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amkclaes's review against another edition
3.75
Read in French
Enjoyable read. Surprisingly dark- shocking gruesome events are told with almost an aloof tone, sometimes I'd have to read it over again. Galla reminded me so very much of myself at that age. Cagnati hits perfectly that tone of darkness laced with naivete and so much melodrama and frankness that it becomes humorous yet pitiable, often found in kids forced to grow up too fast and take on adult emotional (and other) responsibilities at a young age
I loved the setting of the book, a little escape to the countryside. And I loved the idea of being tainted by your context, of having your fate be decided by the aesthetics of your surroundings, the exploration of the idea of fate and misfortune and the aesthetics of class differences. I also found the way that family dynamics were explored to be interesting, as we hardly even meet the parents and so only have Galla's anecdotes and emotional storytelling to know them by. Overall we are very confined to Galla's inner life which corresponds to her isolation.
At times the short stoppy prose was tedious, but we are in the mind of a 14 year old, so I accept it.
recommend overall
Enjoyable read. Surprisingly dark- shocking gruesome events are told with almost an aloof tone, sometimes I'd have to read it over again. Galla reminded me so very much of myself at that age. Cagnati hits perfectly that tone of darkness laced with naivete and so much melodrama and frankness that it becomes humorous yet pitiable, often found in kids forced to grow up too fast and take on adult emotional (and other) responsibilities at a young age
I loved the setting of the book, a little escape to the countryside. And I loved the idea of being tainted by your context, of having your fate be decided by the aesthetics of your surroundings, the exploration of the idea of fate and misfortune and the aesthetics of class differences. I also found the way that family dynamics were explored to be interesting, as we hardly even meet the parents and so only have Galla's anecdotes and emotional storytelling to know them by. Overall we are very confined to Galla's inner life which corresponds to her isolation.
At times the short stoppy prose was tedious, but we are in the mind of a 14 year old, so I accept it.
recommend overall
marshamudpuddle's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0
I loved the utterly distinctive voice of the narrator, Galla, almost from the first page. This was crucial, as almost nothing actually happens for the majority of the novel. It is that voice that pulls you through, and the pleasure of hearing how the Galla thinks, how she navigates her small, strange world.
Galla is a young girl living in a very rural, isolated house in France. At the start of the book, she travels home from her boarding school, where she lives during the week, to surprise her family. She ends up not actually entering the house, but sleeping in the barn with her dog, Daisy. Then she cycles back to the school. This is (almost) the entire plot of the novel. We learn of her life, its sadness and smallness; we learn of how she cares for her deaf little sister; we get a few memories of incidents and accidents around the farm. But really, we mostly just follow Galla as she meanders and procrastinates, cycles around, sits and thinks, delays what little she has planned for the day.
There is a bit of a 'twist' at the end, where we find out that this same day we have been following is (unbeknownst to Galla) the day of her mother's death. This explains a lot of what earlier seemed strange details in the book, such as her father's volatile reaction to finding her in the barn, and the odd treatment her classmates and teachers give her when she returns home. But I loved that the information is withheld from us until the very end; we get to experience this day entirely from Galla's unique point of view.
Though it's very easy to read, the novel has a lot to say about immigration (the family are from Italy, originally, and the novel is based partly on Cagnati's own experiences growing up in similar situation), the innocence of childhood, the isolation of rural life, and the feeling of being an outsider. I loved it.
Galla is a young girl living in a very rural, isolated house in France. At the start of the book, she travels home from her boarding school, where she lives during the week, to surprise her family. She ends up not actually entering the house, but sleeping in the barn with her dog, Daisy. Then she cycles back to the school. This is (almost) the entire plot of the novel. We learn of her life, its sadness and smallness; we learn of how she cares for her deaf little sister; we get a few memories of incidents and accidents around the farm. But really, we mostly just follow Galla as she meanders and procrastinates, cycles around, sits and thinks, delays what little she has planned for the day.
Though it's very easy to read, the novel has a lot to say about immigration (the family are from Italy, originally, and the novel is based partly on Cagnati's own experiences growing up in similar situation), the innocence of childhood, the isolation of rural life, and the feeling of being an outsider. I loved it.
alia0ftheknife's review
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
barbarabarbara's review
dark
emotional
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
lizzielightfoot's review
dark
sad
slow-paced
3.5
Absolutely nothing happens in this book. Not one thing.
Beautifully written.
Beautifully written.
fallinh's review
5.0
"The bike and I, we're only at ease when we're all alone."
"Poor bicycle, alone with me on this road, and poor knee. My bicycle and my knee seemed to carry all the weight of the sickly sky. I felt an irresistible urge to cry come over me, on this heavy road that stretched out everywhere. And so I cried.
I pedaled harder."
"All at once, it seemed as if I'd been pedaling in the dark for practically fifteen years, to arrive one night amid those lights."
"Poor bicycle, alone with me on this road, and poor knee. My bicycle and my knee seemed to carry all the weight of the sickly sky. I felt an irresistible urge to cry come over me, on this heavy road that stretched out everywhere. And so I cried.
I pedaled harder."
"All at once, it seemed as if I'd been pedaling in the dark for practically fifteen years, to arrive one night amid those lights."
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