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ensis's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Murder, Colonisation, Body horror, Sexual assault, Gore, Rape, War, and Sexual violence
riri78's review against another edition
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Death, Body horror, Rape, War, Gore, Mental illness, and Violence
zahraaj's review against another edition
challenging
dark
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: War, Violence, Rape, and Gore
suchsweetsorrow89's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Seeing as this book was gifted to me, I really wanted to like it. In thinking of the pros, it is a short and simple read, the plot goes on rather fast. It has all of the parts necessary to make it a good and reflective read, especially for those who are either in a reading slump or just a beginner in diving into the grotesque genre and imagining what critical thought looks like.
That being said, I think my main problem with this book was the translation of it. One of the biggest challenges with translation work is that you want to save all the nitty gritty— all the small things that make the book uniquely it. However, one of the pitfalls of that is that more often than not keeping the nitty gritty can lend to it reading repetitively to the point of it almost feeling like it "tries too hard" to be literature— to the point where it often falls flat, or the book constantly moves at an inconsistent pace of fast and slow. Especially towards the end, I found myself saying "Wait— how did we get here?" or "What's the main point of this?" Though I guess the second question, in some ways, is the point of the book and it becomes especially clear at the end. This book forces you to sit down, draw your mind back, and paint images in your head of what it could all possibly mean. It forces you to cringe, to feel bored at some parts and fast at others in order to truly get a glimpse of what it means to go mad. What it means to be separated yet ultimately connected to those you love? Care for? Trust? It's never quite defined— and in some ways that is what this work feels intended to be. Undefined. There is beauty in this book, do not get me wrong. But sometimes, that beauty is really hard to find, as I am sure it is hard to preserve and replicate as a translator.
That being said, I think my main problem with this book was the translation of it. One of the biggest challenges with translation work is that you want to save all the nitty gritty— all the small things that make the book uniquely it. However, one of the pitfalls of that is that more often than not keeping the nitty gritty can lend to it reading repetitively to the point of it almost feeling like it "tries too hard" to be literature— to the point where it often falls flat, or the book constantly moves at an inconsistent pace of fast and slow. Especially towards the end, I found myself saying "Wait— how did we get here?" or "What's the main point of this?" Though I guess the second question, in some ways, is the point of the book and it becomes especially clear at the end. This book forces you to sit down, draw your mind back, and paint images in your head of what it could all possibly mean. It forces you to cringe, to feel bored at some parts and fast at others in order to truly get a glimpse of what it means to go mad. What it means to be separated yet ultimately connected to those you love? Care for? Trust? It's never quite defined— and in some ways that is what this work feels intended to be. Undefined. There is beauty in this book, do not get me wrong. But sometimes, that beauty is really hard to find, as I am sure it is hard to preserve and replicate as a translator.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Injury/Injury detail, War, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Sexual content, Violence, Mental illness, and Physical abuse
Moderate: Racism
Just so you know, there are pretty graphic sexual scenes— oftentimes demeaning/discussing the women in strange ways with a murky read of consent. As someone who constantly reads old books that handle the erotic in these ways, I will say that I always believe there is a way you can retell a story that pays attention to these details (even more overt content warnings are sufficient).maya7's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Narrated by Alfa, a Senegalese soldier serving in the French army during World War I. Facing the painful death of his almost brother-like friend, Alfa was slowly falling into a pit of madness and finally collapsed.
Repetitive sentences were a bit hard for me to get into the story at first, but I was horrified reading the last chapter and went back to the first page again, then the story felt different with more understanding about the background.
A dark and powerful novella about the violence and madness caused by war and colonialism.
Repetitive sentences were a bit hard for me to get into the story at first, but I was horrified reading the last chapter and went back to the first page again, then the story felt different with more understanding about the background.
A dark and powerful novella about the violence and madness caused by war and colonialism.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Death, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Murder, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, and War
Moderate: Colonisation, Racism, and Racial slurs
Minor: Kidnapping
ccpetrikas's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Violence, War, Murder, and Blood
Moderate: Rape, Slavery, Sexual violence, and Adult/minor relationship
karolinak's review against another edition
challenging
dark
reflective
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
Repetition is a big motif in this book. It clearly has a purpose. It illustrates the pointless nature of the countless wars we have fought and continue to fight. It shows the main character's state of mind after a traumatic event, how a thought, a memory, can find its way into your head an keep running in circles, torturing you, slowly driving you mad. Eventually it reveals a language barrier as well. It is no fun to read, however. I noticed it immediately, and about 20 pages in it started to grate on me pretty badly.
The violence is shocking. I actually had trouble reading some parts from the very begining so be aware, there is gore and horror awaiting.
There was some really really good stuff in here, some great commentary on war, violence and its effect on people, the expectation that soldiers should be able carry on as normal civilised citizens once the barbaric violence of battle ends, without proper support, which is just ludicrous. There's questions about what kind of violence and by whom is acceptable (what's worse, sevend hands of enemies or seven lives of comrades?), where does a line need to be drawn and who decides. And booooy is there madness.
Despite some the stylistic choises that dampened my enjoyment while reading this book I find myself impressed with the work overall.
The violence is shocking. I actually had trouble reading some parts from the very begining so be aware, there is gore and horror awaiting.
There was some really really good stuff in here, some great commentary on war, violence and its effect on people, the expectation that soldiers should be able carry on as normal civilised citizens once the barbaric violence of battle ends, without proper support, which is just ludicrous. There's questions about what kind of violence and by whom is acceptable (what's worse, sevend hands of enemies or seven lives of comrades?), where does a line need to be drawn and who decides. And booooy is there madness.
Despite some the stylistic choises that dampened my enjoyment while reading this book I find myself impressed with the work overall.
Content Warnings
Graphic: War, Gore, and Body horror
rebeccaquinton's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racial slurs, Rape, Sexual content, Kidnapping, Grief, Violence, Murder, Racism, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Injury/Injury detail, Gun violence, Blood, Torture, Abandonment, War, Suicide, Sexual violence, Mental illness, Gore, Death, and Colonisation
fatkidatheartreads's review
challenging
dark
3.0
He is me, and I am him.
Dissociation, disillusion and a steady descent into madness as showcased by a young soldier who makes a split second decision that haunts and unravels him.
Such a gory and haunting book! I will need to reread it to fully appreciate it.
Dissociation, disillusion and a steady descent into madness as showcased by a young soldier who makes a split second decision that haunts and unravels him.
Such a gory and haunting book! I will need to reread it to fully appreciate it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore and War