Animal
- Downloads：3042
- Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
- Create Date：2021-07-13 09:51:09
- Update Date：2025-09-06
- Status：finish
- Author：Lisa Taddeo
- ISBN：1982122129
- Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
- Download
Summary
Honestly， sometimes I think it’s the only recourse。 Killing men in times like these
。
Joan has spent a lifetime enduring the cruel acts of men。 But when one of them commits a shocking act of violence in front of her， she flees New York City in search of Alice， the only person alive who can help her make sense of her past。 In the sweltering hills above Los Angeles， Joan unravels the horrific event she witnessed as a child—that has haunted her every waking moment—while forging the power to finally strike back。
Here is the electrifying debut novel from Lisa Taddeo， author of the #1 New York Times bestseller and international phenomenon Three Women， which was named to more than thirty best-of-the-year lists and hailed as “a dazzling achievement” （Los Angeles Times） and “a heartbreaking， gripping， astonishing masterpiece” （Esquire）。 Animal is a depiction of female rage at its rawest， and a visceral exploration of the fallout from a male-dominated society。 With writing that scorches and mesmerizes， Taddeo illustrates one woman’s exhilarating transformation from prey into predator。
Joan has spent a lifetime enduring the cruel acts of men。 But when one of them commits a shocking act of violence in front of her， she flees New York City in search of Alice， the only person alive who can help her make sense of her past。 In the sweltering hills above Los Angeles， Joan unravels the horrific event she witnessed as a child—that has haunted her every waking moment—while forging the power to finally strike back。
Here is the electrifying debut novel from Lisa Taddeo， author of the #1 New York Times bestseller and international phenomenon Three Women， which was named to more than thirty best-of-the-year lists and hailed as “a dazzling achievement” （Los Angeles Times） and “a heartbreaking， gripping， astonishing masterpiece” （Esquire）。 Animal is a depiction of female rage at its rawest， and a visceral exploration of the fallout from a male-dominated society。 With writing that scorches and mesmerizes， Taddeo illustrates one woman’s exhilarating transformation from prey into predator。
Reviews
Ashely
，
Disturbing
Rachel
，
Depraved。 In a good way。 Was obsessed。 👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼
Sasha
，
Exceptionally well written。 It is one of the darkest books I’ve read in a long time （ever？）。 I almost wish I hadn’t read it at all， but I couldn’t put it down because I needed a redemptive ending or a vengeful ending or something to save me from book-induced bad dreams。 Seriously， it’s brilliant and messed up。
Lydia Slattery
，
Honestly， I was expecting more out of this but it turned out to be a boring read with ham-handed writing。 It was supposed to be a slow-burn but this book could have accomplished a lot more if it was half its length。 Also there was no subtly as the author had to describe every interaction and relationship that felt too neurotic。
Valerie
，
Lisa Tadeo's first fiction effort is a sophomoric attempt likely meant to ride on the coattails of her Three Women success。 I bought it hoping for more of the same thoughtful dissection and insight - I likely won't be coming back for a third helping。 What happens in 321 pages？Joan is awful - if you're a person of a certain age you've either known a Joan or you are a Joan。 Joan is that person at work that becomes super friendly after the initial icy chill when she learns you are: conveniently lo Lisa Tadeo's first fiction effort is a sophomoric attempt likely meant to ride on the coattails of her Three Women success。 I bought it hoping for more of the same thoughtful dissection and insight - I likely won't be coming back for a third helping。 What happens in 321 pages？Joan is awful - if you're a person of a certain age you've either known a Joan or you are a Joan。 Joan is that person at work that becomes super friendly after the initial icy chill when she learns you are: conveniently located to give her rides to and from work / have a beach house / are the cousin of someone famous / have access to something she wants。。。 you get the idea。 Once you've known one Joan you've known them all。 For Joan sex is horrible at worst and transactional at best。 She's been used and abused as much as she's used and abused。 Whether or not she feels any degree of remorse for the pain she's inflicted on others is unclear。 As far as was revealed in the pages of Animal， there is no moment or revelation for Joan that she's pretty much a terrible person。 Who knows。。。 maybe she's on the road to redemption and I just missed the signs。 I kept going to the end simply because I wanted to know if there would be anything to this book。 Beyond some beautiful writing and excellent turns of phrase there wasn't anything to recommend Animal。 The story was thoughtlessly predictable and becomes muddy towards the end - perhaps the editor became just as bored with the story as I did as it dragged on and couldn't put another moment into trying to untangle the web woven by Joan's indifference to her awfulness。 If this were submitted to an agent or a publisher without Tadeo's previous success it would have been rejected because it's a lot of awful acts with additional bad heaped on top。 Rooting for an anti-hero is delightful - when an author gives you an anti-hero worth rooting for。 There is nothing worth rooting for in Animal。 。。。more
