Reviews - Kairos | The StoryGraph

1.93k reviews for:

Kairos

Jenny Erpenbeck

3.47 AVERAGE

pekoparty's review against another edition

2.0

challenging dark reflective slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

We're supposed to be moving through a pivotal point in German history while walking with two people who absolutely should not be together. From the start I had no hope for Katharina and Hans, and it was especially drilled and stretched out to read about their essentially abusive dynamic. I was bitterly bored.

Content Warnings

anintrovertrambles's review against another edition

DID NOT FINISH: 5%

No matter how much I thought I could keep on reading this, the cheating trope will always be an ick for me. I get that this is like a literary price winner but lordy, I couldn't not get past the first 15 pages

vanitas's review against another edition

1.5

slow-paced

jagoodek's review against another edition

2.25

informative sad 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

ihyuca's review against another edition

3.5

challenging emotional reflective tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

ksenianovikova's review against another edition

2.5

dark medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

I tried my best to get into this book, but I just couldn’t. I finished the book but truly struggled through it.

GDR and the complex romantic relationship felt like an interwoven mess. It could have been interesting, but ultimately the writing felt confusing and messy.

yummygingerdrink's review against another edition

4.0

dark emotional sad slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

The beauty of the translated prose makes this an easy read while the plot and characters add some more challenge. I can't say that I loved the main characters, but I really enjoyed reading about them. Though, I detest Hans and spent a majority of the book hoping he would get hit by a tram. I found Katharina's story line to resonate emotionally. I have so much empathy for her. I enjoyed how the author played with the background of the story. At times it felt almost insignificant to the main characters in the story, with the personal implications of the politics falling secondary to the struggle of the abusive relationship between the two main characters. I think that this absolutely worked for the story. I felt that it made the relationship more overwhelming, obsessive, and overbearing.

A great read, I really enjoyed the pacing as well.