Reviews

Réparer les vivants by Maylis de Kerangal

flure's review against another edition

challenging emotional informative medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No

5.0

katie19's review against another edition

challenging emotional sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? N/A
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

1.75

bookwormy614's review against another edition

DNF. Buzzfeed recommended I read this and I usually read everything they tell me to. Highly praised in the author's native of France. Sadly though, I just could not get through it. The premise is unique (the people involved and affected by an organ donation) which is what drew me in in the first place. However, there was a lot of unnecessary filler in the story. Too many character details that seemed unimportant. Also, the medical jargon is a bit ummm ... wordy. I reckon I'll revisit this book at some point just not the right time now.

reillsreads's review against another edition

2.0

Ugh. This book had so much more potential and I was so excited to read. However this was too much prose for my liking. Basically like reading a giant ass poem. It was hard to follow at multiple points and forced myself to push through. It's also just one big narration, essentially. No dialogue really. The story focused a lot more on hospital characters rather than the transplant recipient or donor.

and7964's review against another edition

3.0

The Heart is a book about what it means to die and how the people around you are left to deal with that grief and trauma. Maylis De Kerangal did a wonderful job of balancing the medical with the intense, emotional aspects in The Heart.

I must warn any potential readers however that The Heart has a more intense and mature theme and I personally wouldn’t recommend the book to anyone under 16 years old.

addy_rose's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative reflective 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? No

4.75

I'm so genuinely impressed by this book. I randomly grabbed it based on the cover recently and couldn't be more happy that I did. The Heart is a French translated novel about the importance of life and the importance of how our lives end. The writing is astoundingly beautiful and paints a really intriguing picture about how intertwined every persons' lives are and it really depends on your view at how much someone else's actions and life choices can ripple effect your own life. The overall theme of passing life from one person to another while also stealing the original person's life from their loved ones is discussed so gently and emotionless while also serving the moral dilemma with empathy and understanding. It's genuinely so impressive that this book can stand so solidly and the writing be so beautiful even after translation, nothing was lost and it is just overall a very powerful read. 

zaziesteed's review against another edition

adventurous challenging informative tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

cassandralovesfeta's review against another edition

4.0

Eye opening, intense, definitely worth your time.

kingarooski's review against another edition

5.0

Wow, what a book! It sneaks up on you through de Kerangal's writing, almost stream of consciousness in its quality, a little bit rambling in places, but always flowing towards the last few chapters, the crescendo building. I didn't enjoy The Birth of a Bridge as much (too technical?), but this book is a masterpiece.

"Thomas washes the body...recognising each fold and each span of skin, including the tattoo across the shoulder, this emerald black arabesque inscribed in his skin the summer he told himself his body was his own, that his body expressed something essential about him."

chloewiart's review against another edition

challenging emotional informative sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? N/A
• Loveable characters? N/A
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0