Reviews

Bolla by Pajtim Statovci

arcadiabooks's review against another edition

challenging dark sad

5.0

"Yksinäisyys kuorii ihmisen ulos ihostaan, leikkaa kielen ja hylkää hitaasti haihtumaan lukitun huoneen ilmaan."
The language used is so versatile and poetic especially in Finnish. The characters are written in a brutally honest way. The methaphoric story about Bolla makes you think like never before. And after the book was read, all I felt was pure confusion, awe, sadness and disgust at the same time. This book left me speechless. 

ciarafrances's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

tackling_the_tbrs's review against another edition

dark reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

mxlawzarus's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

amyjo25's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.75

fellumhistane's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

ennilotta's review against another edition

challenging dark

3.75

purplepierogi's review against another edition

5.0

holy FUCK -- Statovci and Hackston simply do not miss. the tenderness with which characters are treated, the intimacy created..! only to see them complicated and reveal striking cruelty. thematically what struck me was how characters embody at once both victim and abuser, in a way that echos the Serb-Albanian dichotomy in pre and post-conflict Kosovo. the themes of loneliness, isolation, and absolutely warranted self-hatred; yet described with this voice that is so lyrical, Statovci creates grey spaces that are grim but rich. the narrative structure was also successful, I had to read this in a day. it's so dark and potentially life-leeching, and yet so, so compelling.

cronut's review against another edition

challenging dark 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

4.75

avesanoro's review against another edition

2.0

En tiedä pidinkö vai en.