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lassiter's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
ellaf56's review against another edition
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
2.75
atgerstner's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
e_thom_73's review against another edition
Was too intense and complex for my current state of mind. May revisit in the future
the_sunken_library's review against another edition
4.0
I really loved this - I found listening to the audio book narrated by the author while I read the physical book truly enhanced this experience. This is not a traditional novel, it's poetry mixed with prose and therefor, in my opinion, needs to be performed for the audience to truly immerse themselves in it. And who better to perform this work than the author themselves, who can masterfully weave their intention into their intonation. I found Salena's voice to be soothing, comical, emotional, beautiful. I think without hearing her words from her mouth, I would have struggled with this book pondering and musing over death.
It doesn't get 5 stars because, while some lines will stick with me forever "my phone is full of dead people", I felt the ending fizzled away. And, I wasn't necessarily keen on the narrator's sanity and understanding of the situation (that they could converse and be a conduit for Death) being questioned.
It doesn't get 5 stars because, while some lines will stick with me forever "my phone is full of dead people", I felt the ending fizzled away. And, I wasn't necessarily keen on the narrator's sanity and understanding of the situation (that they could converse and be a conduit for Death) being questioned.
brisingr's review against another edition
4.0
the writing style in this is utterly, hands-down spectacular; i think the book is worth a read for that only, let alone the beautiful odes to humanity and life.
lorettaandbooks's review against another edition
dark
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
justinkhchen's review against another edition
4.0
4.5 stars
Part surrealist fairy tale, part documentary, and part philosophical musing on life and death, Mrs Death Misses Death is a dizzying, gut-punching literary trip unbound by traditional story structure.
Salena Godden's root in poetry is clearly evident, the rhythmic wring and clever wordplay (the book title is just a tease) are present throughout the book's entirety, and the reading experience comes across as lyrical, frank, and never self-indulgent. It is difficult summarizing Mrs Death Misses Death because of its intentional fragmentation: it's both darkly fantastical and brutally real. Told primarily through the character Wolf (who is biracial, nonbinary and possibly bipolar), the story utilizes the character's past and present as a platform, exploring gender/race reversal (what if Death is an old Black female? What if Jack the Ripper was a woman?), discrimination, mental health and openly commenting on current state of the world (refugee crisis in Europe, police brutality, COVID-19, and more).
While the constant recalling of weighty topical news strengthen many emotional moments (such as alluding to the Grenfell Tower fire as part of Wolf's family tragedy), there are a couple observational writings that feel tonally different (from the author's voice rather than any of the story characters), and come across as late additions inserted into an already finished product. Perhaps these would've been better appreciated outside the boundary of this book.
Mrs Death Misses Death is like nothing I've read recently, it's unapologetically visceral, and while it's not an escapism literature, it also manages to be not a complete downer; it challenges our perception of death (of all kinds), and voicing our collective frustration at the world's inequality. Go in with caution and expect it to linger.
Part surrealist fairy tale, part documentary, and part philosophical musing on life and death, Mrs Death Misses Death is a dizzying, gut-punching literary trip unbound by traditional story structure.
Salena Godden's root in poetry is clearly evident, the rhythmic wring and clever wordplay (the book title is just a tease) are present throughout the book's entirety, and the reading experience comes across as lyrical, frank, and never self-indulgent. It is difficult summarizing Mrs Death Misses Death because of its intentional fragmentation: it's both darkly fantastical and brutally real. Told primarily through the character Wolf (who is biracial, nonbinary and possibly bipolar), the story utilizes the character's past and present as a platform, exploring gender/race reversal (what if Death is an old Black female? What if Jack the Ripper was a woman?), discrimination, mental health and openly commenting on current state of the world (refugee crisis in Europe, police brutality, COVID-19, and more).
While the constant recalling of weighty topical news strengthen many emotional moments (such as alluding to the Grenfell Tower fire as part of Wolf's family tragedy), there are a couple observational writings that feel tonally different (from the author's voice rather than any of the story characters), and come across as late additions inserted into an already finished product. Perhaps these would've been better appreciated outside the boundary of this book.
Mrs Death Misses Death is like nothing I've read recently, it's unapologetically visceral, and while it's not an escapism literature, it also manages to be not a complete downer; it challenges our perception of death (of all kinds), and voicing our collective frustration at the world's inequality. Go in with caution and expect it to linger.