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joeyisreading's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
My first impressions (Writing down my first impressions of the book. NOT an in-depth review. Reviews are based on personal enjoyment.)
RANK: No Rank
RANK: No Rank
I think this is my first short story collection I’ve read. So, this review is a bit challenging to write.
There are two stories that I like from this collection. “Mummy and honey” and “the color of Midday Fire”
Mummy and Honey are my favorite story. I intrepid the story as the three brothers suffering from Generational trauma. The Viper being a physical manifestation of the trauma. No matter what the brothers and the women do, the Viper will always stay in the house. The ending fits well with the theme.
The Color of Midday Fire is a good story. A Father loses his daughter to a Leopard and spends the whole story trying to kill it. This is a great quote “I couldn’t... I just couldn’t. My child’s flesh is in its body ...My child’s blood runs in its veins...I couldn’t”
Another quote I like from Shadows of the Cave “Ugliness is repetitive beauty”
The rest of the stories were alright. Mandanipour’s prose is a bit flowerily while some scenes are beautifully written at times it can drag and distract from the story. I do wish I had a bit from knowledge of Iran culture. This would have helped me understand the stories and the themes.
Overall, borrow this collection from the library to give it a chance.
lovisaastrid's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
dunderdorian's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
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
3.0
undisciplinedbeing's review against another edition
emotional
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
eaclapp41's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
moni____k's review against another edition
all of these were pretty wild. Am a fan of collections that jump from past, present, and future, but definitely required some re-reading in order to know where you where. emotional and poignant-- overall I enjoyed!
adam_nie's review against another edition
dark
reflective
4.0
Reviews on the back call it Dostoyevskian, but I've yet to read Dostoyevski so that doesn't mean much to me. This is a book where people receive flashes of insight, only to have that insight destroy their peace of mind, and then someone else tells you about it third-hand. Kinda like Borges in that respect. Worth reading!
jerseyfemme's review against another edition
informative
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.5