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samnite's review against another edition
4.0
A powerful but imperfect book, filled with rich characters, historical detail, and imagery. Feels like it needed another editing pass. The pacing is strange (slooooow at the beginning and again toward the 2/3 mark, then rushed at the end) and there’s a lot of repetition and redundancy. At the same time, the book sometimes felt frustratingly evasive, as with relationship between Csilla, Azriel, and Tamas — are we meant to believe their (extremely interesting and well-drawn) love is consummated offscreen or that its fundamentally chaste? And in some places, the magical realism sits uncomfortably with Locke’s poetic language — does Csilla literally separate in the night and pull herself back together in the morning? (Counter-argument: does it matter?)
Still, This Rebel Heart aches with tragedy and hope. Despite its flaws, absolutely worth reading. And the audiobook is fantastic!
Still, This Rebel Heart aches with tragedy and hope. Despite its flaws, absolutely worth reading. And the audiobook is fantastic!
emilykuper's review against another edition
5.0
I have read few books more beautiful than this. I wanted to cry so many times out of the sheer sad and hopeful beauty this story told.
louisedavis's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
3.5
broncoannee's review against another edition
“I think that in the grand scheme of time, our mistakes are insignificant. But our victories are not. And that the most important thing is to be significant at the moment when your significance can benefit the greatest number of deserving people.”
bexrecca's review against another edition
4.0
I am struggling with how to rate this. I loved Csilla, a Jewish main character in a historical fiction book that takes place AFTER the Holocaust. I loved the poly relationship, though I wish this had been more important to the plot, and, of course, magical realism with a rich basis in Jewish history and folklore.
The pacing is why it is so hard to rate - small things happened and then everything did. That and I wish the queerness had been more central to the plot.
I am glad, with what has been happening in Hungary and in many other countries moving to autocracy, that this was a story of revolution featuring a Jewish woman and queer people. I want to see more of that.
3.5 with a bump to 4 for GR.
The pacing is why it is so hard to rate - small things happened and then everything did. That and I wish the queerness had been more central to the plot.
I am glad, with what has been happening in Hungary and in many other countries moving to autocracy, that this was a story of revolution featuring a Jewish woman and queer people. I want to see more of that.
3.5 with a bump to 4 for GR.
betsyrisen's review against another edition
4.0
Magical realism? Check. Hungarian Revolution of 1956? Check.
"She did not know how to remember and move on at the same time. Memory and forgetting were two weights on a scale of history. One must forget just enough to move forward, and remember just enough to avoid repeating the horrors of history."
"The statue faced west toward the river and over the hills, as if it peered right over the city and didn't see it. And that had been the way Stalin looked at Hungary during the war, and the way that Hitler looked at Hungary. To too many people, Hungary was nothing more than the gateway between east and west, into the Balkans and north into Europe. It was the crossroads, and it was in the crosshairs."
I am not a big fan of historical fiction, with few exceptions. I don't have a problem with magical realism, in most cases. And I'll be the first to admit that I'm just a little too close to the period in history that this book covers to be able to suspend belief and expand imagination enough to truly buy in.
The writing in this book was wonderful. The characters were very interesting and engaging. However, there was a lot going on, and a lot of bouncing between timelines and characters both living and dead, and I think it tried to do too much, or I just missed something. It was very difficult for me to understand especially the storyline of Csilla's father. At the very least I didn't see any real resolution to the tension that character presented, and that might be what was missing for me.
There was no way I wasn't going to read / finish this book, and I had to do some research into the author afterwards, which is what I always do whenever I read anything written about the revolution. It doesn't seem like Katherine Locke has any direct connection to the revolution, which I found interesting.
Except of course for the magical realism (which I'm not supposed to believe), I found the plot accurate and intriguing. I was consuming this as an audiobook, and was missing a lot of the Hungarian language until the first lines of the Nemzeti dal made tears instantly spring to my eyes.
"She did not know how to remember and move on at the same time. Memory and forgetting were two weights on a scale of history. One must forget just enough to move forward, and remember just enough to avoid repeating the horrors of history."
"The statue faced west toward the river and over the hills, as if it peered right over the city and didn't see it. And that had been the way Stalin looked at Hungary during the war, and the way that Hitler looked at Hungary. To too many people, Hungary was nothing more than the gateway between east and west, into the Balkans and north into Europe. It was the crossroads, and it was in the crosshairs."
I am not a big fan of historical fiction, with few exceptions. I don't have a problem with magical realism, in most cases. And I'll be the first to admit that I'm just a little too close to the period in history that this book covers to be able to suspend belief and expand imagination enough to truly buy in.
The writing in this book was wonderful. The characters were very interesting and engaging. However, there was a lot going on, and a lot of bouncing between timelines and characters both living and dead, and I think it tried to do too much, or I just missed something. It was very difficult for me to understand especially the storyline of Csilla's father. At the very least I didn't see any real resolution to the tension that character presented, and that might be what was missing for me.
There was no way I wasn't going to read / finish this book, and I had to do some research into the author afterwards, which is what I always do whenever I read anything written about the revolution. It doesn't seem like Katherine Locke has any direct connection to the revolution, which I found interesting.