AJ Dickens
，
i have mixed feelings about this but i do vibe with lisa taddeo's writing and the idea of a female american psycho and her ruminations on what it means to be human and her terrible experiences with men i have mixed feelings about this but i do vibe with lisa taddeo's writing and the idea of a female american psycho and her ruminations on what it means to be human and her terrible experiences with men 。。。more
ℕ I C O L E
，
"The world had set me up to believe that it was women who went mad。 It was simply women's pain that manifested as madness。"Trigger warning: rape， pedophilia， suicide， miscarriageAre the incongruous aspects in Joan's reiteration of her past the result of being an unreliable narrator or are they the product of author's oversight？ Given what we know about the comportment of the main character， I feel like the disconnect was intentional。 "The world had set me up to believe that it was women who went mad。 It was simply women's pain that manifested as madness。"Trigger warning: rape， pedophilia， suicide， miscarriageAre the incongruous aspects in Joan's reiteration of her past the result of being an unreliable narrator or are they the product of author's oversight？ Given what we know about the comportment of the main character， I feel like the disconnect was intentional。 。。。more
McKinley Reid
，
Did I love it？ Did I hate it？ I actually don’t know but I have a feeling this book will stick with me for awhile。 A very dark portrait of female rage， definitely not for everyone！ But the writing is pretty amazing。 In some ways it reminded me of Luster which I also had mixed feelings about。
Quinn
，
An extremely dark， unsettling， and triggering book that is best consumed in small doses。 If you have a triggers， they probably need a warning here。 Take care of yourself while reading。
Sophie Davidson
，
No comment
Maddy
，
WHOA。 I have never read a book quite like this。 It was intense， sexual， and propelling。 I was wondering if it'd be outside of my wheelhouse， but this is the most thought provoking and forceful book I've read in quite some time。 After finishing it I went on a deep dive looking up Lisa Taddeo talking about the book， and I'd definitely recommend that， as it really took it to the next level for me。 Taddeo's writing is exquisite， and she writes in such a clear way that draws attention to all of life' WHOA。 I have never read a book quite like this。 It was intense， sexual， and propelling。 I was wondering if it'd be outside of my wheelhouse， but this is the most thought provoking and forceful book I've read in quite some time。 After finishing it I went on a deep dive looking up Lisa Taddeo talking about the book， and I'd definitely recommend that， as it really took it to the next level for me。 Taddeo's writing is exquisite， and she writes in such a clear way that draws attention to all of life's intricacies。 She is an expert at thoughtfully discussing subjects and topics that are traditionally taboo， and leaving the reader in a tornado of their own mind。 The book pushed me and challenged me。 Taddeo also makes us question our own biases， which I would say is one of the overarching reasons why I read books。 While Joan isn't really a likable character throughout the book （although I grew to love her！）， you grow to understand how someone's experiences as a child can truly shape the course of their life。 It also leads you to examine your own biases against likable or unlikable characters in books and also people in your life。 Other important topics at the heart of the novel are female power， sexuality， and friendship （I would run out of space in this review box if I typed out my thoughts for each one of these themes。。。）。 It was VERY thought provoking， and I'll be thinking about this one for a long time。 Dare I say one of my favorites of the year？？？？ 。。。more
Meghan Moore
，
This book is just rude。
Nina
，
“He looked at me。 He had no conception of what I knew。 Fathers never know about their daughters。 Partly it’s because they don’t want to know， but really it’s because they cannot know。 It’s psychologically dangerous to see inside your daughter’s brain。 And I knew so much more than most girls my age because of the way I listened。”this book is so goddamn quotable。 i could probably put multiple sticky notes on one passage alone because of how much they rang true to me。 if you have ever felt disillus “He looked at me。 He had no conception of what I knew。 Fathers never know about their daughters。 Partly it’s because they don’t want to know， but really it’s because they cannot know。 It’s psychologically dangerous to see inside your daughter’s brain。 And I knew so much more than most girls my age because of the way I listened。”this book is so goddamn quotable。 i could probably put multiple sticky notes on one passage alone because of how much they rang true to me。 if you have ever felt disillusioned by womanhood or have become acutely aware of the performance women put on for men that don’t give a fuck about you but you also cannot stand， this book is for you。 。。。more
