Reviews

Drive Your Plow over the Bones of the Dead by Olga Tokarczuk

jtyler's review against another edition

challenging mysterious 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

2.75

mchl_btt's review against another edition

5.0

Una signora eccentrica, con caratteristiche quasi stregonesche e una grande passione dell’oroscopo vive al confine tra Repubblica Ceca e la Polonia, in sintonia con una natura dai connotati quasi spirituali e a cui lei porta il massimo rispetto.

Personaggi in vista della cittadina, cacciatori tutti, cominciano a morire in situazioni bizzarre.

Un giallo che non è un giallo, ma più un interrogarsi su chi siano i veri cattivi, un domandarsi se la morale socialmente condivisa sia davvero equa o meno. E anche un romanzo sugli esclusi, su chi sta ai margini, sui pregiudizi.

angelabeth995's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

crimsonjoy's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious reflective tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

booksillremember's review against another edition

dark reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

Older women MCs are outrageously hard to find, so I was happy to get a glimpse into Duszejko's mind. I enjoyed how her way of making sense of the world was so out there and yet so relatable at the same time. The 'found family' added some sweetness to the story, even though most of the characters weren't really fleshed out.

This is very much character and theme driven, so if you are a plot lover, this isn't for you. Nothing much happens for the most part. The pacing is poor, the story is repetitive and then gets wrapped up quickly and too neatly. At times it was a struggle to get through, but I still very much enjoyed it for the unique experience it offers.

It's a dense exploration of existential questions and I'm sure a lot of it went over my head because I haven't read William Blake who is referenced a lot. I'm also really not into astrology, but I can appreciate that Duszejko is a pattern seeker extraordinaire.

As a side note, I didn't appreciate the snide remark about 'testosterone autism' that was just there to stereotype an 'antisocial' character. I understand that the author's and the character's beliefs aren't necessarily synonymous, and Duszejko has lots of outlandish ideas about the world, but I wouldn't perpetuate a stereotype about a marginalised group if it's still considered true by most people. Especially since the MC is very heavily Autistic-coded herself - it's a missed opportunity to point out common, yet lesser known Autistic traits like an extreme sense of justice or empathy for animals. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder

Moderate: Animal death

Minor: Ableism

pacuvik's review against another edition

dark mysterious reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

saradawn's review against another edition

mysterious reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

quiss's review against another edition

dark funny mysterious reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

najdvss's review against another edition

3.0

3,5
good even despite the fact this was a book i had to read for a literary studies class. painfully obvious at the end, and i dont really understand the how, but otherwise well executed.

blankie's review

challenging dark mysterious reflective slow-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