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babygirlkendallroy's review against another edition
challenging
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? Yes
3.75
jlsjourneys's review against another edition
3.0
It had some charming turns of phrase, thoughtful reflections on purpose and our place in society, and I quite enjoyed the Helga Brun story, but overall an extremely Scandinavian novel about depression and existential crises was a bit too bleak for my taste and never really captured my attention.
lazydoc98's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
vhornstein's review against another edition
This was so boring. This book was incredibly short and I still couldn’t finish it.
caropullen's review
5.0
When I was about 15 I had a penpal called Jean-Paul who lived in Newcastle. I have no idea how we came to be penpals. I think he might have been my friend’s penpal but she passed him on to me because we liked the same bands.
We wrote eachother very intense letters about the meaning of various Suede songs as well as all the various hardships we were going through as serious and awkward teenagers. Anyway letters are great and this book reminded me of all of this. Can’t wait to start Is Mother Dead.
We wrote eachother very intense letters about the meaning of various Suede songs as well as all the various hardships we were going through as serious and awkward teenagers. Anyway letters are great and this book reminded me of all of this. Can’t wait to start Is Mother Dead.
anxiousbookclub's review against another edition
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
tense
fast-paced
5.0
dkllr's review against another edition
4.0
“I knew now that no one is insignificant and that every one of us must choose whether to build civilisation or the opposite, let the world fall apart, and that even the smallest things present each of us with a challenge.”
Experiencing Ellinor’s “unrequited love affair with life” at times felt slow and at others seemed excessive, but it still managed to be confronting all the same. In the area of self-knowledge, Hjorth has definitely given me food for thought, and by compelling me to look up her distinctly Norwegian references, she has taught me a bit about Norway (and its postal service) along the way.
_gnocchi's review against another edition
3.5
Whilst this was a bit slow at first, I was really captured by the sharp and witty writing. It has some interesting thoughts on existential crises and self-reflection, and I loved the communal feeling of the postal workers. I will definitely pick up some of Hjorth’s other work in the future.