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celestemarin's review against another edition
5.0
WARNING: All elephants in this book are metaphorical. Nevertheless it resembles The Elephant's Journey by Saramago in some key ways, such as making fun (in a restrained way) of devotees of world religions and being quite funny. It made me think of what books like Jeeves and Wooster and those sorts would be like if they were really funny and not just farcical. It's kind of leans over the edge farce at times but in a good, not cringe-inducing, way.
oh_fish's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
sabrinahughes's review against another edition
Stopped at 20%. It’s very caper-y and there a lot of silly names to keep up with. Just not for me I think. It’s hard to believe this is the same author who wrote Smilla’s Sense of Snow!
juniperusxx's review against another edition
4.0
Nautin erityisesti kielestä, värikkäistä ja hauskoista kielikuvista. Löysin kirjasta myös yksittäisiä ihania ajatuksia, joita olisi voinut vaikka kirjoittaa muistiin. Itse tarinan suhteen herpaannuin jossain puolivälin kieppeillä, meni ehkä turhan maagiseksi touhuksi minun makuuni. Kokonaisuutena mainio kirja.
margeryk101's review against another edition
3.0
I so very nearly gave up on this book, and even now, I'm not sure exactly what happened in most of it. Perhaps, I repeat, *perhaps* I might read it again one day to find out.
My problems at the start: the stupid names; the lack of dialogue; the over-the-top assumptions of how far the reader is willing to suspend his/her disbelief.
And then, there was a breakthrough of sorts. I even found a couple of the chapters funny, and the quality of the writing picked up, I began enjoying the book and realised why I like Hoeg so much. But for a long while I sincerely believed his days were numbered.
The names? Well as a teenager me and my friends would give silly appellations to people, and as our narrator-hero, Peter is a teenager, I forgive him this rather tedious affectation. Only now do I realise that the author magnanimously lent our hero his own name.
My problems at the start: the stupid names; the lack of dialogue; the over-the-top assumptions of how far the reader is willing to suspend his/her disbelief.
And then, there was a breakthrough of sorts. I even found a couple of the chapters funny, and the quality of the writing picked up, I began enjoying the book and realised why I like Hoeg so much. But for a long while I sincerely believed his days were numbered.
The names? Well as a teenager me and my friends would give silly appellations to people, and as our narrator-hero, Peter is a teenager, I forgive him this rather tedious affectation. Only now do I realise that the author magnanimously lent our hero his own name.
madfoot's review against another edition
2.0
dear god what a piece of shit
the whole time I was thinking "I haven't read anything this boring since Smila's Sense of Snow."
GUESS WHAT.
the whole time I was thinking "I haven't read anything this boring since Smila's Sense of Snow."
GUESS WHAT.
pandarius_pinkman's review
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5