The Wall by Haushofer, Marlen (2013) Paperback by Marlen Haushofer, Marlen Haushofer

4.05 AVERAGE

kalinbullman's review against another edition

4.75
dark emotional reflective sad slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Yes
morganhamernik's profile picture

morganhamernik's review against another edition

4.0
dark reflective sad slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: No
This reads like I Who Have Never Known Men’s older sister: a middle-aged woman wakes up one day in the Austrian Alps and finds herself stuck between invisible walls. Seemingly the last human left alive, she chooses survival alongside a dog, cat, and cow. Not much happens (until the last three pages) but all the wandering and tedium make way for sobering reflections on womanhood, companionship with animals, and humanity’s tendency to overcomplicate everything. Really upsetting, really touching! 

loliberri's review against another edition

3.75
emotional hopeful mysterious reflective slow-paced
bookedideas's profile picture

bookedideas's review against another edition

5.0
emotional reflective tense
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus: N/A
I expected the story goes where the woman meet other survivors and find answers about the mysterious wall. But instead, it a character-driven story, focusing on her survival, reflections on existence, the relationship with her animals, and her mental state while in isolation.

The story opens with the woman writing a report of her isolation. She explains,

β€œπΌβ€™π‘š π‘›π‘œπ‘‘ π‘€π‘Ÿπ‘–π‘‘π‘–π‘›π‘” π‘“π‘œπ‘Ÿ π‘‘β„Žπ‘’ π‘ β„Žπ‘’π‘’π‘Ÿ π‘—π‘œπ‘¦ π‘œπ‘“ π‘€π‘Ÿπ‘–π‘‘π‘–π‘›π‘”; π‘ π‘œ π‘šπ‘Žπ‘›π‘¦ π‘‘β„Žπ‘–π‘›π‘”π‘  β„Žπ‘Žπ‘£π‘’ β„Žπ‘Žπ‘π‘π‘’π‘›π‘’π‘‘ π‘‘π‘œ π‘šπ‘’ π‘‘β„Žπ‘Žπ‘‘ 𝐼 π‘šπ‘’π‘ π‘‘ π‘€π‘Ÿπ‘–π‘‘π‘’ 𝑖𝑓 𝐼 π‘Žπ‘š π‘›π‘œπ‘‘ π‘‘π‘œ π‘™π‘œπ‘ π‘’ π‘šπ‘¦ π‘Ÿπ‘’π‘Žπ‘ π‘œπ‘›.”

Through her report she foreshadows many important events, so from the start you know to expect loss, survival, and reflection, rather than answers about the wall itself. 

I was actually bored and frustrated mid finishing this book, since there was no chapters and the story is just going on about her day! (then realized maybe  this is how isolation feels and what the author want me to relate to?)

Still I love the book and how descriptive it was and made me feel close to the animals. The book explores how isolation changes the woman’s identity and also raises the question to myself: What kind of person do I become when cut off from society?

Devastating ending!!! 
bcharlies's profile picture

bcharlies's review against another edition

4.25
adventurous challenging dark emotional reflective relaxing sad medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Complicated
Loveable characters: Complicated
Diverse cast of characters: Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated
micheleshel's profile picture

micheleshel's review against another edition

4.75
challenging dark emotional inspiring reflective slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

kleighblue's review against another edition

4.75
adventurous dark reflective slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes

sadiemorrison's review against another edition

4.5
emotional mysterious reflective relaxing sad tense slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

l_lamb's review against another edition

4.0
challenging dark mysterious reflective sad slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

urdadsbeanie's review against another edition

4.5
hopeful mysterious reflective sad tense