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shockman's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
hopester84's review against another edition
4.0
I read this in one afternoon. It's THAT short, but it's also THAT compelling to see what happens next! I will read it again, the lesson in this book is one to ponder.....
bethanybeyondthejordan's review against another edition
3.0
This was a novella (I generally struggle to love short stories) that contained magical realism (I generally struggle to love magical realism).
It could've compelled me to think more about the ethical dilemma it contained (wishing for / allowing / causing death) but the story and the characters failed to capture my interest or make me care.
It could've compelled me to think more about the ethical dilemma it contained (wishing for / allowing / causing death) but the story and the characters failed to capture my interest or make me care.
caz82_bennett's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
zayapayaya's review against another edition
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
A beautiful short novella about a selfish father doing a really selfless deed on Christmas.
hermusings's review against another edition
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I don’t know how to feel.
Maybe this was too short and in turn, fell short of fully saying something of worth.
Maybe this was too short and in turn, fell short of fully saying something of worth.
ionsquareatkreuzberg's review against another edition
3.0
This is a novella rife with cliches.
The main character is set up to be a selfish, conceited, and egotistical man, and he's never cared about anyone but himself in his life. But, all of a sudden, he changes on the drop of a dime and suddenly cares about people somehow and gets nostalgic and protective. It just doesn't make much sense.
The plot itself has been told many times; at least Backman gave us an interesting (albeit way too brief) backstory to help fluff up the character a little more.
Something also seems to have gone wrong in the translation process- verbs aren't in the right tense sometimes, and the excessive use of commas instead of periods or semi-colons really takes you out of the story. While it has nothing to do with the story itself, I'm surprised Backman's American editors let the translation get published with so many errors.
The main character is set up to be a selfish, conceited, and egotistical man, and he's never cared about anyone but himself in his life. But, all of a sudden, he changes on the drop of a dime and suddenly cares about people somehow and gets nostalgic and protective. It just doesn't make much sense.
The plot itself has been told many times; at least Backman gave us an interesting (albeit way too brief) backstory to help fluff up the character a little more.
Something also seems to have gone wrong in the translation process- verbs aren't in the right tense sometimes, and the excessive use of commas instead of periods or semi-colons really takes you out of the story. While it has nothing to do with the story itself, I'm surprised Backman's American editors let the translation get published with so many errors.
rseykora's review against another edition
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
3.5
Quick novella, I would have liked to know the main character more, but it works well as a novella.