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ruby_filou's review against another edition
dark
emotional
funny
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
gab1one's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
buecherfuechsin's review against another edition
4.0
Alina Bronsky hat mich mit ihrem bissigen Schreibstil aufs Neue überzeugt. Wie auch schon in Ihrem hervorragend originellen Roman "Baba Dunjas letzte Liebe" wird die Geschichte von einer grummeligen alten Großmutter bestimmt, die man trotz ihrer unsympathisch kontrollierenden Art ins Herz schließt. Der Autorin gelingt es die Schwierigkeiten aber auch die Chancen der Integration sprachlich originell und zutreffend zu beschreiben.
Mir hat es die mir fremde Welt russischer Flüchtlinge wieder ein Stückchen nähergebracht.
Mir hat es die mir fremde Welt russischer Flüchtlinge wieder ein Stückchen nähergebracht.
readacorn's review against another edition
2.0
Der erste Bronsky der mich nicht vollends überzeugen konnte.
daja123's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent and Death
Moderate: Dementia
Minor: Child death
scarletohhara's review
3.0
More like 3.5 stars for making book about a tedious woman like Margarita Ivanovich such a quick and easy read.
Rita is a racist, tiresome, talkative and a mentally unstable woman; Tschingis is a calm man with a reassuring presence; Nina is a puzzling, weak woman whose friendship with Rita, the wife of the man she had a baby with is the weirdest relationship I’ve read about; Vera is a mean little girl who grows up to like Maxim; and Max is the weak yet smart boy who figures out how to live with his mad grandmother and still care for her - how these protagonists get together in this book is still strange to me.
I read this because it was an easy read and I was curious how the narration would flow, but the book ended with too many loose ends tied together very quickly in the last few pages.
Questions like where was Tschingis Tschingisovich from, what language did he speak, why did he still live with Rita when he loved Nina, why would Nina allow Rita so much freedom in her life when she had everything going for her - these questions linger though they aren’t really important for the central plot - central plot is how the mad Rita is still strong enough to plough through life with the added responsibility of Nina, Vera and the child Tschingis.
Either that, or I lost the plot and just enjoyed the book - one of these.
(spoiler - Max’s Mom, Maya slept with his Dad who was married already and died of a ruptured appendix coz she wasn’t taken to the hospital on time)
Rita is a racist, tiresome, talkative and a mentally unstable woman; Tschingis is a calm man with a reassuring presence; Nina is a puzzling, weak woman whose friendship with Rita, the wife of the man she had a baby with is the weirdest relationship I’ve read about; Vera is a mean little girl who grows up to like Maxim; and Max is the weak yet smart boy who figures out how to live with his mad grandmother and still care for her - how these protagonists get together in this book is still strange to me.
I read this because it was an easy read and I was curious how the narration would flow, but the book ended with too many loose ends tied together very quickly in the last few pages.
Questions like where was Tschingis Tschingisovich from, what language did he speak, why did he still live with Rita when he loved Nina, why would Nina allow Rita so much freedom in her life when she had everything going for her - these questions linger though they aren’t really important for the central plot - central plot is how the mad Rita is still strong enough to plough through life with the added responsibility of Nina, Vera and the child Tschingis.
Either that, or I lost the plot and just enjoyed the book - one of these.
(spoiler - Max’s Mom, Maya slept with his Dad who was married already and died of a ruptured appendix coz she wasn’t taken to the hospital on time)
ameliegot's review against another edition
dark
emotional
funny
reflective
medium-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? Yes
4.0
zjn's review against another edition
3.0
‘My Grandmother’s Braid’ is a quirky novel that follows the life of a young Russian refugee as he lives in Germany with his neurotic Grandmother and silent Grandfather.
The book feels like a character study in many ways, the focus is very much on the the boy trying to calm his Grandmother as she does a never ending parade of bizarre things. Other plot points occur but play second fiddle to the Grandmother.
I enjoyed the style in which the book was written but felt a little disconnected from the storyline.
