Reviews

Etta ja Otto ja Russell ja James by Emma Hooper

delosborn's review against another edition

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emotional inspiring reflective relaxing sad 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

cariadreads's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging emotional funny hopeful reflective sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

misshappyreading's review against another edition

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4.0

A great story , but it makes me a little scared of getting old. The Story alternates between the present in which Etta starts her journey, and the past, begun shortly before the meeting of Etta and Otto.
Otto is in the army, away for the war, and a large part of the story consists of letters which the two of them write. First insignificant , then more and more personal. Etta and Otto actually spend very little days together in the book (apart from the days not mentioned in the book, we learn very little about the time of their marriage). The letters of the two make a lot of flair of the book.

A very beautiful and inspiraring Story about the journey of life. A book with a mix of reality and dreaming. Worth reading!

sarahlisbeth84's review against another edition

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4.0

This one feels impossible to review. I cannot bring myself to approve of literary gimmicks like not using quotation marks and having characters talk in ways real humans don't talk. But at the same time...the beauty of it gave me ALL THE FEELS.

sjklass's review against another edition

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3.0

A quiet, melancholy novel of three lives intertwined. Back and forth between the character's early lives and end of life choices make up the dreamy plot but the whole middle of the their lives is left up the the reader to imagine. Canadian landscapes and sensibilities address leaving and waiting in the lovely cadence of Hooper's writing. A unique read.

nicki_j's review against another edition

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4.0

Great addition to the (mostly) Scandinavian wacky old people genre. A little more serious and a lot more weird than some of the other novels I've read in this trope ([b:A Man Called Ove|18774964|A Man Called Ove|Fredrik Backman|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1405259930l/18774964._SY75_.jpg|21619954] is still the best) but still lovely.

kq5's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional lighthearted relaxing sad slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.25

renflew's review against another edition

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2.0

I'm going to be in the minority here, but I just didn't 'get' this book.

mazza57's review against another edition

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3.0

this is said to be utterly moving and memorable. It was a pleasant read but not either of those things.