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nothingforpomegranted's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Written in the first-person, this tense, reflective novel jumps back and forth in time to tell Duro's story of anger, resentment, grief, and regret. Duro grew up in Gost, a small town in Croatia where everyone knows everyone, with a shared history that feels at once communal and lonely. When Laura and her two teenage children move into "the blue house" for the summer from England, Duro embraces the opportunity to spend time with them, practicing his English and working in this house that is so familiar to him from childhood.
The atmosphere of this novel was incredibly well-crafted. Duro's narration was appropriately stilted and unreliable, which added a sense of eerieness and discomfort to every scene, especially with Mark Ledbetter's narration. I felt the suspense viscerally and was struck by the detailed descriptions that truly helped me visualize the scene. Frankly, Laura and her family felt more like props than fully developed characters, but I can't say I was particularly bothered by this. In fact, I think it fit the overall narration and style; after all, this was Duro's story, and all of the characters only served to further explain his own internal sense of stress, tension, and distrust. That said, I wasn't so moved by the ending. The suspense and tension that Forna had slowly built over the course of the novel actually seemed to fizzle by the end, and I was a bit disappointed. Nonetheless, Forna's exploration--through Duro--of morality and how it must be compromised in times of strife (war and revolution).
The atmosphere of this novel was incredibly well-crafted. Duro's narration was appropriately stilted and unreliable, which added a sense of eerieness and discomfort to every scene, especially with Mark Ledbetter's narration. I felt the suspense viscerally and was struck by the detailed descriptions that truly helped me visualize the scene. Frankly, Laura and her family felt more like props than fully developed characters, but I can't say I was particularly bothered by this. In fact, I think it fit the overall narration and style; after all, this was Duro's story, and all of the characters only served to further explain his own internal sense of stress, tension, and distrust. That said, I wasn't so moved by the ending. The suspense and tension that Forna had slowly built over the course of the novel actually seemed to fizzle by the end, and I was a bit disappointed. Nonetheless, Forna's exploration--through Duro--of morality and how it must be compromised in times of strife (war and revolution).
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death
Moderate: Toxic friendship, Murder, and War
abookishtype's review against another edition
challenging
dark
fast-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? It's complicated
3.0
Aminatta Forna’s tense novel, The Hired Man, shows us why the saying is just “revenge is a dish best served cold” and not “revenge is a dish best served cold and bewildering.” Our protagonist, Duro, is a patient man. He’s been waiting a very long time to tell the people who wronged him just how much he wants to hurt them. He’s also not a monologuer, so when the time comes, it’s hard to say what his targets are supposed to feel when his plan finally springs into action. I know I’m being hard on this book right out of the gate, but that’s because I was really enjoying the ride right up until the end. Take what I say with a grain of salt: I didn’t understand the ending, possibly because I was reading too fast to take in the important details...
Read the rest of my review at A Bookish Type.
Read the rest of my review at A Bookish Type.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal death and Animal cruelty
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