who appreciates the art of literature and the power of a great story.

I had heard many recommendations of Oates, a prolific author and considered by many as one of the best living English-language writers. I confess that the plot of "Rape: a love story" seems intimidating at first: the story of the violent rape of a woman in front of her teenage daughter and the search for justice in the face of such a crime.

What impresses me about Oates is her fluent and precise way of narrating the events. In just one sentence, she can summarize all the anguish and despair experienced by the characters. The rape scene is described, yet the reader - at least in my opinion - is not overwhelmed by the details of what happened. Perhaps it is precisely this - the economy of words that Oates masters perfectly - that gives the novel much more weight. The atmosphere of the novel is terribly dense. The sadness, anguish, impotence, and trauma of what happened can be felt on the pages of the novel, and we can see each character perfectly delineated.

On the other hand, it is a pleasure to find a contemporary English narrator who does not use the first person all the time. Maybe this is a preference, but of the more recent authors I have read, all frequently use the first person, which, in some aspects, can be a bias when telling the story. Oates distances herself from this and only gives the first voice to Tina's daughter, who witnessed the crime against her mother.

"Rape" is the story of a crime and the taking of justice into one's own hands, thus also departing from the American belief that justice can be served in a clean process, indirectly questioning the belief that the USA is a just country.

This is the first book written by Joyce Carol Oates that I have read, and it really impressed me from the very first words. What I liked the most was the author's writing style, but the story itself was also a wonderful read from beginning to end.

It is a short book, written in concise sentences, with short chapters and a brisk pace - my favorite type of book when it comes to structure. The story is very simple: a mother is the victim of a gang rape, and her daughter is a witness. However, the novel is half psychological and half a police procedural due to the involvement of a third party in the story. It is difficult to talk about the action without revealing the end of the story, but it must be mentioned that the emotional charge is very strong. A large part of people consider the victims themselves guilty - a problem that we still face today when it comes to rape, but not Dromoor, a policeman who arrived among the first at the scene of the crime to help Teena and her daughter, Bethie.

From here, we can move away from the actual action of the novel (I only mention that very satisfying things happen) to comment on it as a whole. I knew that Oates is a feminist writer, but I did not expect to come across such good and suspenseful writing (I thought that the themes she writes about are more "lighter" and mundane). It is not exactly the type of suspense in the style of Stephen King, for example, because it is easy to predict what will happen next, but rather it is a shared experience with the characters that the author offers us. In some chapters, she even takes us into the minds of the rapists, showing us their perspectives on the committed act, which is an extremely interesting experiment.

Although the book talks about an isolated event that is not very common in someone's life (fortunately), the state before and after going through a trauma that completely changes your existence is a feeling that many people can relate to. It often made me think of "When God Was a Rabbit", both from this point of view (that of a traumatic episode), and because the perspective from which the action is told is that of the twelve-year-old daughter of the main victim, the voice of a child marked for life by what she has experienced. The ending seemed to me again to be an excellent and extremely hopeful one for the victims of abuse, who come to feel isolated and alone because of their trauma even years after the event. The relationship between Bethie and the policeman is also a very subtly sketched theme by the writer, a very interesting idea that has spiced up things a little; from my point of view, what happens in the girl's mind regarding him makes a lot of sense.

"Rape" has the subtitle "A Love Story" because of this mysterious bond that has been created as a result of the trauma suffered by the protagonists, I think. I believe that it is a very important message, that of love that can arise (just like Teena's hair grew back, I assume) even after the ground has been irremediably destroyed, at first glance. I do not think that it refers to a specific love story between the characters, but rather it refers in general to this contrast (good-evil, in particular) that we can see in our lives only by looking back; justice, the power of healing, hope - all are themes of the novel and part of the less visible manifestation of love.

I highly recommend this book. I can't wait to read more written by the author.

As can be perceived right from the title, the story told by Oates is truly terrible and atrocious. "Rape" is a short novel, a story told as if it were a newspaper article. A news item in which the writer gives her best. The precision, the style is incisive, accurate and like a real weapon it strikes against society.

"Rape" is also and above all a social denunciation against a society that blames the victims, praises the culprits, goes against an unworthy and inadequate judicial system. The violence perpetrated against the woman with her daughter witnessing is shameful and Oates tells every tiny detail without hiding and without frills. She spares no punches in revealing the harsh reality of such a heinous crime and the flaws in the social and judicial structures that allow it to happen. Her writing is a powerful call to action, urging readers to take a closer look at the world around them and work towards creating a more just and equal society.

Through her vivid and detailed descriptions, Oates makes the reader feel as if they are right there, experiencing the horror and trauma along with the victim. It is a harrowing and thought-provoking read that will stay with you long after you have finished the book.

Joyce is said to be the eternal candidate for the Nobel Prize. I had never heard of her or her work before. The curiosity bug bit me. I confess that I have had it in my possession for over a month, but it is the kind of book that you read on the appropriate day. It is not for taking to the beach or jumping out of bed in the morning and thinking, "How I long to read it!" No, it is not that kind of book. However, after reading "Changing One's Mind", I needed a bit of sanity in my next reading. That's how I was encouraged to start reading it. I finished it a few hours later.

Page 70. "What was that woman expecting? The b...h was asking for it. Dressed like a w...e. Her word against theirs. Who knows what happened in the park at those hours of the night!". This book was published in 2004 in the United States. It is fiction. The group of men is called "the pack". In 2016 in Pamplona, there was no fiction. That group of men is "the herd". They have something in common. There are people who doubt, who don't believe it. People who think that if she didn't say no, it meant yes. But even when she says no, even then, there are still doubts. Because it starts to be heard that why would she go alone at those hours of the night, and dressed like that. Was she perhaps drunk? Because society tends to think that if those three answers are affirmative and you are a woman, you deserve whatever happens to you.

Joyce writes in a sublime way. It is not steamy or lurid. It is necessary. Her pen surpasses the thrillers of Jo Nesbo. It swallows us up and spits us back out into life with the feeling of having received a bath of reality. If you have the opportunity, read it.

I wish this book would fall into the hands of all the men on the planet. How much good it would do.