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kbhenrickson's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
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? It's complicated
4.0
This book is challenging for me to review. It is a very long multigenerational saga made up of many stories from the interconnected lives of the residents of a small town in Denmark from the early 1800s until the end of World War II. Some of the stories are completely engrossing, some are a little tedious, many are a bit grim. It is told from a strange perspective - unnamed residents (we) observing all of the events or listening to first-person accounts being told by a different resident. Everything is filtered through a very male perspective - this is not a positive or a negative. The women characters, however, (of which there aren't many) tend to be either victims or manipulative (or both), which I found a bit tiresome. Overall, it's kind of a downer, but it is very well told. The audiobook narrator does an excellent job, and I'm glad I ended up listening to the book rather than eye-reading.
Content Warnings
Graphic: War, Child abuse, Physical abuse, and Death
Moderate: Child death, Rape, and Murder
silvae's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
reflective
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? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Animal death, Fire/Fire injury, Vomit, Sexual assault, Animal cruelty, Rape, Racism, Excrement, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Transphobia, Ableism, Confinement, and Fatphobia
Minor: Suicide
thejuliette's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Its been a while since i've read a book that grabbed my attention like this. Experiencing the lives of Marstal's citizens and sailors was captivating, because every single one of them had such a different view on their life. To see the town through time and generations showed how a little town can change or be changed by it's people. Even though most of the characters are sailors they are all individuals and diverse. This book lets you experience a sailor's life on board of a ship and that of the women, children and elderly who stay ashore. I would definitely recommend this book to others.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Alcoholism, and Death
Moderate: Vomit, Toxic relationship, Slavery, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Rape, Racism, Murder, Grief, Domestic abuse, Child abuse, and Cursing
Minor: Body horror, Excrement, and Gun violence
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