Reviews

Cerita-cerita Bahagia, Hampir Seluruhnya by Norman Erikson Pasaribu

nikolinaza's review

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4.0

Actual rating: 3.9 ⭐


As always, short stories compilation have always been a hit or miss for me, and this one was quite a hit. Some of the stories were a bit hard to comprehend and took a bit of a longer time to be read (even though literature was my major, but I have always find it hard to understand the metaphors in literary works), but some just went smoothly with the flow.

My favorites:

1. Siapa Namamu, Sandra?

2. Ad Maiorem Dei Gloriam

3. Divisi Doa Tak Berjawab (hilarious!)

4. Kisah Sesungguhnya Tentang Lelaki Raksasa

5. Keturunan Kita Akan Sebanyak Awan di Angkasa

Well, if you want to know how it feels to be almost happy, go read this book.

mihrchand's review against another edition

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emotional fast-paced

3.75

ameliasbooks's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? N/A
  • Loveable characters? N/A
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.25

Very smart writing. Unusual and insightful stories. Some parts went over my head for sure, but that's okay. I enjoyed the longer stories more, the very short ones less.

moonchildjuli's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.75

paracosm's review against another edition

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fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes

3.5

This was fine. My two favorite stories were the ones that truly leaned into the absurd, Her Story and The Department of Unanswered Prayers. I can't say all the others were bad, but also didn't call my attention.

mooreca25's review against another edition

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emotional funny reflective sad medium-paced

3.75

alexanderp's review against another edition

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challenging fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

2.0

Another one that just couldn't square with me at all. The prose is full of voice and attitude, but I never felt truly "pulled along." 

nabilaandta's review

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3.0

My personal favorites are Siapa Namamu, Sandra? and Ad Maimorem Dei Gloriam.

strawberrysunset's review against another edition

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3.75

don’t think a single one of these were happy but it was nice to note connections btwn stories and get this wide range of stories that had a lot of queer characters 

evau's review against another edition

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emotional reflective medium-paced

4.5

'Ad maiorem dei gloriam' was my favourite of this collection of stories