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asharp's review against another edition
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? No
2.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death of parent
ptibouh's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
moncoinlecture's review against another edition
3.0
3,5 en fait.
La seconde partie est super... mais la première... j'ai eu du mal!
La seconde partie est super... mais la première... j'ai eu du mal!
jessferg's review
4.0
I always find it hard to write about books that don't have a plot, per se, because it ends up feeling like I'm saying they are dull when that's not true at all. Case and point: The Greenhouse.
Essentially the story can be described as "A young man road trips to a monastery where he plans to restore an overgrown rose garden. Along the way he gets appendicitis, gives a lift to a teenager, and reflects on the death of his mother and the birth of his daughter."
Who would read that? (I mean, besides me, obviously.) And yet it's really a lovely character-driven story with well-rounded emotions and actions. His involvement, or lack thereof, with the mother of his child is an interesting piece of the puzzle and while in the beginning it's a bit confusing (and slightly maddening) in the end it becomes quite an important part of the story and the character's development.
I love reading this kind of thing between a bunch of non-fiction or after a highly-strung plot line - it resets what I'm reading for and reminds me that the best stories are the ones that are the truest to real life.
Essentially the story can be described as "A young man road trips to a monastery where he plans to restore an overgrown rose garden. Along the way he gets appendicitis, gives a lift to a teenager, and reflects on the death of his mother and the birth of his daughter."
Who would read that? (I mean, besides me, obviously.) And yet it's really a lovely character-driven story with well-rounded emotions and actions. His involvement, or lack thereof, with the mother of his child is an interesting piece of the puzzle and while in the beginning it's a bit confusing (and slightly maddening) in the end it becomes quite an important part of the story and the character's development.
I love reading this kind of thing between a bunch of non-fiction or after a highly-strung plot line - it resets what I'm reading for and reminds me that the best stories are the ones that are the truest to real life.
anamaria427's review against another edition
5.0
Al menos para mi, una comienza conociendo esta historia desde cierta distancia emocional, propia de los comienzos, pero puede terminar muy conmovido, como no es propio de todos los finales.
Es una historia bella y suavemente contada, demanda tiempo y luego, sorpresas, pequeñas victorias y .... la vida.
Es una historia bella y suavemente contada, demanda tiempo y luego, sorpresas, pequeñas victorias y .... la vida.
mjatuw's review
4.0
Amazon free -- beautifully written, ethereal, a little strange but a wonderful character and his roaming, garden, and relationships.
erikfazekas's review against another edition
4.0
Velmi prijemna oddychovka, milujem islandskych autorov, pisu uplne inak, ako my europania...
Jednu hviezdu uberam lebo poslednych sto stran stratila dych...
But I liked it very much:)
Jednu hviezdu uberam lebo poslednych sto stran stratila dych...
But I liked it very much:)
pinwheeling's review
3.0
Idk I can't decide if this book wasn't very good or if it's the translation. It's quiet and meditative -- i loved all the gardening bits -- but there was something about the language that felt off. But then so much if the book is about being unable to really speak fully when speaking in a foreign language! I think I've had a spate of extremely Good Books so even though this was fine, it just felt lacking in comparison.