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3.97 AVERAGE
3.97 AVERAGE
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
This did not do it for me. The reveal of the killer was disappointing and you could see it from a mile away. It felt incredibly cheap to have the "mystery" revolve around the fact that the narrator was simply omitting her role as the killer from her telling of the story. There was no compelling reason given for her to make this omission. I think it would have been better, thematically, if the killer was not revealed and remained a natural mystery. Not sure how that could quite be pulled off, but the whole thing sort of ended in a nothing.
I have complicated feelings about the prose. I really liked that certain improper nouns were capitalized and I thought that made the narrator's voice really stand out. But I was reading a bit about Polish grammar and it seems that many improper nouns get capitalized in that language depending on the sentence structure. So leaving this capitalized was probably a brilliant decision on the part of the translator, but it made me a bit sad to find it was probably not a strategy the author used to give the character more depth.
That said, I was just not very impressed by this narrator. I encounter this type of lady every day living in Northern California.Considering what this character ends up doing—three killings!— , I would have expected more digging into what it is making her tick and the contradictions inside of her, and generally just more grit and ugliness inside her. That's not really what we got, and I found it lacking.
The story is very fun to read though, and the nature imagery is very bleak, which I really liked.
I have complicated feelings about the prose. I really liked that certain improper nouns were capitalized and I thought that made the narrator's voice really stand out. But I was reading a bit about Polish grammar and it seems that many improper nouns get capitalized in that language depending on the sentence structure. So leaving this capitalized was probably a brilliant decision on the part of the translator, but it made me a bit sad to find it was probably not a strategy the author used to give the character more depth.
That said, I was just not very impressed by this narrator. I encounter this type of lady every day living in Northern California.
The story is very fun to read though, and the nature imagery is very bleak, which I really liked.
mysterious
slow-paced
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I expected a mystery from Drive Your Plow, but this is much more of a character study. In this way, the translation of Tokarczuk’s prose does a great job at embodying its eccentric protagonist, but I found the story’s presentation to be one-note and its ending predictable.
dark
mysterious
reflective
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
challenging
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
medium-paced
adventurous
emotional
informative
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Quando ho comprato questo libro mi aspettavo una lettura completamente diversa, perciò all'inizio devo ammettere che mi sentivo un po' delusa, andando avanti con la lettura ho completamente cambiato idea. Fin da subito mi sono affezionata della Signora Protagonista (che non chiamerò per nome, leggendolo capirete il perché) una eccentrica nonnetta amante degli animali, fissata con l'astrologia e la poesia. È un libro animalista, perciò se siete amanti degli animali dovete leggerlo per forza. Non è una lettura che sconvolge la vita ma non solo mi ha intrattenuta tantissimo ma l'ho trovato anche un libro a tratti buffo e divertente.
Profound
This book is truly one of a kind. I don’t think I’ve ever read anything quite like it. Its dark humor, the wickedly clever philosophy, and most of all the way the main character sees the world made it unforgettable. The narrator’s worldview is so unique — sometimes deeply relatable, other times startlingly thought-provoking — that it forces you to pause, reflect, and sometimes even change your perspective because you’ve seen things through a completely different lens.
I loved the funny nicknames she gave to everyone, based on a mix of their character traits and physical features. Oddly enough, this made it so much easier for me to identify the characters, compared to using regular names.
One idea that struck me in particular was how we should respond when someone opens up about their life and struggles. We should simply listen and support, rather than belittle them with “you should have” or “why didn’t you…” advice. Because whatever that person chose to do in their hardest moment was probably the best option they had, given their life story, their pain, and their scars. That insight will stay with me for a long time.
At first, the book felt slow and its narrative style was so unusual that I nearly gave up on it. But I’m glad I trusted my friend’s advice and gave it a second chance. The writing powerfully exposed — in raw, bold language — how confused, hypocritical, double-standard, shallow, and closed-minded people can be. These reflections were delivered in deceptively simple yet piercing sentences that made me stop, think, and have those “aha” moments of realization.
I also appreciated the human touch in how the so-called “useless people” ended up sticking together — a touching reminder of community and solidarity.
Reading this book felt like focusing a lens on society in the most honest, unfiltered, and unapologetic way.
It’s a rare gem, with language that sparkled like carbon turning slowly into diamonds.
Raw, thought-provoking, and unique — this is a story that will stay with me for a long time.
This book is truly one of a kind. I don’t think I’ve ever read anything quite like it. Its dark humor, the wickedly clever philosophy, and most of all the way the main character sees the world made it unforgettable. The narrator’s worldview is so unique — sometimes deeply relatable, other times startlingly thought-provoking — that it forces you to pause, reflect, and sometimes even change your perspective because you’ve seen things through a completely different lens.
I loved the funny nicknames she gave to everyone, based on a mix of their character traits and physical features. Oddly enough, this made it so much easier for me to identify the characters, compared to using regular names.
One idea that struck me in particular was how we should respond when someone opens up about their life and struggles. We should simply listen and support, rather than belittle them with “you should have” or “why didn’t you…” advice. Because whatever that person chose to do in their hardest moment was probably the best option they had, given their life story, their pain, and their scars. That insight will stay with me for a long time.
At first, the book felt slow and its narrative style was so unusual that I nearly gave up on it. But I’m glad I trusted my friend’s advice and gave it a second chance. The writing powerfully exposed — in raw, bold language — how confused, hypocritical, double-standard, shallow, and closed-minded people can be. These reflections were delivered in deceptively simple yet piercing sentences that made me stop, think, and have those “aha” moments of realization.
I also appreciated the human touch in how the so-called “useless people” ended up sticking together — a touching reminder of community and solidarity.
Reading this book felt like focusing a lens on society in the most honest, unfiltered, and unapologetic way.
It’s a rare gem, with language that sparkled like carbon turning slowly into diamonds.
Raw, thought-provoking, and unique — this is a story that will stay with me for a long time.