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3.63 AVERAGE
3.63 AVERAGE
adventurous
dark
hopeful
mysterious
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I had to read this carefully, the style was very unique and had me captivated, but took a bit of effort to get into this very different and beautiful writing.
Like the reviews says, it’s written through the eyes of a child, but where Mocking Bird’s, Scout has a unique view distorted through her childlike understanding, it was literal. Anna’s views are more conceptual and you get insider her head. You don’t so much know what she thinks, but what she feels.
It had me hooked in no time.
Highly recommended.
Like the reviews says, it’s written through the eyes of a child, but where Mocking Bird’s, Scout has a unique view distorted through her childlike understanding, it was literal. Anna’s views are more conceptual and you get insider her head. You don’t so much know what she thinks, but what she feels.
It had me hooked in no time.
Highly recommended.
‘I know it’s not good for a girl to be without a father these days. But is it any better for a father to be without a daughter?’
This is an odd little book about outcasts taking care of each other and the unexpected heroism that war can produce.
First thing you really ought to know about this book: you probably are not quite prepared for what this book is. If you love books about the Second World War set in Eastern Europe, this is that - but this may throw you for a loop in an unwanted way that tastes like open-ended magical realism. If you love literary fiction, this is that - but some of the prose may irritate you.
Ultimately, I could handle both of these things. This book is charming, individual, and gripping in its own way. The characters are beautifully developed and the story is told in a compelling enough way that, though unsatisfying, it wasn't frustrating that many questions went unanswered. This deals with a lot of difficult subjects - from bystanders to mental illness to the Holocaust to the dangers of the male gaze - in sensitive but unflinching ways.
To be found is to be gone forever.
These are all excellent. There overall isn't much wrong with this book. It's also beautiful physically, with gorgeous, minimalist illustration beginning each chapter.
One thing to keep in mind if you have trouble with unrealistic narration and perspective shifting in books: this one doesn't do it very well. This book is from the perpective of a girl who grows from seven to just before her teenage years, and it never really reads like that. Her mind process itself is generally done well, but because, as you are far too inconsistently reminded, there is an omnipresent narrator who jumps to different perspectives occasionally, it's easy to get thrown off by how maturely and complexly things are being described.
Despite that, I would probably recommend this book to anyone I care about who goes for Holocaust/World War II. It's a difficult read in a lot of places, but... well... who would expect anything less from a book set in 1939 Poland about a seven-year-old who is left with no one when her father is dragged away by the Nazis?
‘It is not good to stay living amidst death. It is not good to stay amidst death.’
This is an odd little book about outcasts taking care of each other and the unexpected heroism that war can produce.
First thing you really ought to know about this book: you probably are not quite prepared for what this book is. If you love books about the Second World War set in Eastern Europe, this is that - but this may throw you for a loop in an unwanted way that tastes like open-ended magical realism. If you love literary fiction, this is that - but some of the prose may irritate you.
Ultimately, I could handle both of these things. This book is charming, individual, and gripping in its own way. The characters are beautifully developed and the story is told in a compelling enough way that, though unsatisfying, it wasn't frustrating that many questions went unanswered. This deals with a lot of difficult subjects - from bystanders to mental illness to the Holocaust to the dangers of the male gaze - in sensitive but unflinching ways.
To be found is to be gone forever.
These are all excellent. There overall isn't much wrong with this book. It's also beautiful physically, with gorgeous, minimalist illustration beginning each chapter.
One thing to keep in mind if you have trouble with unrealistic narration and perspective shifting in books: this one doesn't do it very well. This book is from the perpective of a girl who grows from seven to just before her teenage years, and it never really reads like that. Her mind process itself is generally done well, but because, as you are far too inconsistently reminded, there is an omnipresent narrator who jumps to different perspectives occasionally, it's easy to get thrown off by how maturely and complexly things are being described.
Despite that, I would probably recommend this book to anyone I care about who goes for Holocaust/World War II. It's a difficult read in a lot of places, but... well... who would expect anything less from a book set in 1939 Poland about a seven-year-old who is left with no one when her father is dragged away by the Nazis?
‘It is not good to stay living amidst death. It is not good to stay amidst death.’
I am left with many sad feelings after finishing this, but also a deep lack of satisfaction from the ending. Such is life. This will stick around a while.
Spoilery thoughts: I'm still not entirely sure what the little white pills (potassium iodide) were for. I've been reading about it, and it looks like it's to prevent radiation poisoning, and/or thyroid care. I thought I remembered the Swallow Man talking to the German friend in Gdansk about fission, and the friend calls him "Professor," so it leads me to believe that perhaps an experiment went wrong and he is trying to prevent adverse effects, but why was he having such strange side-effects from stopping his pills? So strange. Wondering if this is an error on the author's part, or if these things really occur. Haven't gotten enough info yet.
Spoilery thoughts: I'm still not entirely sure what the little white pills (potassium iodide) were for. I've been reading about it, and it looks like it's to prevent radiation poisoning, and/or thyroid care. I thought I remembered the Swallow Man talking to the German friend in Gdansk about fission, and the friend calls him "Professor," so it leads me to believe that perhaps an experiment went wrong and he is trying to prevent adverse effects, but why was he having such strange side-effects from stopping his pills? So strange. Wondering if this is an error on the author's part, or if these things really occur. Haven't gotten enough info yet.
I loved everything about this book. It was sweet, and sad, and graphic, and poetic.
Except the end. I did not like the end.
Why did it end?
There was certainty in every aspect of this story and the final certain aspect was the best and the worst.
Except the end. I did not like the end.
Why did it end?
There was certainty in every aspect of this story and the final certain aspect was the best and the worst.
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Very well done. The horror is beautifully balanced with magical realism and childhood innocence.
