Reviews with content warning for Death - Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead

I got so annoyed with the narrator's thoughts. While it wasn't stream-of-consciousness, I just didn't care to be in her head that much. I'm a vegetarian, and the animal cruelty tirade was a bit much even for me. I stuck with it for the mystery element just to be disappointed and annoyed in the end.

It is not clever to completely withhold information from the reader about a murder. Clever mysteries are seeded with hints and puzzle pieces throughout the story so that the reader can play along. Revealing random details at the end does not make the solving of the mystery satisfying; to me it just feels pretentious and lazy.

However, I was able to read this all the way through and maintained at least some interest, which is why I'm giving it 2 stars. I will also say that there were a few musings that resonated with me, and I did find the narrator's quirkiness to be endearing at times. But overall this was not for me.

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emmalouisereads's review against another edition

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lighthearted mysterious slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

I don’t know if I was just not in the right headspace for this book, but I just wasn’t feeling it.

The main character is quite quirky and interesting, and I liked a story told from a character of her age.

It’s worth a read if you like a murder mystery.

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noahfence's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional funny mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

yeah, so. prepare to enter the world of janina duszejko. like, really prepare. its not for the faint of heart.

i have never read anything quite like this book. it is a story that will question your perception of madness, animals, astrology and religion—and you will probably finish it with a very different view of the world.

the plot follows the story of the sickly, elderly woman janina duszejko and her life in a lonely polish village on the border of the czech republic. the book drags you along on her investigation into the strange, unsettling murders of several members of the town’s hunting society, filling you with intrigue, awe—and perhaps horror, depending on your attitude towards animals. do you treat them like they have souls, or not? are you willing to face their wrath?

drive your plow over the bones of the dead is everything i could ever ask for in a book. the weather is strange, the animals are vengeful, the stars are sentient. it is a beautifully dark exploration into feminism, animal rights and murder, and although at first it may just seem like the story of a lonely old women, the prose grips you by the throat and really doesn’t let you go. you will come away from the book wondering if your horoscope could show you how you will die, and if you should really continue eating meat.

drive your plow over the bones of the dead is a deliciously dark read. so go on—take the plunge. 🤭

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elzbethmrgn's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional funny mysterious sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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river69rat's review against another edition

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challenging dark mysterious reflective 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? No

3.0

I picked this one up for the provocative title. I thought the prose of this book was beautifully written and the themes of animal rights was an interesting reflection on power and relations. Also enjoyed the discussion of ageism and sexism throughout. Lots of good things and yet I really struggled to get through this book. I'm thinking the astrology talk slowed me down and also the one dimensional side-characters, but for such a short book it felt LONG. Would still recommend but don't expect to fly through it. Testosterone Austism is an iconic chapter name...

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ramreadsagain's review against another edition

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challenging 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

4.25

A great work of literary mystery eco-fiction. I was intimidated by this book at first as it’s won so many prizes but once you get used to the narration and flow it was really easy to read.

I enjoyed the plot, and the main character was written so vividly. Really liked the mystery too, and how it developed.

Also super recommend for vegans and/or people into astrology.

My only complaint is that, while the plot was engrossing, it never really evoked any emotions from me.

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