Reviews

Eastbound by Maylis de Kerangal

jslive's review against another edition

4.0

Read the original French version "tangente vers l'est". The evocative vocabulary was a challenge for my mediocre French, but it was still a propulsive, intriguing and deeply felt book. The two contrasting characters slammed together on a train, communicating without a common language, and finding a common purpose, combined with suspense and great imagery.

jay_catsby's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense fast-paced

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

4.0

lavenderdafrog1's review

adventurous hopeful reflective tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? N/A
• Loveable characters? N/A
• Diverse cast of characters? No

3.75

srpankra's review against another edition

mysterious reflective tense fast-paced

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

4.0

andrewb21's review

challenging emotional hopeful reflective tense medium-paced

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

4.0

A gem of a little book, well-written and transportive for the short time it takes to read. Powerful.

blueberrybanana's review against another edition

reflective tense

3.75

Incredibly vivid writing, bleak but lovely. 

wolcottcm's review against another edition

dark emotional tense medium-paced

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

4.25

katiekull's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional tense fast-paced

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

4.0

A quick and intense read! A gorgeously told story of human connection that packs a lot into its small frame!

nikolai_k's review against another edition

4.0

The Lady Vanishes 2: The Laddie Vanishes (feat. Lake Baikal & The Provodnitze).

Plus: appropriately dreamy/longing/soulful/tired-sounding narration by Jennifer "Slim" Pickens

rsinclair6536's review against another edition

4.0

Beautifully written story of a trip on the Siberian Express. A young Russian military conscript meets a woman from France. Both are trying to escape something. He is desperate and scared. She is brooding and unsure of the path forward. de Kerangal and her translator use striking images of the barren countryside slipping by and the way the train takes its travelers out of normal time experience to balance against the immediate tense story of these unlikely co-conspirators.