Except of course for the magical realism (which I'm not supposed to believe), I found the plot accurate and intriguing. I was consuming this as an audiobook, and was missing a lot of the Hungarian language until the first lines of the Nemzeti dal made tears instantly spring to my eyes.
caylieratzlaff's review against another edition
5.0
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC of this. 4.5/5 stars.
Holy heck. I don't think I've read a book with as much beautiful prose in it since The Book Thief, because those are the feels this book gave me. Not only was I drawn in by it being a place in Historical Fiction rarely covered -- Hungary, revolution post WW2 -- but the prose and the lyricism and the intensity of the plot and the symbolism and the folklore...I could just go on and on. This truly was simply stunning.
I did deduct it .5 a star though because I think some of the symbolism could have been fleshed out more -- why did they lose the ability to "see" in color? What was the river? But for the most part, I am lost for words on how simply stunning this novel is. Also, there's a lowkey poly relationship toward the end + LGBTQ rep and whatnot. It also deals with being complicit in situations of injustice and how sometimes the right decision does not always seem like the right, correct decision.
Just, ugh, simply amazing.
Holy heck. I don't think I've read a book with as much beautiful prose in it since The Book Thief, because those are the feels this book gave me. Not only was I drawn in by it being a place in Historical Fiction rarely covered -- Hungary, revolution post WW2 -- but the prose and the lyricism and the intensity of the plot and the symbolism and the folklore...I could just go on and on. This truly was simply stunning.
I did deduct it .5 a star though because I think some of the symbolism could have been fleshed out more -- why did they lose the ability to "see" in color? What was the river? But for the most part, I am lost for words on how simply stunning this novel is. Also, there's a lowkey poly relationship toward the end + LGBTQ rep and whatnot. It also deals with being complicit in situations of injustice and how sometimes the right decision does not always seem like the right, correct decision.
Just, ugh, simply amazing.
notinjersey's review against another edition
4.0
I have read multiple books set in Communist Europe recently! This Rebel Heart takes place in Hungary in 1956 and centers Jewish and Queer characters taking part in the revolution against the government at the time. Csilla is the main character here. She and her parents survived the Holocaust, but then her parents were killed by the Hungarian secret police. Csilla plans to leave the country but when her parents are exonerated, protests begin and Csilla must decide whether to stay and fight for her country. This book contains magical elements – the city has lost all of its color, the river carries magic power, and Jewish folklore comes to life. I found it long in parts, but very creative. The representation in this book includes a polyamorous relationship between Csilla, Tamas, and Azriel. This book is about taking action and standing up for what you believe. The young people took part in uprisings in Europe and having also read I Must Betray You, This Rebel Heart could be read by those who enjoyed that one and also appreciate a magical touch.
jessoehrlein's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
It took me a couple of months to get to this book (even though I was really excited for it) because I knew there was a tension and heaviness, maybe, to it, particularly in the first third or so, that would sometimes be <i>too</i> resonant.
A lot of reviews I've seen are from folks who didn't know much about the Revolution. I lived in Budapest, and I studied Soviet history. There's something particularly devastating in reading this <i>knowing</i>, and the message of it still being worth it comes through so strongly in that.
This captures so much of Budapest and so much of the Revolution, and it does so in a way that draws forward the people whose stories are often left out of that story. The fabulism aspects work so well to magnify everything. (The color coming through the hole in the flag is <i>everything</i>.)
I love Csilla sorting out, or trying to, her relationships with her father and Hungary and Budapest. I love what she and Ilona learn of each other here. I love Zsu coming into her own. I love everything about Márton but especially how he sees the writer in Csilla and the storyteller. I love that Tamás is grieving and loving again, and that the revolution isn't out of grief but isn't separate for him, either. I love Azriel helping the kids on in the very worst of circumstances and also loving humans so desperately. I love the triad holding each other together.
And maybe above all of that, I love how much the city and the Duna especially are characters. How so much is oriented around the river because that is so real.
A lot of reviews I've seen are from folks who didn't know much about the Revolution. I lived in Budapest, and I studied Soviet history. There's something particularly devastating in reading this <i>knowing</i>, and the message of it still being worth it comes through so strongly in that.
This captures so much of Budapest and so much of the Revolution, and it does so in a way that draws forward the people whose stories are often left out of that story. The fabulism aspects work so well to magnify everything. (The color coming through the hole in the flag is <i>everything</i>.)
I love Csilla sorting out, or trying to, her relationships with her father and Hungary and Budapest. I love what she and Ilona learn of each other here. I love Zsu coming into her own. I love everything about Márton but especially how he sees the writer in Csilla and the storyteller. I love that Tamás is grieving and loving again, and that the revolution isn't out of grief but isn't separate for him, either. I love Azriel helping the kids on in the very worst of circumstances and also loving humans so desperately. I love the triad holding each other together.
And maybe above all of that, I love how much the city and the Duna especially are characters. How so much is oriented around the river because that is so real.
amybrooklyn's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75