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halime1305's review
3.0
I loved the first half. The way it kept switching from Oskar’s early years before the accident to years later right before his death. I loved the way it was written from an anonymous narrator. I loved learning about the effects of his accident during the course of his life, and I loved seeing the contrast of how he viewed his life to be so little and nothing vs what he actually went through and did.
The reason why I’m rating 3 though is because it became political in the second half of the book, which I should have seen coming considering the years it’s set in. But I feel the political second half wasn’t as enjoyable to be read as the first half.
“Oskar tries to creat a false picture of himself, and his story has to be seen and developed in the context of whatever motivated his choice.”
The reason why I’m rating 3 though is because it became political in the second half of the book, which I should have seen coming considering the years it’s set in. But I feel the political second half wasn’t as enjoyable to be read as the first half.
“Oskar tries to creat a false picture of himself, and his story has to be seen and developed in the context of whatever motivated his choice.”
devilstatedan's review
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
A piece of fictitious oral history written as a novel is a good way to describe this book, a book which was Henning Mankell's first story - one which went unpublished until now.
It tells the story of a man and his life. A working class, socially minded fellow undergoing a life of hardship and yet finding peace in simple things. As a young man he was massively disfigured and crippled in an explosion - he was working as a rock blaster in a quarry. He was no recollection of the accident but must face life with the restrictions his body now faces, and in his own stoic way he watches his Sweden change, for good and for bad, and leads a simple life. The narrator spends his last few summers with him collecting his story and tells it very matter-of-factly and with great heart. It's an exploration on humanity and what it is to live a life in these times - times which don't seem to change that much at all when you look closely. The poor remain poor and the rich get richer and with luck, we can live a life of dignity underneath the pressure of it all.
Stunning writing and an important story that was well worth the wait!
It tells the story of a man and his life. A working class, socially minded fellow undergoing a life of hardship and yet finding peace in simple things. As a young man he was massively disfigured and crippled in an explosion - he was working as a rock blaster in a quarry. He was no recollection of the accident but must face life with the restrictions his body now faces, and in his own stoic way he watches his Sweden change, for good and for bad, and leads a simple life. The narrator spends his last few summers with him collecting his story and tells it very matter-of-factly and with great heart. It's an exploration on humanity and what it is to live a life in these times - times which don't seem to change that much at all when you look closely. The poor remain poor and the rich get richer and with luck, we can live a life of dignity underneath the pressure of it all.
Stunning writing and an important story that was well worth the wait!
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