Scan barcode
read_y_picker's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
I really don't know what to make of this book. At first I was drawn in by the whimsy, hint of magic and traditional customs/superstitions. Then it took turns I really wasn't expecting and just alternated between sad and boring. Bildungroman are not my favorite genre but the story explored the coming up of a girl interlaced with that of her grandmother, which made it more tolerable. Interesting contrasts between their lives but ultimately this was just such a heart wrenching, depressing story.
kleonard's review against another edition
5.0
This is an absolute jewel of a book, set in Hungary after the fall of communism. Young Emma, her parents dead, is claimed by her grandmother and goes to live with her in a small town. There Emma learns magic of all kinds--nature, blood, sacrifice, paper, food, animal, protective, love,--in her daily life with her grandmother and the ghost of her grandfather, that she is a born runner and artist, and the dark history of the town: the massacre that killed many of its citizens, the informers who spied for the government, the bodies that were "disappeared", the resentments and hat that run through the streets to her doorstep. This is a beautiful, harrowing, intense, imaginative, astonishingly moving and powerful and yet often quiet and still and contemplative novel. It is magic realism that is decidedly Eastern European; it feels old and as if it knows the cold and the bare trees. I want to give this book to everyone. I want it to replace Harry Potter in kids' hands. It is elegant and rustic and feels entirely real and is utterly amazing.
erboe501's review against another edition
3.0
I was super excited about this book--magic, coming-of-age, historical fiction set in Eastern Europe, gothic undertones. And while this book did have all of those things, it didn't pack the exciting punch I expected. Rather, it was a slow burn of small quotidian moments, some of those magical. The writing was beautiful. The way Dragoman describes care with home and food was mesmerizing. But there was not much of a throughline of propulsive action until the very end. Emma's grief and burgeoning sense of self felt real and visceral. As did the town's uneasy peace and simmering trauma over the fall of the last regime. Perhaps this is meant to be a quiet book about characters and place, since Dragoman painted a real picture of the town and home. I just wish there were more magic!
juditkovacs's review against another edition
2.0
Magyar mágikus realizmus. Vagy mégsem? Egészen a végéig nem tudtam eldönteni, hogy a varázslatot leíró részeket komolyan kell venni, vagy a főszereplő hallucinációi voltak, esetleg sima metaforák. De mindenképp adtak neki egy érdekes hangulatot.
A történet többi része néha unalmas tini-élet, tini krízis, első szerelem szokásos klisék. De néha van egy jelenet vagy történet egy másik karakter szemszögéből, ami valódi mélységre utal.
Sajnos az egész nem állt össze valami összefüggő és számomra értelmezhető egésszé. Ennek ellenére nem volt rossz élmény. Sőt. Kompetens író, kompetens könyvéről van szó.
Olvastam valahol, hogy ez egy trilógia (sorozat?) első része, és úgy már sokkal több értelme van. De hogy folytatnám-e azt még nem tudom.
Dragomán másik könyve – A fehér király – annyira híres, hogy egy eredetileg finn könyvben hallottam róla először. Valószínűleg azt is megpróbálom még, mert alapvetően tetszett a stílusa. Csak történetként valahogy többet vártam tőle. Nem szeretem a nyitott végű könyveket, és ez sajnos az volt.
A történet többi része néha unalmas tini-élet, tini krízis, első szerelem szokásos klisék. De néha van egy jelenet vagy történet egy másik karakter szemszögéből, ami valódi mélységre utal.
Sajnos az egész nem állt össze valami összefüggő és számomra értelmezhető egésszé. Ennek ellenére nem volt rossz élmény. Sőt. Kompetens író, kompetens könyvéről van szó.
Olvastam valahol, hogy ez egy trilógia (sorozat?) első része, és úgy már sokkal több értelme van. De hogy folytatnám-e azt még nem tudom.
Dragomán másik könyve – A fehér király – annyira híres, hogy egy eredetileg finn könyvben hallottam róla először. Valószínűleg azt is megpróbálom még, mert alapvetően tetszett a stílusa. Csak történetként valahogy többet vártam tőle. Nem szeretem a nyitott végű könyveket, és ez sajnos az volt.
ztkrogman's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
kittymamers's review against another edition
5.0
uhh. see oli valus, aga see oli hea.
kuna autor on ungarlane ja ma ette väga ei uurinud, kus ja millal see lugu toimub, siis olin alguses mitmel moel segaduses, sest Ungari ajaloost justkui ei meenunud selliseid sündmusi, pluss kuidagi vanaaegne tunne oli (pidevad paralleelid tekkisid Magda Szabo "Abigailiga", mille tegevus toimus II MS ajal). poole lugemise pealt sain teada, et Dragoman on Rumeenias sündinud ja siis läks see puzzle natuke paremini kokku, et mis diktaator ja mis aeg. aga ju ta ikka meelega nii abstraktseks oligi jäetud, kõik see võinuks juhtuda millal iganes kus iganes. revolutsioon ja kuidas selle järel edasi elada, kes on surnud ja kes on süüdi ja kes võitis ja mis siis nüüd saab.
