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pineconek's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
4.5
The title of this trilogy-memoir truly sets the tone of it, and we get what's on the tin.
In other words, we see Tove's life unfold in three acts: first, a childhood of poverty, self doubt, and squashed ambition. Then, a youth of false promises, false starts, all against the terrifying backdrop of early 1930s European politics. And we culminate in the personal tragedies of dependence, soured relationships, broken dreams. Overarching themes include art-as-lies, searching for a savior, searching for self reliance, and facing yourself.
The trilogy is written with remarkable maturity and nothing feels embellished to make the author look better than she is. All flaws are on display, including those that she can't quite justify to herself either. It's a painfully naked read, and feels extremely intimate and vulnerable. I cannot overstate the rawness of it.
Recommended if you are interested in a first-hand account of "woman as tortured artist" that feels simultaneously honest and voyeuristic, and want to have a rock in your stomach whenever you think back to reading this (which is how I currently feel, writing this review). These emotions are uncomfortable, 's all. 4.5 stars on SG rounded up to 5 on GR.
In other words, we see Tove's life unfold in three acts: first, a childhood of poverty, self doubt, and squashed ambition. Then, a youth of false promises, false starts, all against the terrifying backdrop of early 1930s European politics. And we culminate in the personal tragedies of dependence, soured relationships, broken dreams. Overarching themes include art-as-lies, searching for a savior, searching for self reliance, and facing yourself.
The trilogy is written with remarkable maturity and nothing feels embellished to make the author look better than she is. All flaws are on display, including those that she can't quite justify to herself either. It's a painfully naked read, and feels extremely intimate and vulnerable. I cannot overstate the rawness of it.
Recommended if you are interested in a first-hand account of "woman as tortured artist" that feels simultaneously honest and voyeuristic, and want to have a rock in your stomach whenever you think back to reading this (which is how I currently feel, writing this review). These emotions are uncomfortable, 's all. 4.5 stars on SG rounded up to 5 on GR.
jadeyen's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
fast-paced
4.25
A rich and complex story that also feels so rooted in a familiar reality. Tove bares her whole messy beautiful person-vulnerabilities, weaknesses, loves, warts and all in these stories and also paints a rounder picture of a Copenhagen that seems on the surface different from the one of 2024’s cool girl social safety net hygge design, but also very accessibly has “modern” touches (hard to think the context is a century ago) that you can trace the through-lines of modern Denmark to. The book makes more sense as a triptych of complete novellas, as something slightly lacks some fluency between them, but she has an incredible knack for explaining complex things so matter of factly it feels like we’re there with her- through loves and loves lost, through rich and poor, sickness and health, luck and downfall.
nikikerimova's review against another edition
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
5.0
baobao550's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
4.5
karamajka's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced