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3.33 AVERAGE
3.33 AVERAGE
Boeken waar iedereen super lovend en lyrisch over is, daar wacht ik altijd even mee. In dit geval totdat het in de online bibliotheek verscheen. Niet elk boek wil ik bezitten, bewaren en opnieuw lezen. En dit is er zo eentje. Ja, het is knap wanneer je het als schrijver voor elkaar krijgt dat je lezers verder willen blijven lezen in zo'n heftig (en smerig) verhaal. Tegelijkertijd is het zo over the top, dat je als lezer vanzelf gaat letten op inconsequenties in het verhaal. Die kun je in recensies van anderen lezen. Voor mij was één keer lezen voldoende ongemak.
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
This book certainly left me with a pretty high level of discomfort, which will stay with me for several evenings, so it did exactly what it said on the tin.
For me, this book is essentially witnessing and experiencing abuse (all the types) through the innocent lense of a 10 year old girl. I can't figure out if this book is really cleaver or just really mucked up - possibly both. I love a dark and gritty read and I do not consider myself a sensitive and easily triggered reader, but I wished I didn't read this one.
If you're anything like me, I know this review will only serve to make you want to read it all the more, but at least I tried!
For me, this book is essentially witnessing and experiencing abuse (all the types) through the innocent lense of a 10 year old girl. I can't figure out if this book is really cleaver or just really mucked up - possibly both. I love a dark and gritty read and I do not consider myself a sensitive and easily triggered reader, but I wished I didn't read this one.
If you're anything like me, I know this review will only serve to make you want to read it all the more, but at least I tried!
dark
sad
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
De eerste helft van het boek was moeilijk,ik moest het wegleggen voor enkele maanden voor ik het weer kon oppakken. De andere helft vervolgens in een ademteug uitgelezen.
De titel van het boek geeft weer welk gevoel ik kreeg tijdens het lezen, ongemak. Tegelijk raakte het boek me diep. Hoe kinderen opgroeien in een gezin wat steeds verder ontspoort. De gedachten van Jas die je meenemen steeds verder de diepte en duisternis in. Hoe alle gruwelen binnen de kluwen van het gezin blijft, waarbij de kinderen noch ouders een uitweg vinden, steeds steeds verder vervagen. De laatste vloek van de duisternis. Elkaar meetrekken in het misbruik en het geweld.
Lucas wist me opnieuw en opnieuw te raken met zinnen uit Jas’ gedachten waarvan ik niet wist dat ik zelf ooit de woorden zou kunnen vinden. Het boek is wreed, gruwelijk, tegelijk onroerend prachtig. Ik voelde me begrepen door Jas en tegelijk akelig blootgelegd.
De titel van het boek geeft weer welk gevoel ik kreeg tijdens het lezen, ongemak. Tegelijk raakte het boek me diep. Hoe kinderen opgroeien in een gezin wat steeds verder ontspoort. De gedachten van Jas die je meenemen steeds verder de diepte en duisternis in. Hoe alle gruwelen binnen de kluwen van het gezin blijft, waarbij de kinderen noch ouders een uitweg vinden, steeds steeds verder vervagen. De laatste vloek van de duisternis. Elkaar meetrekken in het misbruik en het geweld.
Lucas wist me opnieuw en opnieuw te raken met zinnen uit Jas’ gedachten waarvan ik niet wist dat ik zelf ooit de woorden zou kunnen vinden. Het boek is wreed, gruwelijk, tegelijk onroerend prachtig. Ik voelde me begrepen door Jas en tegelijk akelig blootgelegd.
s jedne strane, literarno prekrasno, bogato, maštovito, spretno, nadahnuto, poetično i senzibilno; s druge strane ekstremno bizarno, okrutno, eksplicitno i ekstravagantno.
okosnica romana je istiniti događaj (smrt 12-godišnjeg brata kojeg je pregazio autobus kad je autorima [marieke lucas rijneveld je rodno neutralna osoba pa koristi za sebe zamjenicu "oni"] bilo 3 godine; u romanu brat pogiba propadajući u led) koji za sobom povlači u smrt i ostatak obitelji: prvenstveno roditelje, ali i preostalo troje djece. i dok je matthieseva smrt trenutna, jasna i konačna, obitelj umire emocionalno i duševno, fizički ostajući na životu. roditelji se otuđuju jedno od drugoga, nesposobni adekvatno pobrinuti se za djecu koja u tim kriznim godinama odrastaju bez skrbi, bez ljubavi i, uopće, bez interesa za njih.
tekst je toliko otvoren i bez zadrške da sam se našla ustrašenom okrenuti sljedeću stranicu, znajući da me tamo čeka još jedno u nizu okrutnosti koje troje djece priređuju jedno drugome (i životinjama s kojima žive na farmi). fascinirani bratovom smrću i bez roditeljske potpore da taj događaj primjereno pospreme u svojim djetinjim glavicama, oni iskušavaju razne načine kako se približiti pojmu smrti i uopće shvatiti ju. i, kao što to često biva u infantilnom svijetu, tu su vrlo tanke linije između "dopuštenog" i "nedopuštenog", između "ispravnog" i "krivog", između "dobra" i "zla". mi, odrasli, znamo. oni, djeca, tek trebaju naučiti. s distanciranim i nezainteresiranim roditeljima, nema ih tko podučiti. njihovi eksperimenti daleko nadmašuju granice očekivanog i "primjerenog".
s obzirom da su roditelji ortodoksni vjernici (protestanti), puno je biblijskih referenci i, općenito, ogroman Božji oblak koji lebdi iznad svega, sve vidi, sve kontrolira i svemu sudi.
sami autori kažu da se nitko od njihove obitelji nije usudio pročitati knjigu (btw. dobitnik bookera 2020.). mogu razumjeti. večernja nelagoda? posvemašnja mučnina, prije bih rekla. ovo je najužasniji horor koji sam ikad pročitala. preporučujem li? definitivno. ovo je jedan od najboljih romana koje sam pročitala ove godine (ili, čak, i podosta unazad...). ali pripremi se na puno ružnih, mučnih scena koje ne nestaju iz glave zatvaranjem korica knjige.
šest godina koliko im je trebalo do napišu roman, iskoristili su za tesanje gotovo do savršenstva.
okosnica romana je istiniti događaj (smrt 12-godišnjeg brata kojeg je pregazio autobus kad je autorima [marieke lucas rijneveld je rodno neutralna osoba pa koristi za sebe zamjenicu "oni"] bilo 3 godine; u romanu brat pogiba propadajući u led) koji za sobom povlači u smrt i ostatak obitelji: prvenstveno roditelje, ali i preostalo troje djece. i dok je matthieseva smrt trenutna, jasna i konačna, obitelj umire emocionalno i duševno, fizički ostajući na životu. roditelji se otuđuju jedno od drugoga, nesposobni adekvatno pobrinuti se za djecu koja u tim kriznim godinama odrastaju bez skrbi, bez ljubavi i, uopće, bez interesa za njih.
tekst je toliko otvoren i bez zadrške da sam se našla ustrašenom okrenuti sljedeću stranicu, znajući da me tamo čeka još jedno u nizu okrutnosti koje troje djece priređuju jedno drugome (i životinjama s kojima žive na farmi). fascinirani bratovom smrću i bez roditeljske potpore da taj događaj primjereno pospreme u svojim djetinjim glavicama, oni iskušavaju razne načine kako se približiti pojmu smrti i uopće shvatiti ju. i, kao što to često biva u infantilnom svijetu, tu su vrlo tanke linije između "dopuštenog" i "nedopuštenog", između "ispravnog" i "krivog", između "dobra" i "zla". mi, odrasli, znamo. oni, djeca, tek trebaju naučiti. s distanciranim i nezainteresiranim roditeljima, nema ih tko podučiti. njihovi eksperimenti daleko nadmašuju granice očekivanog i "primjerenog".
s obzirom da su roditelji ortodoksni vjernici (protestanti), puno je biblijskih referenci i, općenito, ogroman Božji oblak koji lebdi iznad svega, sve vidi, sve kontrolira i svemu sudi.
sami autori kažu da se nitko od njihove obitelji nije usudio pročitati knjigu (btw. dobitnik bookera 2020.). mogu razumjeti. večernja nelagoda? posvemašnja mučnina, prije bih rekla. ovo je najužasniji horor koji sam ikad pročitala. preporučujem li? definitivno. ovo je jedan od najboljih romana koje sam pročitala ove godine (ili, čak, i podosta unazad...). ali pripremi se na puno ružnih, mučnih scena koje ne nestaju iz glave zatvaranjem korica knjige.
šest godina koliko im je trebalo do napišu roman, iskoristili su za tesanje gotovo do savršenstva.
A profoundly disturbing and, true to its name, discomforting tragedy on grief and mourning. Such a visceral experience, which unflinchingly gave me a tour of the body—particularly, its death, decay, and decomposition—and how it echoes across the desolate dairy farm and village, among animals and human beings alike. How age opens eerie pleasures and explorations, at the same time, leaves us shut. This book was painful in weaving corruption with innocence, presence and neglect. What was meant to be felt and expressed, emotions, held back like excrement.
This novel is not for the faint-hearted, and bears much psychoanalytic touch on child psychosexual development. But it did provoke me into looking back to abusive or violence-laden childhood rituals, committed unknowingly. This period of moral development is critical, and I find myself pitying and despairing for Jas, whose development has been stunted and suppressed, from parental neglect, absence of peer relations, and consistent exposure to a reality ridden with violence. The novel is a searing portrayal of this world, an attempt to recapture the psyche of a child in a family unable to process traumas—and I am reminded of children whom I’ve met post-crisis, the games they came up with which made fun of or found humor in killing, pain, etc. How do they come to terms with the morality behind those “games”? Without an adult figure, would they come to that realization by themselves? And if ever they do learn the wrongfulness of such acts, how can they forgive themselves?
Sometimes, coping could mean embracing truths so overwhelming that we lose ourselves in it. Jas slowly loses themselves to empathy. Much of the novel is about this being captivated, and ultimately held captive.