sekka siis maagilist realismi täpselt parajate peotäite kaupa, igas peatükis juhtus midagi uskumatut, aga kokku oli kõik täiesti usutav. teismeline tüdruk ja ta vanaema ja kõik need mineviku varjud ja leinad, aga samas suurekskasvamine ja armastus ja jooksmine ja joonistamine.
imeline tõlge ka, hästi hea oli lugeda.
kuna autor on ungarlane ja ma ette väga ei uurinud, kus ja millal see lugu toimub, siis olin alguses mitmel moel segaduses, sest Ungari ajaloost justkui ei meenunud selliseid sündmusi, pluss kuidagi vanaaegne tunne oli (pidevad paralleelid tekkisid Magda Szabo "Abigailiga", mille tegevus toimus II MS ajal). poole lugemise pealt sain teada, et Dragoman on Rumeenias sündinud ja siis läks see puzzle natuke paremini kokku, et mis diktaator ja mis aeg. aga ju ta ikka meelega nii abstraktseks oligi jäetud, kõik see võinuks juhtuda millal iganes kus iganes. revolutsioon ja kuidas selle järel edasi elada, kes on surnud ja kes on süüdi ja kes võitis ja mis siis nüüd saab.
sekka siis maagilist realismi täpselt parajate peotäite kaupa, igas peatükis juhtus midagi uskumatut, aga kokku oli kõik täiesti usutav. teismeline tüdruk ja ta vanaema ja kõik need mineviku varjud ja leinad, aga samas suurekskasvamine ja armastus ja jooksmine ja joonistamine.
imeline tõlge ka, hästi hea oli lugeda.
wordage's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
4.5
It was so good to curl up with this old-fashioned mythic book. The allure and danger of the magic, the uncertainty of strange things that might happen at any time. There was something so nostalgic about it. It made me go buy roasted pecans from a peddler for the villager vibes. In some ways it asked how do we live with our family, who we love but may or may not have done terrible things? What do we make of that legacy that shadows us, how does one resolve our complicated simultaneous feelings of fondness and disapproval. That was really unique i thought, though ultimately inconclusive, which makes sense. You as a reader, just like Emma herself, are unsure how to feel about grandmothers capture until after she's rescued, You don’t know whether you’re relieved that she survived or didn’t survive until she opens her eyes, until Emma stops helping her and then she lives anyway. Then you really have to reckon with how you feel about it, now that she’s out of danger you have to wrestle with it whether she should still survive whether there’s justice in it.
deethereader's review against another edition
4.0
Thank you to NetGalley, the author and publisher for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
This book was one that I found disturbing, fascinating and heart wrenching all at the same time. I loved the barely there magic and the mystery components. This is what kept me reading until the end. I did struggle with some of the translation as it felt incomplete in places and I would have to reread passages to make sure that I got the point the author was writing about. I did find the main character Emma and the discovery of her family history endearing and not being very informed about the history of the country enlightened as to the struggles of that time for the people of that country. All in all a great read.
This book was one that I found disturbing, fascinating and heart wrenching all at the same time. I loved the barely there magic and the mystery components. This is what kept me reading until the end. I did struggle with some of the translation as it felt incomplete in places and I would have to reread passages to make sure that I got the point the author was writing about. I did find the main character Emma and the discovery of her family history endearing and not being very informed about the history of the country enlightened as to the struggles of that time for the people of that country. All in all a great read.
deethereader's review against another edition
4.0
Thank you to NetGalley, the author and publisher for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
This book was one that I found disturbing, fascinating and heart wrenching all at the same time. I loved the barely there magic and the mystery components. This is what kept me reading until the end. I did struggle with some of the translation as it felt incomplete in places and I would have to reread passages to make sure that I got the point the author was writing about. I did find the main character Emma and the discovery of her family history endearing and not being very informed about the history of the country enlightened as to the struggles of that time for the people of that country. All in all a great read.
This book was one that I found disturbing, fascinating and heart wrenching all at the same time. I loved the barely there magic and the mystery components. This is what kept me reading until the end. I did struggle with some of the translation as it felt incomplete in places and I would have to reread passages to make sure that I got the point the author was writing about. I did find the main character Emma and the discovery of her family history endearing and not being very informed about the history of the country enlightened as to the struggles of that time for the people of that country. All in all a great read.