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abbie_'s review against another edition
dark
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
3.5
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for my free digital ARC!
Honestly it must be difficult when your magnum opus is published in English first and all your English-speaking audience is expecting is another Eighth Life 😂 I was sort of disappointed in Haratischwili’s second English translation, My Soul Twin, but Juja fared better. This is her debut novel in fact, and I think, depressing as it is, it’s a solid debut though not without a few weaknesses.
Honestly it must be difficult when your magnum opus is published in English first and all your English-speaking audience is expecting is another Eighth Life 😂 I was sort of disappointed in Haratischwili’s second English translation, My Soul Twin, but Juja fared better. This is her debut novel in fact, and I think, depressing as it is, it’s a solid debut though not without a few weaknesses.
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Translated again by Ruth Martin, Juja is told through a variety of perspectives. At its centre is a mysterious little book, written by 17-year-old Jeanne Saré whose tragic suicide then inspired 14 copycats after reading her book Ice Age. The main POVs are ‘Brother’, a vile little man half in love with his own sister, and Laura, a Dutch academic who is semi-coerced into embarking upon a research project focusing on Saré.
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It goes without saying that Juja is filled with awful acts, it’s bleak and explores the darkest recesses of the human mind. The first half of the book was a lot stronger than the second. Sometimes a couple of the POVs felt difficult to distinguish. Their voices felt too similar, and I suppose that may be down to the fact that all of them are experiencing terrible sadnesses. I was definitely intrigued throughout, and was keen to know how all the storylines would come together - which some did more satisfyingly than others.
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Juja is an exploration of the power of storytellings, the idea of myth and finding what we want to find in the literature we consume. The characters are all battling their own demons, and I think their stories are well-developed on their own, but the book stumbles when it comes to tying them together. The mysterious draw of the book, its effect on its readers and the legend of Saré was what I found most compelling.
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Book 4 for #WomenInTranslation month
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Suicide attempt, Suicide, Rape, and Sexual violence
Moderate: Incest
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