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3.48 AVERAGE
3.48 AVERAGE
“But a mermaid has no tears, and therefore she suffers so much more.”
― Hans Christian Andersen, The Little Mermaid
Review to come. :)
― Hans Christian Andersen, The Little Mermaid
Review to come. :)
The Man Booker prize just clicks with me. I like what they like, no exception here.
I didn't feel as strongly about this book either as a positive or a negative in terms of events in the plot that have caused the other readers to want to leave the book, much like the audience in the performance of this standup comedian. This book very intelligently projects this feeling of abhorrence in some sense, an expectation of a tower of cards slowly falling to the ground and we are all a captive audience. More than that however, the reason I give it five stars is because of the insight it gives and the thinking it forces on the reader about the motivations that drive us and how the events in our lives that drive us might look from the eyes of people who are mere witnesses to our story.
The story picks up in the second half and I had a bit of a hard time sticking to the book. There is an uncanny resemblance to Hannah Gadsby's Nanette. I wish I had liked this more.
Even at 200 pages this is denser and sometimes harsher than any 600-page novel. A comedian has a breakdown on stage. It's heartbreaking and gut-wrenching and painfully drawn out and electrifying all at once. Not an easy read.
Interesting premise fairly skillfully executed. I'm not sure it all works for me emotionally. I find the reactions of the audience sometimes confusing, and I don't quite understand the particular way that Dov holds onto and attempts to reconcile his past, but I do like the way the characters play with memory. Our memories and personal stories shift and change as we tell them and re-tell them to ourselves and as we experience them at different stages of our lives and to reinforce or refute a particular view of ourselves; that aspect of both Dov and Avishai's stories rings true to me, as does the way that experiences reverberate through families even to those who have no experience with or perhaps even knowledge of the experiences themselves, like with the driver and the brother he never knew.
Power plays a significant part in the novel, as we see how both power and the lack of it can result in some pretty unpleasant outcomes. There's also something here about the interplay of Israel's national identity and the identity and experiences of the individuals who live there and how each is influenced by the Holocaust, but I'm not sure I have the wisdom or perspective to comment on this piece of the story.
Overall, I found the novel engaging, but, like stand-up comedy often does, it leaves me feeling somewhat hopeless.
Power plays a significant part in the novel, as we see how both power and the lack of it can result in some pretty unpleasant outcomes. There's also something here about the interplay of Israel's national identity and the identity and experiences of the individuals who live there and how each is influenced by the Holocaust, but I'm not sure I have the wisdom or perspective to comment on this piece of the story.
Overall, I found the novel engaging, but, like stand-up comedy often does, it leaves me feeling somewhat hopeless.
This is a very difficult book to rate for me because of all the emotions and all the flaws, both clearly visible to me. I'm going with four stars for now. The story doesn't really explore a lot of the story lines it brings up, they are simply mentioned. Fans of the catcher in the rye would love this novel for sure, it has the same cadence, the same story but no story situation. It explores Dovelah as a character but there's still some restraint in that sphere. What it does really well is create an atmosphere and make you feel the way the audience must have felt. It is heart wrenching in a lot of places, it makes you self introspect a little about how you treat people. I enjoyed the characters and I loved the way I felt while reading this book- a bit sorry, more sorry for being interested in this grotesque act. (I think it might even be a deliberate metaphor for liking the book).
I started off really enjoying this book, and I thought the concept was interesting. But I was underwhelmed by the ending. There'd been so much build-up, and it felt like it didn't live up to the promised drama of that build-up. It also started to drag a bit, which is not great for such a short book. I don't regret reading it, but I expected so much more.
Het was niet eens per se stom om te lezen, maar ik vond het maar een raar verhaal, met dat kleine mannetje in die kroeg.
One of the most compelling narrative styles that I've encountered in a while - it felt breathless (which could seem overwhelming), but I just kept reading until there was no more.