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4.05 AVERAGE
4.05 AVERAGE
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I absolutely adore "I who have never known men" so this seemed like a natural read based on what i have heard about it. I have to say it was a bit of a dud. The interesting part about of I who never know men for me was on the different interactions between women in a dystopian setting. The Wall goes the complete opposite direction in focusing on a woman as a single unit. I appreciate the larger themes of independence, struggle/survival and companionship but the reading experience was just very boring for me. There is also a hook that is teased throughout and when the main "event" of the book happens it just left me very unsatisfied and felt like a dense and lazy narrative point to make a point on society. Not mad I read since it makes me appreciate "I who have never known men" even more
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
So the first half of this was surprisingly easy to read and engaging. It’s written kind of like a diary/report ie. no dialogue just the main character describing what’s going on in her life. About halfway though the narrative became repetitive, by virtue of the plot of course it would be, but it became boring to read about the grass needing to be cut down, another cat dying etc etc and I kind of rushed through the last quarter. I will say though the last few pages were sad.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
challenging
dark
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The Wall by Marlen Haushofer is one of the most haunting books I’ve ever read. From the very beginning, the reader is left alone—just like the unnamed protagonist. There are no clear explanations, no comfort, no typical narrative structure. Instead, you find yourself slowly, almost imperceptibly, entering her isolation, her rhythm, her thoughts. The book doesn’t just tell a story—it pulls you in. You don’t simply read it, you live it.
That’s what makes The Wall feel more like an experience than a novel in the traditional sense. As the protagonist adjusts to her life behind the invisible barrier, the reader adjusts too. Her solitude becomes yours. The silence, the routine, the slow shift in perception—it all seeps under your skin. You begin to understand the deep connection she develops with animals, the strange peace that emerges alongside the quiet horror of being cut off from the world. The absence of human contact and the breakdown of old structures of meaning are not just themes—they become part of how the novel works on you.
What moved me most was the emotional clarity with which Haushofer writes. Despite the surreal premise, everything feels painfully real. You start asking yourself the same questions the protagonist faces: What is essential? What remains of us when all the noise is gone? What does it mean to be human when society disappears?
And then there’s the ending—one of the most tragic I’ve ever read. Not in a loud, dramatic way, but in a quiet, irreversible sense of loss. It’s an ending that doesn’t let you go. It lingers. It hurts not because of one particular event, but because of everything you’ve been through with this woman, all the fragility and strength she has shown—and the absolute solitude that remains.
The Wall is not simply a dystopian novel. It’s a meditation on survival, on selfhood, on what happens when all structures fall away. It left me shaken—and deeply grateful for literature that dares to leave you completely alone.
adventurous
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
acho que se tornou um dos meus all time favorites. maravilhoso.
dark
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Meget stille fortælling med mange hverdags detaljer og bevidste gentagelser. Twisten er selvfølgelig at fortælleren måske er det sidste menneske på jorden og i hvert fald isoleret fra resten af verden af en usynlig væg.
Bogen er virkelig velskrevet og selv om der sker meget lidt synes jeg aldrig den var kedelig, men når det er sagt kunne jeg godt have brugt lidt mere drive og måske en anelse færre sider. når det er sagt kunne jeg virkelig godt lide slutningen, selv om den helt sikkert ikke er for alle.
Denne udgave har desuden et rigtig fint efterord.
Bogen er virkelig velskrevet og selv om der sker meget lidt synes jeg aldrig den var kedelig, men når det er sagt kunne jeg godt have brugt lidt mere drive og måske en anelse færre sider. når det er sagt kunne jeg virkelig godt lide slutningen, selv om den helt sikkert ikke er for alle.
Denne udgave har desuden et rigtig fint efterord.
Too repetitive for me. Too little focus on her thoughts and motives.