Reviews

The Annual Banquet of the Gravedigger's Guild by Mathias Enard

henryjw's review against another edition

challenging mysterious reflective slow-paced

3.75

hunterandrew's review against another edition

dark funny mysterious reflective medium-paced

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

3.75

If this book were divided into five parts I would have only enjoyed 2 and half-enjoyed one. The “field notes” format sections were a great read as an anthropology guy, but I was lost in so much of the rest of the story. They were trying to tell too much story without really developing any of it meaningfully. Circle of lives was a cool concept. Actual guild description of the celebration was interesting, if hard to follow. 

ntfconnoisseur's review against another edition

Boring, weird, and disappointing. 

kirstenfindlay's review against another edition

dark reflective slow-paced

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

2.0

emily_madcharo's review against another edition

challenging funny reflective slow-paced

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

3.0

emiliaclew's review against another edition

adventurous challenging slow-paced

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

2.0

Je ne comprenais pas ce livre, voilà le problème. Je ne sais pas à quoi sers le thème de réincarnation, qui est abandonnée à la fin du livre. Je ne vois pas la mérite de David, qui me paraît ennuyeux, hautain, et inaccompli. 

J’ai trouvé un petit plaisir dans les histoires courtes entre les gros chapitres, mais tout le reste ne me va pas. 

kristine_m_e's review against another edition

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

gleyfer's review against another edition

5.0

One of the best reads of the last year. This is not an easy book. Its structure is cyclical, like its subject matter. It's bookended by two accessible and quite funny diary sections; then by two sections about the past inhabitants of the village and the circle of reincarnation, which are slower but not too difficult linguistically; and in the center: the titular banquet, which requires a lot of effort to read and understand. Altogether, the effect is somewhat like a 21st century Ulysses. Frank Wynne's translation is brilliant. I, unfortunately, can't compare it to the original French, but the effect of this book in English is so distinct and so particular. 

I'd recommend this book to lovers of modernism, linguistic play, or slower books that require a bit more intense engagement with. 

anita_bath's review against another edition

challenging slow-paced

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

2.75

brennam's review against another edition

Soft dnf. Just not the right mindset for this but would like to revisit