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ottessa91's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
laz_'s review against another edition
4.0
I've been hearing a lot about Tove Ditlevsen since the English-speaking world sort of rediscovered her with the translation and publication of her Copenhagen Trilogy a few years ago, so when I saw this I knew I had to request it. The title, taken from one of the short stories included in the book, is very apt; all of these stories dealt with the empty and unsatisfied lives of many women, especially in the domestic sphere. You see women fighting to escape their situations, women who are trapped, women who feel that their lives could have been so much more—it's a very quietly sad book.
A lot of the stories are quite short, and although that may lead some people to feel less connected to each narrative, for me those small glimpses of these women and their struggles with happiness made them stick with me so much more. Ditlevsen just has a beautiful way with words and makes these stories, small in scope, feel so large and important. This just made me more excited to read her Copenhagen Trilogy as I've seen her prowess and how beautiful her writing is.
Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!
A lot of the stories are quite short, and although that may lead some people to feel less connected to each narrative, for me those small glimpses of these women and their struggles with happiness made them stick with me so much more. Ditlevsen just has a beautiful way with words and makes these stories, small in scope, feel so large and important. This just made me more excited to read her Copenhagen Trilogy as I've seen her prowess and how beautiful her writing is.
Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!
miaaisha's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
tpapougiannaki's review against another edition
emotional
sad
medium-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
3.25
kiri_johnston's review against another edition
dark
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
debandleo's review against another edition
5.0
I really enjoyed these short stories, now I am on a Tove Ditlevesen quest. A lot of the stories were kind of similar, but I thought her insight into mid-century white women’s life was probably right on target, I’ll have to ask my mom!
cakefairy's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Perfect tiny stories about sad people
metanoialaxy's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
mysterious
reflective
fast-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
3.0