I would recommend this book to those looking for quirky books focused on unusual characters. One of the main characters voices anti-Semitic and racist views frequently throughout. These are framed negatively but something I feel it’s worth flagging up for readers who would prefer to avoid this.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
The book feels like a character study in many ways, the focus is very much on the the boy trying to calm his Grandmother as she does a never ending parade of bizarre things. Other plot points occur but play second fiddle to the Grandmother.
I enjoyed the style in which the book was written but felt a little disconnected from the storyline.
I would recommend this book to those looking for quirky books focused on unusual characters. One of the main characters voices anti-Semitic and racist views frequently throughout. These are framed negatively but something I feel it’s worth flagging up for readers who would prefer to avoid this.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
_verena_'s review against another edition
4.0
Eine außergewöhnliche Familiengeschichte, lustig und traurig zugleich, erzählt aus der Sicht eines Kindes.
Der kleine Maxim wird von seinen Großeltern großgezogen, die von Russland nach Deutschland gekommen waren. Die Großmutter fürchtet immer um sein Leben, nennt ihn "Krüppel" und prophezeit ihm, er würde nicht mehr lange leben und ohne sie schon gar nicht zurecht kommen.
Als Nina und ihre gleichaltrige Tochter Vera in das Leben der Familie treten, ändert sich alles. Nina wird schwanger, das Kind wird von der Großmutter großgezogen und die Patchwork Familie ist perfekt.
Auch Details über die Vergangenheit der Großmutter und die Eltern von Maxim kommen ans Licht.
Wunderschön erzählt, man möchte das Buch in einem verschlingen und sobald man durch ist, möchte man wissen, wie es mit den Protagonisten weitergeht.
Die Themen Flucht, Verlust und Altern werden mit einem Augenzwinkern bearbeitet, aber nie von oben herab sondern empathisch und würdevoll.
Was mich allerdings gestört hat, war dass die Großmutter oft übertrieben karikiert gewirkt hat und auch oft sehr gemein zu Maxim war.
Der kleine Maxim wird von seinen Großeltern großgezogen, die von Russland nach Deutschland gekommen waren. Die Großmutter fürchtet immer um sein Leben, nennt ihn "Krüppel" und prophezeit ihm, er würde nicht mehr lange leben und ohne sie schon gar nicht zurecht kommen.
Als Nina und ihre gleichaltrige Tochter Vera in das Leben der Familie treten, ändert sich alles. Nina wird schwanger, das Kind wird von der Großmutter großgezogen und die Patchwork Familie ist perfekt.
Auch Details über die Vergangenheit der Großmutter und die Eltern von Maxim kommen ans Licht.
Wunderschön erzählt, man möchte das Buch in einem verschlingen und sobald man durch ist, möchte man wissen, wie es mit den Protagonisten weitergeht.
Die Themen Flucht, Verlust und Altern werden mit einem Augenzwinkern bearbeitet, aber nie von oben herab sondern empathisch und würdevoll.
Was mich allerdings gestört hat, war dass die Großmutter oft übertrieben karikiert gewirkt hat und auch oft sehr gemein zu Maxim war.
carlwhite's review against another edition
2.0
I just really didn't get on with this at all. I appreciate what it's trying to do - create a caricature (the grandmother) to show how generational and familial trauma spreads out in all directions - but I just found the book itself hard to read.
The first half is a slog: it is *relentless* in the grandmother's verbal abuse of Maxi, our first-person child narrator. It's exhausting. The second half is a bit more interesting (and is why this is two stars rather than one) as Maxi develops more autonomy, but I found the book's attempts to make us pity or sympathise with the grandmother towards the end incredibly annoying - even borderline insulting to me as a reader. She's irredeemable, and the book tries to trick you into thinking that she is.
Not a horrible book by any means, just...hard work.
The first half is a slog: it is *relentless* in the grandmother's verbal abuse of Maxi, our first-person child narrator. It's exhausting. The second half is a bit more interesting (and is why this is two stars rather than one) as Maxi develops more autonomy, but I found the book's attempts to make us pity or sympathise with the grandmother towards the end incredibly annoying - even borderline insulting to me as a reader. She's irredeemable, and the book tries to trick you into thinking that she is.
Not a horrible book by any means, just...hard work.