Reviews - Kairos | The StoryGraph

1.92k reviews for:

Kairos

Jenny Erpenbeck

3.47 AVERAGE

lara0407's review against another edition

1.5

slow-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: No

adragoman's review against another edition

3.5

emotional reflective slow-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

nickmcmanus's review against another edition

2.0

Beautiful writing, it gripped me like an oily tendril of smoke

lindseysv's review against another edition

2.75

slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

missburgaodelmar's review against another edition

3.0

challenging dark medium-paced

emiliehope1995's review against another edition

3.0

challenging medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

saepsi's review against another edition

3.0

slow-paced

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

I had high expectations but sadly this was rather boring. We're clearly meant to think of the central romance as some transgressive passionate love affair but I found the relationship eye-rollingly cliché and the characterization flat and unconvincing. Wish it had been either more toxic or toxic in a more unique way. Maybe the boringness is the point? banality of evil and all that? but it was so dull to read. This startling lack of originality and imagination is probably related to the fact that the writing was painfully heterosexual and male gaze-y, even when it was about lesbian sex. The occasional surfacings of politics were the most compelling part to me. I actually felt some emotion at the portrayal of the end of the socialist dream of the East Germans. Unfortunately that is the only time I felt anything during the whole book. Kept being just barely engaging enough that I kept reading, and there were occasionally some very beautiful lines, but I can't say it was enjoyable. The kind of book that makes me understand literary fiction haters a little bit - clearly thought itself to be much deeper and more original than it actually was.