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3.47 AVERAGE
3.47 AVERAGE
Loved Going, Went, Gone. Couldn’t get into this one.
slow-paced
dark
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:
Complicated
Very interesting for me, especially in the East Germany historical aspect. It was a slow and somewhat painful read for me. Not sure how much of it is autobiographical, but for Erpenbeck’s sake, I hope not all of it. Some of it resembles Arthur Schnitzler’s novels in the portrayal of an exceptionally narcissistic male character. And then there is a political twist. Not unexpected, I’m sorry to say.
Worth staying with it for the insights on the dissolution of East Germany and absorption into the West in the last 50 pages, but for most of the time I really just wanted to punch the wholly self absorbed, self indulgent Hans in the face
Several aspects of this novel are hard-going for those of us who do not have a detailed knowledge of Partition history, but I persevered and was rewarded by the intimate exploration of an unusual love affair. This is one that I will need to read again when I have overcome my distaste for the nature of that relationship and the behaviour of the lovers.
challenging
dark
slow-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
I understand that this is a clever metaphor, and having read some analysis I can now appreciate that there's some clever subtleties to it, but boy was the middle part of this a slog to read
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
If you’re able to look past the chronophilia and absurd emotional (and physical ?) abuse that this geriatric man is inflicting on the 20year old, it draws some interesting parallels between this drifting romance amid a drifting time.
challenging
dark
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced