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rebeccasophiemay's review against another edition
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
Something about the writing in this book was stunning to me - not sure if it was due to the translation into English or if the author actually meant to write prose like that.
I noticed a lot of really nice similes. I want to go back through and highlight the most gorgeous phrases.
Criticisms: the female characters in this book were AWFUL. The main character was utterly unlikeable in his treatment of women, his descriptions of them, his views of them, and I don't think it was meant as part of the plot. I think the author genuinely views women like that. The female characters were solely there to be his love interests, entirely molded for him, they were not people of their own accord at all. The misogyny in this book was vile.
I noticed a lot of really nice similes. I want to go back through and highlight the most gorgeous phrases.
Criticisms: the female characters in this book were AWFUL. The main character was utterly unlikeable in his treatment of women, his descriptions of them, his views of them, and I don't think it was meant as part of the plot. I think the author genuinely views women like that. The female characters were solely there to be his love interests, entirely molded for him, they were not people of their own accord at all. The misogyny in this book was vile.
leahjespersen's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
claudia_elisabeth's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
informative
medium-paced
5.0
tarsel's review
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
sad
4.5
Beautiful, unusual, sad and thrilling. Read it!
kleonard's review
1.0
This novel was a bit of a slog for me. The plot hinges on family secrets that needn't have been secrets, wartime loyalties and betrayals, and the narrator's lack of self. In fact, this book has one of the most unlikeable narrators I've ever encountered. He's even worse that Holden Caulfield. He's a narcissistic, callous asshole. Other characters are also all pretty awful people as well, and none for any reason that makes sense for the plot. The pace drags and really all I wanted to do was push the protagonist into the sea.
paulsnelling's review against another edition
3.0
Complex, perhaps over complex saga. Has it all, war, peace, families, love, loss. Beautifully written.
greybeard49's review against another edition
3.0
Had me until halfway and then the convoluted love triangle took on a life of it's own. Plot interesting and rolled out gradually and well enough to reel you in. The deep navel gazing and love torn meanderings of the young hero turned what might have been a very clever book into something that fizzled and spluttered and became just irritating in the end.
marilynw's review
4.0
The Sixteen Trees of the Somme by Lars Mytting
Narrated by Robin Laing
From the age of almost four, Edvard was raised by his grandfather, Sverre. It was on a trip, under mysterious circumstances, that Edvard's parents died and Edvard went missing for four days. Once he was discovered miles away from where his parents died, Sverre rushed to pick up Edvard to take him home to the family potato farm.
Life was lonely and isolated for Edvard. Sverre had fought on the wrong side of the war and both Sverre and Edvard were often taunted by the people of their small community. Sverre dies and Edvard learns that a beautiful coffin has been waiting for his burial. A coffin that Edvard's estranged great uncle Einar made. Edvard's ex girlfriend, Hanne, has just come back into his life and is ready for marriage. But the past is pulling on Edvard, a past that he knows that his grandfather had hidden from him. He must find out more about his background and why his parents died.
During Edvard's search for the past and the truth, he meets Gwen, who seems to have secrets and who might be connected to the answers that Edvard is searching for. While I did like Edvard, he comes across as selfish and greedy during much of the story, with his search for answers and a mysterious inheritance running roughshod over his relationships with Hanne and Gwen. I enjoyed the story but wished that Edvard didn't lose track of his responsibilities during his time of discovery. His search did not bring out the best from Edvard and I could only hope that the searching might end up making him a better person than he was becoming during the search.
This was both a beautiful and an ugly story. I thought the narration of the story was beautiful and also many of the descriptions of nature, creativity, and talent felt like poetry. Then there is the relating of the Battle of the Somme and what happens to the Black Watch Soldiers and we are getting a mirror of the loss of so much life through history, in such numbers, when individual faces can't count when the losses number at over a million at that battle and millions more losses throughout history.
Audio pub May 31, 2022
Thank you to RB Media/Recorded Books and NetGalley for this ARC.
Narrated by Robin Laing
From the age of almost four, Edvard was raised by his grandfather, Sverre. It was on a trip, under mysterious circumstances, that Edvard's parents died and Edvard went missing for four days. Once he was discovered miles away from where his parents died, Sverre rushed to pick up Edvard to take him home to the family potato farm.
Life was lonely and isolated for Edvard. Sverre had fought on the wrong side of the war and both Sverre and Edvard were often taunted by the people of their small community. Sverre dies and Edvard learns that a beautiful coffin has been waiting for his burial. A coffin that Edvard's estranged great uncle Einar made. Edvard's ex girlfriend, Hanne, has just come back into his life and is ready for marriage. But the past is pulling on Edvard, a past that he knows that his grandfather had hidden from him. He must find out more about his background and why his parents died.
During Edvard's search for the past and the truth, he meets Gwen, who seems to have secrets and who might be connected to the answers that Edvard is searching for. While I did like Edvard, he comes across as selfish and greedy during much of the story, with his search for answers and a mysterious inheritance running roughshod over his relationships with Hanne and Gwen. I enjoyed the story but wished that Edvard didn't lose track of his responsibilities during his time of discovery. His search did not bring out the best from Edvard and I could only hope that the searching might end up making him a better person than he was becoming during the search.
This was both a beautiful and an ugly story. I thought the narration of the story was beautiful and also many of the descriptions of nature, creativity, and talent felt like poetry. Then there is the relating of the Battle of the Somme and what happens to the Black Watch Soldiers and we are getting a mirror of the loss of so much life through history, in such numbers, when individual faces can't count when the losses number at over a million at that battle and millions more losses throughout history.
Audio pub May 31, 2022
Thank you to RB Media/Recorded Books and NetGalley for this ARC.