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linguaphile412's review
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Death, Suicide, Mental illness, and Fatphobia
Moderate: Miscarriage, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, and Grief
Minor: Sexual content
savvylit's review against another edition
reflective
medium-paced
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Every now and then I encounter a novel where I love the writing and the concept, but the story as a whole falls flat for me somehow. Unfortunately, that was the case with Long Live the Post Horn! Vigdis Hjorth's prose is hypnotic and anxious. Conceptually, this novel is on a topic I love; it's about a woman waking up to the ills of capitalist society and developing working-class solidarity. Ellinor, the narrator, finds purpose in dedicating her time to a political campaign undertaken by Postkom, the Norwegian postal worker's union.
Though I love reading about existential crises and labor movements, Ellinor herself often lost my attention. Hjorth seems to keep Ellinor at arm's length from the reader for the entire novel. She's spiraling and that's clear, but Hjorth never develops much characterization outside of Ellinor's constant mental highs and lows. How can I connect with her journey if I barely know how she was before it began?
Though I love reading about existential crises and labor movements, Ellinor herself often lost my attention. Hjorth seems to keep Ellinor at arm's length from the reader for the entire novel. She's spiraling and that's clear, but Hjorth never develops much characterization outside of Ellinor's constant mental highs and lows. How can I connect with her journey if I barely know how she was before it began?
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide, Grief, Death, and Classism
Moderate: Toxic relationship
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