Liz T
，
4。5 Absolutely intense and raw。 I don’t read this type of novel often but sometimes will pick one up I think I will enjoy。 I wasn’t a huge fan of Taddeo’s nonfiction， but had a feeling she would knock fiction out of the park。
Kristyn
，
This book is polarizing。 It is dark and full of triggering subjects but it was extremely well done。 Taddeo writes beautifully and unapologetically。 She shines a light on female suppressed rage and fear and exposes the underside of what it means to be a girl， a woman， and a mother。 Maybe enjoy isn’t the word but it was compelling and kept me turning the pages。 Unlike anything I have read。
Becky A
，
Too dark and vulgar for me。 Much prefer Three Women。
Avery Moore
，
this was not what i expected。 it is written well and i thought i would really love it because i love characters like the main one but really it fell flat。 the end was beautiful tho。 it wasn’t enough about the daughter mother relationship they were trying to do and don’t call her demented when all she did was murder one old dude。 it was good but not as good as i hoped。 i’m going to read her other book thoughi’ve been thinking about this book a lot in the last day and i think the last paragraph is this was not what i expected。 it is written well and i thought i would really love it because i love characters like the main one but really it fell flat。 the end was beautiful tho。 it wasn’t enough about the daughter mother relationship they were trying to do and don’t call her demented when all she did was murder one old dude。 it was good but not as good as i hoped。 i’m going to read her other book thoughi’ve been thinking about this book a lot in the last day and i think the last paragraph is one of my favorite i have ever read。 hearing all the things she wants for her daughter is so beautiful and touching and still i am thinking about it so props to the author for that one 。。。more
guiltlessreader
，
This book annoyed the hell out of me。 But credit my patient nature to stick it out … at about 3/4 of the book， something clicked for me。 And I felt this huge wave of empathy for Joan， the disgustingly unlikeable oversexed lead character。 The annoyance was part of the journey， and that’s why books can be such an amazing experience。I won this book in a giveaway。
Stacey Cohen
，
3。5/5。 Not quite 3 not quite 4
Lisa Harrison
，
She really is， Joan， is depraved。 This is a wickedly nasty book that will leave you stripped bare with a feeling of emptiness。 It is very controversial and covers some very dark issues （WARNING: Grief， violence， murder， sexual assault and miscarriage to name a few - it’s not for the faint of heart） so brace yourself for a bumpy and at times disturbing read。 It’s certainly a challenging book and pushes the reader up front into some uncomfortable and graphic descriptions about life’s bleaker side。 She really is， Joan， is depraved。 This is a wickedly nasty book that will leave you stripped bare with a feeling of emptiness。 It is very controversial and covers some very dark issues （WARNING: Grief， violence， murder， sexual assault and miscarriage to name a few - it’s not for the faint of heart） so brace yourself for a bumpy and at times disturbing read。 It’s certainly a challenging book and pushes the reader up front into some uncomfortable and graphic descriptions about life’s bleaker side。 Alice， Lenny， Eleanor are all colourful characters that add to the subtle charm of the book which is as horrifying as it is emotional。 It’s the kind of book that somewhere in your mind you don’t think you should read but you can’t tear yourself away from。 Hearing Joan’s chaotic life story validates her cold and bleak persona and you can’t help but get drawn into her twisted world。 。。。more
Afterwards
，
So far her writing is rocket-fuel， will it sustain to the end， I hope so。
Meghan
，
Three Women was incredible — this was enjoyable but not life-changing for me。
Sandra Tice
，
Dark， disturbing & shocking but couldn’t put it down。
Chitra Ahanthem
，
