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bluejayreads's review
I really wanted to actually finish this book - mainly because I was just so close to finishing it and it felt like I might as well push through. But eventually I gave up. Life's too short to read bad books, or those that probably aren't bad but are definitely dull and beyond my comprehension. This feels like a book that might be assigned in a class on post-World War II Europe. That's not a bad thing. If I'd been reading it with an instructor's guidance and through some sort of historical-critical lens, I might have had a chance at understanding what the heck was happening here. But without some additional guidance, it feels like something that Eastern Europeans who grew up in the 1970s-1980s would find relatable, funny, and/or true to life, but that I just didn't get as an American who grew up in the 2000s. And that definitely didn't help my enjoyment, because without that understanding this book is just dull. The initial concept, setting up rooms as if they're from previous decades as an experimental dementia treatment, was interesting. But the unnamed narrator kept going on long tangents about European history and attitudes, to the point where the entire Part 4 of the book is just a discussion of what year or decade the majority of people in each European country think is the best. There are also some weird and confusing elements that feel almost like they're trying to be magical realism but not quite succeeding, or maybe are metaphors that I just don't get. Either way, it all felt very boring and pointless. Or perhaps I just don't have enough context or background information or intelligence or something to understand the point.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Dementia
Minor: War and Mental illness
bookishbee27's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.5
A great concept for a novel but slow and difficult to navigate.
The good: I really liked the concept of Time Shelter as a memory clinic "stuck in time" and the writing really vividly brought these historical periods to life.
The not-so-good: I just found it very very slow going and the writing and dialogue quite stilted and dry. Unfortunately it wasn't particularly enjoyable to read.
Definitely an interesting concept and setting but a slog.
The good: I really liked the concept of Time Shelter as a memory clinic "stuck in time" and the writing really vividly brought these historical periods to life.
The not-so-good: I just found it very very slow going and the writing and dialogue quite stilted and dry. Unfortunately it wasn't particularly enjoyable to read.
Definitely an interesting concept and setting but a slog.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Chronic illness, and Dementia
grunbean's review against another edition
challenging
dark
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
Unexpected.
I think the blurb of the book does not do it justice. I would say that what it was advertised as is not necessarily what the book is.
It took a while for me to get into this. It has a lot of history and politics in it. I was a little disappointed that more of it wasn’t about these ‘clinics of the past’. However, that’s likely from the poor description of what you’re picking up.
I like it. Particularly in the last third of the book. It hits you with an interesting development. It would probably be more appealing to a person with a greater appreciation for European history and politics.
I think the blurb of the book does not do it justice. I would say that what it was advertised as is not necessarily what the book is.
It took a while for me to get into this. It has a lot of history and politics in it. I was a little disappointed that more of it wasn’t about these ‘clinics of the past’. However, that’s likely from the poor description of what you’re picking up.
I like it. Particularly in the last third of the book. It hits you with an interesting development. It would probably be more appealing to a person with a greater appreciation for European history and politics.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Dementia
Minor: Genocide, Grief, Police brutality, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Abortion, Gun violence, War, Kidnapping, Mental illness, and Murder
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