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A review by bella_mckinnon
The Assistant by Bernard Malamud
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Well written and a very engaging read. I related a lot to Helen's character, and her, plus her father Morris, became my favourites. However, partly due to my affinity for Helen, and mostly due to, I think, basic empathy, I found it really hard to read about Helen getting constantly raped and/or sexually assaulted by the men in her life. I felt so much for her, and I did not enjoy the ending of the story that suggested she might begin to trust Frank or rekindle a relationship with him in future, despite his constant harassments and assaults against her, and his generally immoral character. I feel very conflicted about the story because it was so well-written in my opinion, and I appreciated reading it. But I felt so much for Morris and especially Helen that the constant injustice they faced was hard to read. Gritty and real though. Tough read, but I'm glad I read it.
Graphic: Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Antisemitism, and Sexual harassment