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charlie_heart6's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape, Violence, Xenophobia, and War
carbs666's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
Ok I'm not giving this book a starred rating and I will explain.
This book is doing something totally masterful at the craft level. We talk often about novels being either windows or mirrors, and this one is a window open wide to an expansive view that is completely foreign to me. At first the book might feel boring, but after a few pages pass you realize that the author is using monotony to build tension, and she's doing so very effectively. The book is all impressions, anything momentous that happens isn't described in any detail, while the rote, unimportant things are contemplated and documented at length, giving readers and unsettling feeling of not being able to identify what's "important." The change in tone between the first and second halves is so drastic, taking you from a perspective that's somewhat removed, where emotional responses and inner workings of characters are only vaguely hinted at, to a very intimately centered and driven first-person POV. Recurring motifs - dust, dogs barking, the sound of gunfire, cars, the body's physical responses to emotions, heat, colours associated with different landscape features - and the persistent focus on minor details give the book an overall air of unease and inevitability, like whatever happens in this book was always bound to happen, no matter what other choices the characters may have made.
All that said, while I recognize the significance and skill of the writing, translation, and topics of the book, I did not like it. It goes without saying that the subject matter is unpleasant, but that's not what I don't like about it - the style isn't one that resonates with me as a reader. It somewhat gave me the feeling I would get when reading a book assigned to me in class, where I can understand why we're reading the book and all the important things the book is doing, but it's not a book I would choose to read in my free time. However, it's good to challenge yourself to read differently than you normally would, and I will be thinking about this book for a very long time to come.
This book is doing something totally masterful at the craft level. We talk often about novels being either windows or mirrors, and this one is a window open wide to an expansive view that is completely foreign to me. At first the book might feel boring, but after a few pages pass you realize that the author is using monotony to build tension, and she's doing so very effectively. The book is all impressions, anything momentous that happens isn't described in any detail, while the rote, unimportant things are contemplated and documented at length, giving readers and unsettling feeling of not being able to identify what's "important." The change in tone between the first and second halves is so drastic, taking you from a perspective that's somewhat removed, where emotional responses and inner workings of characters are only vaguely hinted at, to a very intimately centered and driven first-person POV. Recurring motifs - dust, dogs barking, the sound of gunfire, cars, the body's physical responses to emotions, heat, colours associated with different landscape features - and the persistent focus on minor details give the book an overall air of unease and inevitability, like whatever happens in this book was always bound to happen, no matter what other choices the characters may have made.
All that said, while I recognize the significance and skill of the writing, translation, and topics of the book, I did not like it. It goes without saying that the subject matter is unpleasant, but that's not what I don't like about it - the style isn't one that resonates with me as a reader. It somewhat gave me the feeling I would get when reading a book assigned to me in class, where I can understand why we're reading the book and all the important things the book is doing, but it's not a book I would choose to read in my free time. However, it's good to challenge yourself to read differently than you normally would, and I will be thinking about this book for a very long time to come.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Gun violence, Rape, Murder, and War
aliyatrvd's review against another edition
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: War
aislingmoconnell's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Rape, Islamophobia, Murder, and War
jaylinsoto's review against another edition
dark
emotional
informative
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
I found this book challenging to read (content wise) but really rewarding. I learned a lot & I loved how the narrator finds connection in history and strives to tell the story of a woman forgotten about and glanced over.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and War
zzara's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape, Violence, and War
kaimju's review against another edition
dark
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
4.5
„Sometimes it’s inevitable for the past to be forgotten, especially if the present is no less horrific”.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Genocide, Gun violence, Rape, and War
airahkaz's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape
Moderate: Gun violence, Sexual assault, and War
Minor: Vomit
cirrenamarie's review against another edition
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
When they said minor detail they meant it. Every minor detail that could be shared is which made it feel like a slow read. It is the most literary fiction book I’ve ever read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape and Murder
Moderate: War
crcrane's review against another edition
dark
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Important read but a very heavy topic
Content Warnings
Graphic: Genocide, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, Xenophobia, Islamophobia, and War