Content warning: this is not young YA and certainly not a children's book. This is about a child surviving the Holocaust, and there's only so much she can be protected from. Parents of middle schoolers should pre-read.
Content warning: this is not young YA and certainly not a children's book. This is about a child surviving the Holocaust, and there's only so much she can be protected from. Parents of middle schoolers should pre-read.
Originally posted on Three Little Birds Book Blog
I don't know how to review this book. I still don't know if any of it is real. Anna and the Swallow Man is a magical, striking tale about a man and a girl who live on the outskirts of war. Their pilgrimage takes them across thousands of miles, as they meet interesting characters and dodge dangerous ones. The writing is superb; it’s lyrical, enchanting, and oftentimes mesmerizing. This story is a spell of magic, every page filled with great meaning and thoughtful insights into humanity. I highlighted almost all of it. Upon closing this book my mind was filled with words, thoughts, and feelings that don't make much sense, but they're unforgettable.
Anna and the Swallow Man is told in a third person narrative and feels almost like a fairytale. The WWll setting is real and harrowing, but the scenes with Anna and her Swallow Man have an almost mystical feel to it. This saga, their odyssey, is mythical and alluring. The writing is wonderful, truly wonderful, but I can’t reconcile the style with the category. This is a children’s book, young adult, but the writing is very sophisticated. I don’t want to insult the precocious young readers of the world, but if I’d read this when I was in the… What grade does this say it’s for? Oh, yeah. Gr 8 up. If I’d read this in the 8th grade, I would have had a hard time understanding its message. But that doesn’t mean that it shouldn’t be read.
This is a coming-of-age story; it’s about the loss of innocence, which is lost because of age, and because of circumstances. Anna is a bright light in a setting that is ominous and devastating. When she meets the Swallow Man she’s lost the one person who tethers her to the world, and she latches onto him like a duckling imprinting. She learns a lot from him about survival, about life, truths, and reality. I couldn’t look away as they trekked across Europe on a mission to avoid danger. The characters are immensely memorable, particularly the Swallow Man, since he’s pretty ambiguous, his character and past questionable. This isn’t a particularly dark read, considering the backdrop, but there’s an undeniable tension throughout, as the stakes get higher.
I truly enjoyed reading this profoundly beautiful novel. Though, I’m still grappling with the ending. It’s not a clean ending, and I still haven’t decided how to interpret it. I’ve read and reread it, and I think on it even though it’s been weeks since I finished it. Like I said, it’s unforgettable. This novel should get a lot of attention; it’s brilliant and Gavriel Savit is beyond talented. I recommend you read it.
I don't know how to review this book. I still don't know if any of it is real. Anna and the Swallow Man is a magical, striking tale about a man and a girl who live on the outskirts of war. Their pilgrimage takes them across thousands of miles, as they meet interesting characters and dodge dangerous ones. The writing is superb; it’s lyrical, enchanting, and oftentimes mesmerizing. This story is a spell of magic, every page filled with great meaning and thoughtful insights into humanity. I highlighted almost all of it. Upon closing this book my mind was filled with words, thoughts, and feelings that don't make much sense, but they're unforgettable.
Anna and the Swallow Man is told in a third person narrative and feels almost like a fairytale. The WWll setting is real and harrowing, but the scenes with Anna and her Swallow Man have an almost mystical feel to it. This saga, their odyssey, is mythical and alluring. The writing is wonderful, truly wonderful, but I can’t reconcile the style with the category. This is a children’s book, young adult, but the writing is very sophisticated. I don’t want to insult the precocious young readers of the world, but if I’d read this when I was in the… What grade does this say it’s for? Oh, yeah. Gr 8 up. If I’d read this in the 8th grade, I would have had a hard time understanding its message. But that doesn’t mean that it shouldn’t be read.
This is a coming-of-age story; it’s about the loss of innocence, which is lost because of age, and because of circumstances. Anna is a bright light in a setting that is ominous and devastating. When she meets the Swallow Man she’s lost the one person who tethers her to the world, and she latches onto him like a duckling imprinting. She learns a lot from him about survival, about life, truths, and reality. I couldn’t look away as they trekked across Europe on a mission to avoid danger. The characters are immensely memorable, particularly the Swallow Man, since he’s pretty ambiguous, his character and past questionable. This isn’t a particularly dark read, considering the backdrop, but there’s an undeniable tension throughout, as the stakes get higher.
I truly enjoyed reading this profoundly beautiful novel. Though, I’m still grappling with the ending. It’s not a clean ending, and I still haven’t decided how to interpret it. I’ve read and reread it, and I think on it even though it’s been weeks since I finished it. Like I said, it’s unforgettable. This novel should get a lot of attention; it’s brilliant and Gavriel Savit is beyond talented. I recommend you read it.
I read this book with the intention of determining whether or not I would want to teach it with my junior high classes. On the whole I thought this book was decent for the YA genre. It touched on symbolism in a way that is accessible but not heavy handed. It left lots of detail up for interpretation and didn't explain everything to death. What I found somewhat unfortunate (or maybe I just missed it?) is that I couldn't figure out the point of the story in the end. So much of the story was left unclear that either I wasn't reading with enough of my literary brain on, my cold medicine head was too fuzzy to pick it out, or it just wasn't there. That meant I left the book feeling like it was good and interesting and well written enough, but I can't figure out what the purpose or point of the story in the end. Was it just a meeting and parting of two people? How did Anna grow? Where is she headed now? The whole book was a random journey to no-where with the point of just staying alive, but I would have liked for it to grow into something in the end that felt less random and more solid. Ultimately I don't think I'll be adding this book to my classroom reading lists.
For some reason the Swallow Man's character reminded me of Death in The Book Thief, acting almost as much as an observer in the story as a participant. Really enjoyed this book, and think it would be a great teaching tool.