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robotswithpersonality's review
Well, what little I heard about this book, indeed verbatim of the blurb on the back, that caused me to pick it up, wasn't a lie.
It's just that the experience of actually reading it was so far from what I expected that it feels less like a disappointment and more a displacement.
Surreal, perhaps feminist, it seems to be grazing both the injustice of misogyny/patriarchy robbing women of respect and recognition, and also the spectrum beyond the gender binary, except that it's also got the backdrop of a dystopian/police state society and a cruel sanitarium for society's unwanted, shuttered away to die.
The floaty, nightmarish quality of the narrative didn't help me connect the dots, and I found myself focusing less on certain plot points the author was obviously drawing the reader back to, and more on the part where evidently the protagonist's original form was a tree. Never explained. Kind of wanted that story more, or at least to have it hook up more securely to one of the other fragments involved.
I think if this had been a short story in the 50-75 page mark, this level of ambiguity wouldn't phase me, but 130 page novella? At some point the line between reinforcing the theme (if one is confident the theme has been clearly conveyed) and redundant repetition starts to blur. 🤷🏼♂️
It's just that the experience of actually reading it was so far from what I expected that it feels less like a disappointment and more a displacement.
Surreal, perhaps feminist, it seems to be grazing both the injustice of misogyny/patriarchy robbing women of respect and recognition, and also the spectrum beyond the gender binary, except that it's also got the backdrop of a dystopian/police state society and a cruel sanitarium for society's unwanted, shuttered away to die.
The floaty, nightmarish quality of the narrative didn't help me connect the dots, and I found myself focusing less on certain plot points the author was obviously drawing the reader back to, and more on the part where evidently the protagonist's original form was a tree. Never explained. Kind of wanted that story more, or at least to have it hook up more securely to one of the other fragments involved.
I think if this had been a short story in the 50-75 page mark, this level of ambiguity wouldn't phase me, but 130 page novella? At some point the line between reinforcing the theme (if one is confident the theme has been clearly conveyed) and redundant repetition starts to blur. 🤷🏼♂️
kiramke's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I loved it. Did I get it? Mmm. Connecting to moments and thoughts, yes. If you asked me at any point "what exactly is happening in this passage," you'd get some wildly contradictory answers. I think that's maybe the point. Anyway I'm more interested, because I never remember to write down where I found a book... Did I come to this after adding Amparo Davila to my list, or did I discover Davila after finding this book?
chiar_'s review against another edition
dark
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
3.5
lykin's review against another edition
I just couldn’t get into it and the MC annoyed me.
ppyre's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
istaisa's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-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? It's complicated
4.5
la_ravenreader's review
3.0
An atmospheric story of a doctor who receives two guests on a winter night. One invited and the other uninvited, but they both make themselves at home. The doctor then sets out to discover the identity of his uninvited guest. A thought provoking read that often takes a turn at strange.
bocker_enligt_angelica's review against another edition
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.75