Lisa Taddeo’s Animal is quite the latest sensation in the book world and very deservingly so。 Taddeo’s main protagonist Joan is a train wreck: she is the narrator who takes readers into her most rancid thoughts and actions; her voice is unsparing of the people in her lives and her ties to them。 Stripped of sentimentality， Joan’s voice is detached in tone， almost clinical as if nothing matters at all: not the weight of traumas in her life starting from a young age， not the way she reels in older Lisa Taddeo’s Animal is quite the latest sensation in the book world and very deservingly so。 Taddeo’s main protagonist Joan is a train wreck: she is the narrator who takes readers into her most rancid thoughts and actions; her voice is unsparing of the people in her lives and her ties to them。 Stripped of sentimentality， Joan’s voice is detached in tone， almost clinical as if nothing matters at all: not the weight of traumas in her life starting from a young age， not the way she reels in older married men because she can and then living off their payoffs。Animal is an unsettling narrative， one where the writing is everything and the spotlight remains firmly on Joan’s account of the dynamics and power of the sexual tensions between men and women。 There are elements of sexual violence and rape strewn through Joanna’s account， incidents that happen to her and the women she knows， incidents that start from men leering and staring at women。 The men in the book belonging to different age groups and different socio economic demography have one thing that Joan and other women do not have: the power and entitlement that comes from being male。 They are only emasculated through Joan’s awareness of their hollow personalities and knowing when to push which buttons， the disdain she has for them。Joan is what every woman could be， she is every woman that men do not want a woman to be: down and out but stubbornly alive and living with the sum total of her lacerated self。 This is a book that lets go of every social inhibition that drags women down or worse， props her up in ways that she is expected to be。 Read it only if you would be comfortable with discomfort but by jove， if you do read this， you are going to have a lot to think over！ Full review at: https://bookandconversations。wordpres。。。 。。。more
Olivia Biondo
，
This book portrays a very difficult journey of anger， abuse， and trauma that is very eye-opening to read。 Joan is a character who has witnessed the worst things life can create， written in a blunt and strategic way so that you can see how her mind operates。 This story is powerful。 Tragic and frightening， but powerful。
Meg Tippett
，
3/5 ⭐️: This is a generous rating of 3 stars for me。 I was really expecting to love this book。 It was listed on BOTM and had some amazing reviews， so I figured it would be a fantastic read。 Joan， the main character， is not a likable character。 I understand that this is the goal and that the author does not want Joan to come across as a happy or endearing woman。 The events that Joan suffered throughout her childhood （！！TW！！: abuse， sexual assault， rape）， affected her deeply and played a significa 3/5 ⭐️: This is a generous rating of 3 stars for me。 I was really expecting to love this book。 It was listed on BOTM and had some amazing reviews， so I figured it would be a fantastic read。 Joan， the main character， is not a likable character。 I understand that this is the goal and that the author does not want Joan to come across as a happy or endearing woman。 The events that Joan suffered throughout her childhood （！！TW！！: abuse， sexual assault， rape）， affected her deeply and played a significant role in how she viewed society， especially men。 She did not think highly of men and viewed sex/relationships/love in an incredibly 'animalistic' manner。 In terms of character development， Joan was well-done。 I understood the choices she made （for the most part）。 The style of the book was not my cup of tea and I honestly had no idea what was going on until more than 50% of the way through the book。 Which sucks！ I hate that。 I really had to beg myself to keep going。 I'm happy I did because things DID start to make sense。 Some of the secrets that came to light in the second half of the book shocked me and made me *very* uncomfortable。 Overall， this book makes some interesting and thoughtful points about women in a hyper-sexual society。 Joan terrifies the hell out of me。 。。。more
Sarah Bryson
，
I have never so hungrily wanted to devour a book while simultaneously desperately begging for it not to end！
Kat
，
chutz·pah/ˈho͝otspə，ˈKHo͝otspə/noun INFORMAL -Yiddish1。 extreme self-confidence or audacity。 2。 impudence or gall。 Ex: “Where did Lisa Taddeo get the chutzpah to write a novel like Animal？” or "Love her or hate her， you have to admire Taddeo’s chutzpah。" chutz·pah/ˈho͝otspə，ˈKHo͝otspə/noun INFORMAL -Yiddish1。 extreme self-confidence or audacity。 2。 impudence or gall。 Ex: “Where did Lisa Taddeo get the chutzpah to write a novel like Animal？” or "Love her or hate her， you have to admire Taddeo’s chutzpah。" 。。。more
Mollie Sterling
，
Feels like fictionalized cutting room floor leftover sfrom her other book， Three Women。 It’s dark， but is more depressing than anything。 Any metaphorical themes she’s trying to bring forward with the darkness aren’t ever fully actualized by the story， so you end up just feeling like you read a total downer， shit book。 And I wanted to enjoy this。
Courtney Sieloff
，
Wow。 I don’t have the words。 Read this。
Reference
google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=Animal
hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=Animal&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft
The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,Animal&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0