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kiwialexa's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
eleanorthomas26's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
heeltje's review against another edition
3.75
Als de dag het had toegelaten had ik hem in een adem uitgelezen. Wat kan deze man mooi schrijven! Toch, net geen 4, eigenlijk omdat ik vermoed dat er nog veel mooier werk van hem is... Ik ga op ontdekkingsreis... eens kijken welk boek zal volgen! ^_^
durrenmatt's review against another edition
4.0
A beautiful little novella that can be easily read in two sittings. A woman stands by the grave of her friend, who died 40 years earlier together with the woman's husband in a skiing accident, and recounts her life story.
The quality of the writing is very high. The prose is simple but beautiful, the observations profound and thoughtful. It reminded me somewhat of Julian Barnes. And it almost made me regret spending so much time trying to get into average British debuts just because they made it to some shortlist...next year more Scandinavian literature!
The quality of the writing is very high. The prose is simple but beautiful, the observations profound and thoughtful. It reminded me somewhat of Julian Barnes. And it almost made me regret spending so much time trying to get into average British debuts just because they made it to some shortlist...next year more Scandinavian literature!
cherryghost15's review against another edition
4.0
Thank you to Debbie—I discovered this book through her review and it did not disappoint.
There are several great reviews and they are accurate, this is an engaging and unique novel.
I think this is the first contemporary novel I’ve read that was translated from Danish.
There are several great reviews and they are accurate, this is an engaging and unique novel.
I think this is the first contemporary novel I’ve read that was translated from Danish.
manuvarela's review against another edition
4.0
Está bueno ver, cómo en un formato epistolar, escrito para alguien que ya no está, se nos revela la figura de una mujer, su familia, sus orígenes, su pensamiento, sus relaciones.
manuvarela's review against another edition
4.0
Está bueno ver, cómo en un formato epistolar, escrito para alguien que ya no está, se nos revela la figura de una mujer, su familia, sus orígenes, su pensamiento, sus relaciones.
thoughtsonbooks's review against another edition
5.0
This is a near perfect book. I am so in awe that I have been staring at the screen for a while trying to put my thoughts and feelings into words, preferably coherent ones. Sometimes there comes along a book that feels true in a way that is rarely achieved. It seems like Jens Christian Grøndahl boiled down life and refined it to fit it into this short 176 page long novel.
Recently widowed Ellinor addresses her late best friend (and her late husband's first wife) to talk about her feelings, her life, their friendship, loss, love and everything inbetween. While she knows that Anna cannot hear her, she still finds solace in this one-sided conversation. Her life is an ordinary one but what the author made of it is absolutely awe-inspiring. He chooses just the rights words and phrases to make this story extraordinary while still grounded in reality.
I loved the characters created here; especially Ellinor is a wonderful person and I enjoyed spending time in her head a whole lot. She is introspective and thoughtful, she is witty and lovely, but most of all she just seems so immensely real that I feel like I really got to know her, flaws and strengths and all. Her family feels real in a way that side characters rarely feel as well and while they drove me nuts in parts (as they drive Ellinor nuts as well) I cannot deny knowing people like them.
The circular nature of the narrative structure works so beautifully I am tempted to immediately reread the book as I am sure it would add an even extra layer. Every description is on point and there is no sentence that feels superfluous. The whole book is so tightly woven and sparsely told in just my favourite way. I cannot recommend this book enough!
_____
I received an arc of this book curtesy of NetGalley and Twelve Books in exchange for an honest review. Thanks for that!
Recently widowed Ellinor addresses her late best friend (and her late husband's first wife) to talk about her feelings, her life, their friendship, loss, love and everything inbetween. While she knows that Anna cannot hear her, she still finds solace in this one-sided conversation. Her life is an ordinary one but what the author made of it is absolutely awe-inspiring. He chooses just the rights words and phrases to make this story extraordinary while still grounded in reality.
I loved the characters created here; especially Ellinor is a wonderful person and I enjoyed spending time in her head a whole lot. She is introspective and thoughtful, she is witty and lovely, but most of all she just seems so immensely real that I feel like I really got to know her, flaws and strengths and all. Her family feels real in a way that side characters rarely feel as well and while they drove me nuts in parts (as they drive Ellinor nuts as well) I cannot deny knowing people like them.
The circular nature of the narrative structure works so beautifully I am tempted to immediately reread the book as I am sure it would add an even extra layer. Every description is on point and there is no sentence that feels superfluous. The whole book is so tightly woven and sparsely told in just my favourite way. I cannot recommend this book enough!
_____
I received an arc of this book curtesy of NetGalley and Twelve Books in exchange for an honest review. Thanks for that!
littlebookbird's review
3.0
A good line from the text to sum it up: “There’s no reason to exaggerate or, to put it differently, you would search in vain for a deeper reason except that it was her, it was him. ... Don’t we make ourselves poorer, with all our knowledge, than we need to be, only because we can?”
anazapatag's review
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0