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Content snapshot
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Violence
Barely any
No significant violence
Language
Barely any
Period language; mild
Sexual Content
Some
Adult content; an oppressive marriage; implied abuse
Substance Use
None
No substance use
Emotional Intensity
A lot
Themes of obsession, a woman trapped in a marriage, and a narrator who cannot see his own monstrousness
What this book is about
Shreve's 2003 novel is told by Nicholas Van Tassel, a professor who describes how he met and married Etna Bliss in 1899 New Hampshire — the truth of that marriage a far darker story than he admits. A portrait of obsession and a trapped woman. For adults.
Notes for sensitive readers
Reader-flagged moments and themes that may affect your experience.
Psychological abuse
Obsession
Reader Verification
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