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alees's review against another edition
4.0
Some of my favorite quotes:
"A knife wound heals, a tongue wound festers"
"Mournful and yet grand is the destiny of an artist"
"A knife wound heals, a tongue wound festers"
"Mournful and yet grand is the destiny of an artist"
plaidpladd's review
dark
emotional
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
It was cool to read a book set in Azerbaijan and learn more about the time period and culture. Sometimes the extreme naivete of the main character was annoying lol.
karencopp's review
This story moved at a glacial pace. I kept waiting for things to pick up, but they didn’t. The main characters were not developing well so it just wasn’t worth my time.
kdurham2's review
3.0
Check out the full review at Kritters Ramblings
An interesting story that took me out of my normal reading comfort zone and into another country. Leila is a talented pianist who dreams of traveling her country and neighboring countries to play and compete, but with the onset of Communism she may not be able to fulfill her dreams.
A love triangle, with political going ons made this book so interesting. Even though the setting was completely different for me, Leila was easily to get attached to and to fall in love with how she was living in her world.
An interesting story that took me out of my normal reading comfort zone and into another country. Leila is a talented pianist who dreams of traveling her country and neighboring countries to play and compete, but with the onset of Communism she may not be able to fulfill her dreams.
A love triangle, with political going ons made this book so interesting. Even though the setting was completely different for me, Leila was easily to get attached to and to fall in love with how she was living in her world.
pebbles1984's review
4.0
I received this book through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
3.5 stars, but I think it deserves to be rounded up to 4.
This book is set in Azerbaijan, a country I have heard of, but know next to nothing about. I very much enjoyed learning about Azerbaijan's recent history, and I liked the myths or sagas that were incorporated. I also enjoyed reading about communism, as I haven't read many books that are set in a communist society. I didn't learn many new things, but I liked reading a book in which it played a major part. I also liked the story itself, following Leila from age 15-20, while she discovers that the wonderful life she thought she was living is not so wonderful after all. The writing of the book slowed me down however. It took me longer to read than a book of 350 pages usually does, and I think it's because of the language. There are a lot of Azerbaijan words in the text, not always explained. Sometimes sentences are a bit complicated or too metaphorical and I needed to reread them three times. And then there often are comparisons to art and classical music. I know the composers and artists mentioned, but that's it, so I couldn't really relate to the parts where classical music terms were used to describe feelings or events, or to the parts where a specific piece of music was compared to a specific piece of art. But, all in all, an interesting read.
3.5 stars, but I think it deserves to be rounded up to 4.
This book is set in Azerbaijan, a country I have heard of, but know next to nothing about. I very much enjoyed learning about Azerbaijan's recent history, and I liked the myths or sagas that were incorporated. I also enjoyed reading about communism, as I haven't read many books that are set in a communist society. I didn't learn many new things, but I liked reading a book in which it played a major part. I also liked the story itself, following Leila from age 15-20, while she discovers that the wonderful life she thought she was living is not so wonderful after all. The writing of the book slowed me down however. It took me longer to read than a book of 350 pages usually does, and I think it's because of the language. There are a lot of Azerbaijan words in the text, not always explained. Sometimes sentences are a bit complicated or too metaphorical and I needed to reread them three times. And then there often are comparisons to art and classical music. I know the composers and artists mentioned, but that's it, so I couldn't really relate to the parts where classical music terms were used to describe feelings or events, or to the parts where a specific piece of music was compared to a specific piece of art. But, all in all, an interesting read.
ajkhn's review
1.0
One day you wander up a tall hill, half for the view and half for what you’ll see next.
On top of that hill you find a book store, squat on a corner and with an open door.
In that book store you look for something new.
A woman’s voice you don’t recognize, a story you’ve never heard.
But something familiar, you think, as your eyes settle on a paperback decorated with birds.
A story from a place you visited as a child.
A place that made you want to grow up, promising a story of intrigue.
History and sabotage and maybe true love.
So you pick up the book.
And you read it in one fell swoop.
And good golly it is just one terrible book.
On top of that hill you find a book store, squat on a corner and with an open door.
In that book store you look for something new.
A woman’s voice you don’t recognize, a story you’ve never heard.
But something familiar, you think, as your eyes settle on a paperback decorated with birds.
A story from a place you visited as a child.
A place that made you want to grow up, promising a story of intrigue.
History and sabotage and maybe true love.
So you pick up the book.
And you read it in one fell swoop.
And good golly it is just one terrible book.
shornerk's review
5.0
This is such a beautiful book in so many ways. First, it has a beautiful and captivating use of language and Azeri narrative that makes the book hard to put down. Second, it is a heart wrenching exploration of the problems of male power, corruption, and the manipulation of truth. Finally, it is one of the most musical books I have read - the depictions of “flow” experiences within music are complex, evocative, and beautifully metaphorical. I loved this book.
scienceworks's review
challenging
dark
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
aliciawithoutkeys's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault