Reviews

A Porta by Magda Szabó

magdalenalala's review against another edition

I couldn' geht into the story and started to get bored.

giglio_sfigato's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious reflective relaxing sad fast-paced

4.0

sydneyedens's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad slow-paced

5.0

“you think life goes on forever, and that it would be worth having if it did.”
emerence my queen!!! god i love literature about women written by women. i wanted this to last forever

brunogcarr's review against another edition

3.0

Magda Szabó carrega para as páginas deste livro, que parece ter aquele fundinho autobiográfico tantas vezes presente na ficção, um par de poderosas - e diferentes - personagens femininas. Com as suas forças muito evidentes, com as suas fragilidades sempre bem camufladas, estas mulheres engolem o romance inteiro e é uma pena que o final não lhes sobreviva: terminar umas páginas antes talvez trouxesse outra intensidade à história. Ainda assim, cabe na classificação mais meia estrela.
Fica, deste meu primeiro contacto com a autora, a vontade de acrescentar "A balada de Iza" às leituras futuras.

jenna_aguirre's review against another edition

dark reflective tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

thethinwomanreads's review against another edition

emotional mysterious reflective medium-paced

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

4.75

ahmad_salimi's review against another edition

4.0

در محکمهٔ وجدان، قاضی، دادستان، وکیل و متهم همه یک نفر و آن یک نفر فردی جز خود انسان نیست. راوی در ابتدای داستان در مقام دادستان به شرح کیفرخواست دادگاه علیه خود می‌پردازد. اما اتهام او چیست؟ وی خود را به قتل امِرِنس، خدمتکار خویش، متهم نموده و سپس در اعتراف‌نامه‌ای طولانی داستان آشنایی اش با امرنس را روایت می‌کند. اما از همان ابتدا، قاضی رأی خود را صادر کرده است؛ اشد مجازات، یعنی همان عذاب وجدان مادام‌العمر.
راوی و امرنس هر دو زنانی هستند با خصوصیات اخلاقی متفاوت که داستان‌ در واقع روایت تلاش این دو برای درک علایق و عواطف همدیگر است. امرنس، زنی بازمانده از جنگ جهانی دوم، علی‌رغم سالمندی از قوای فیزیکی و روحی قابل توجهی برخوردار است، اما پیچیدگی‌ها و رمز و رازهایی در اخلاق و رفتار او وجود دارد که وی را به تافته‌ای جدا بافته از جامعه تبدیل کرده است. در طول این داستان کم فرازونشیب به‌تدریج از این رمز و رازها گره‌گشایی می‌شود.
«در» نوشتۀ ماگدا سابو، نویسندۀ مجارستانی، به ترجمۀ نصراله مرادیانی و حاوی 476 صفحه، کتاب خوشخوانی است و از ترجمۀ خوبی نیز برخوردار است.

leighreadsalot's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad slow-paced

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

5.0

lavrendy's review against another edition

2.0

not a good beach read*

*Update after I’ve thought it over:

While reading this on vacation was definitely not the proper setting, I still think it would have felt like microdosing my own personal hell in any environment. I didn’t enjoy a single page. The main characters and their relationship felt unreasonable. There were way too many dog beatings and not enough realistic interactions.

Like I’ve said before, I love Nothing Books, but only if we get to really see inside a character’s head and grow to understand them and their motives, even if it is slow plot-wise. This didn’t give any proper context for why the characters were making the most shady decisions possible and I got zero payoff at the end.

Two stars for the decent prose and symbolism that probably didn’t make it past my frustration while reading.

mythili's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0