This novel is not for the faint-hearted, and bears much psychoanalytic touch on child psychosexual development. But it did provoke me into looking back to abusive or violence-laden childhood rituals, committed unknowingly. This period of moral development is critical, and I find myself pitying and despairing for Jas, whose development has been stunted and suppressed, from parental neglect, absence of peer relations, and consistent exposure to a reality ridden with violence. The novel is a searing portrayal of this world, an attempt to recapture the psyche of a child in a family unable to process traumas—and I am reminded of children whom I’ve met post-crisis, the games they came up with which made fun of or found humor in killing, pain, etc. How do they come to terms with the morality behind those “games”? Without an adult figure, would they come to that realization by themselves? And if ever they do learn the wrongfulness of such acts, how can they forgive themselves?
Sometimes, coping could mean embracing truths so overwhelming that we lose ourselves in it. Jas slowly loses themselves to empathy. Much of the novel is about this being captivated, and ultimately held captive.
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
tense
medium-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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Self harm, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Excrement, Grief, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Body horror, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Incest, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Suicide attempt, Toxic friendship, Sexual harassment
challenging
dark
sad
medium-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 think this book deserves a 50/50 rating, not because it is a soso book, but because of the polarising emotions I have towards it.
The study of grief is excellent, and the demonstration of a young mind's decay into fear and uncertainty caused by an exposure to death is well done.
The motif of the coat and Jas' baggage was incredibly well done, and I find the ending to be fitting for the story and I see little other conclusion.
That being said, with some books as this, that try and push 'deeper and darker' I find as if they attempt to create the most dark and gruesome stories even when it makes little sense. Obbe's incest, rape and pedophilia is not handled in a way that makes it woven into the narrative. It just creates squirming and horror at what is happening, goes unresolved and doesn't seem to fit with the fallout from Matthies' death to me that well. While I understand the implications of Jas' curiosity, many of the passages involving rape and incest seem jagged and unnecessarily dark just to remain in your head. . While it may be a good book with incredible writing - what I have taken from it is not it's best features, just the shock horror value it attempts to reel you with, and that is a shame to me.
The study of grief is excellent, and the demonstration of a young mind's decay into fear and uncertainty caused by an exposure to death is well done.
The motif of the coat and Jas' baggage was incredibly well done, and I find the ending to be fitting for the story and I see little other conclusion.
That being said, with some books as this, that try and push 'deeper and darker' I find as if they attempt to create the most dark and gruesome stories even when it makes little sense.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Incest, Pedophilia, Rape, Suicide, Sexual harassment
i literally never want to think of the contents of this book ever again
When a tragic accident ruptures her family, 10-year-old Jas can only watch as the grief spreads; a layer of ice across the hearts of those left behind. Jas' Christian Reformist parents are all but destroyed by their loss and they grow cold towards their children, creating distance and hostility where there should be love and comfort. As time passes, the children grow and, without adult guidance or intervention, their shared trauma manifests in increasingly distressing forms of abuse and violence.
'According to the pastor, discomfort is good. In discomfort we are real.'
It's this graphic cruelty and prolonged discomfort which alienates many readers and makes this such a divisive book. But where we may wince and falter, Rijneveld is unflinching. I was troubled that many elements of the novel seem autobiographic. There are unquestionable parallels between Rijneveld and their narrator, and if it was possible that any of the gut-wrenching events of this novel had been lived, I felt a duty to witness them. The ugly truth is that they will have been, they are being, they will be.
The lack of a didactic voice makes it all so much more harrowing, but I feel that's the intention. Rijneveld wants us to share the discomfort, they want us to confront the things we so often turn away from and ignore. It feels important to acknowledge the horror in everything that leads to these actions, rather than just being overwhelmed by the acts themselves and never trying to understand where the fault truly lies. It's only in understanding that these cycles of trauma and violence can end.
Rijneveld's debut is dark, it's twisted, it's morbidly compelling and it's blisteringly raw. It comes painfully close to being unbearable, but it's one of the most fascinating, challenging works of literature I've ever read.
If you read, read with caution.
'According to the pastor, discomfort is good. In discomfort we are real.'
It's this graphic cruelty and prolonged discomfort which alienates many readers and makes this such a divisive book. But where we may wince and falter, Rijneveld is unflinching. I was troubled that many elements of the novel seem autobiographic. There are unquestionable parallels between Rijneveld and their narrator, and if it was possible that any of the gut-wrenching events of this novel had been lived, I felt a duty to witness them. The ugly truth is that they will have been, they are being, they will be.
The lack of a didactic voice makes it all so much more harrowing, but I feel that's the intention. Rijneveld wants us to share the discomfort, they want us to confront the things we so often turn away from and ignore. It feels important to acknowledge the horror in everything that leads to these actions, rather than just being overwhelmed by the acts themselves and never trying to understand where the fault truly lies. It's only in understanding that these cycles of trauma and violence can end.
Rijneveld's debut is dark, it's twisted, it's morbidly compelling and it's blisteringly raw. It comes painfully close to being unbearable, but it's one of the most fascinating, challenging works of literature I've ever read.
If you read, read with caution.