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zoenosis's review against another edition
2.0
I teared up a little on the final page. Beautifully written book with an elegant and simple storyline that drifts between present, past and fantasy. As a Melbournian I also appreciated the local flavour.
While it was beautiful, I'm not sure I would read it again. I found the portrayal of the men/women, carer/cared-for dynamics a little bit off and odd. All of the main female characters in this book (Heather, Fleur, their mum and Sylvia) are all cared for as a focus of the novel (i.e. we only interact with these women when they require care), and men are their primary carers, either as sons, husbands, fathers or lovers. I found this divide between what the men in the book were doing and what the women were doing to be really harsh and confronting, and I don't think it reflected that well on the ability of these women to have agency or be complex people. Normally in a book, I am fine with a few characters being the same, but here it seemed overwhelming without a counterpoint/contrasting character or two.
It is especially hard to stomach because the archetypal 'woman' presented here is just lots of women being burdens on their families, who moan about how awful the women are for being ill. If we were able to see some equal sharing of care tasks between partners, or some more equal distribution of care needs between the genders, I think it would have been a more complex narrative about the nature of illness and caregiving. As it was, I felt it was a bit one note.
While it was beautiful, I'm not sure I would read it again. I found the portrayal of the men/women, carer/cared-for dynamics a little bit off and odd. All of the main female characters in this book (Heather, Fleur, their mum and Sylvia) are all cared for as a focus of the novel (i.e. we only interact with these women when they require care), and men are their primary carers, either as sons, husbands, fathers or lovers. I found this divide between what the men in the book were doing and what the women were doing to be really harsh and confronting, and I don't think it reflected that well on the ability of these women to have agency or be complex people. Normally in a book, I am fine with a few characters being the same, but here it seemed overwhelming without a counterpoint/contrasting character or two.
It is especially hard to stomach because the archetypal 'woman' presented here is just lots of women being burdens on their families, who moan about how awful the women are for being ill. If we were able to see some equal sharing of care tasks between partners, or some more equal distribution of care needs between the genders, I think it would have been a more complex narrative about the nature of illness and caregiving. As it was, I felt it was a bit one note.
kaydee's review against another edition
5.0
A beautiful, poetic novel of grief and family.
The writing is spirited and evocative. I was in that garden with Heather, her pain was palpable. There was so much insight and understanding here, it was heartbreaking yet hopeful.
I adored this, an incredible debut. I can't wait to read whatever Anna writes next.
The writing is spirited and evocative. I was in that garden with Heather, her pain was palpable. There was so much insight and understanding here, it was heartbreaking yet hopeful.
I adored this, an incredible debut. I can't wait to read whatever Anna writes next.
erin_reads_all_the_books's review against another edition
5.0
Poetic, magical, heartbreaking.
Stunning.
I ached, deep in my bones while reading this book. I suspect this story will stay with me for a long time.
Stunning.
I ached, deep in my bones while reading this book. I suspect this story will stay with me for a long time.
natalye's review against another edition
2.0
This book took me ages to read! I saw so many good reviews so I dove in, but I found it to be so slow, and often was wondering "Is this all that happens?" After getting about a third of the way in, I set it aside for more than half a year before finally picking it up again this week. I feel like after I made it to the halfway point the story started to improve and pick up some pace, but overall, I read it more to finish it and less because I enjoyed it. The writing was certainly beautiful in some places, but it also felt like it just slogged on and on, weighed down by lovely descriptions of boring things. The very end was sweet and sad, but I didn't feel the grief of Heather the way I thought I would... it just seemed very one dimensional.
demi_shannon's review against another edition
5.0
Devastating. Incredibly written, the descriptive nature of the writing really captures attention. Author's notes closed the novel off extremely well. Loved it.
lindseyclare's review against another edition
4.0
If you like gardens and flowers and the Mornington Peninsula and, most of all, beautiful sad stories, you will love this book.
bookedandborrowed's review against another edition
4.0
Loved the gloomy, melancholy vibe paired with gorgeous prose - a potent combination, one that I would seek out as a depressed teenager and have savoured ever since. I'm not sure exactly what it was about The Paper House that seduced me so quickly, but I remember feeling inspired by the writing, compelled to put pen to paper myself for the first time in years - an unusual reaction.
As we wade through the darkness of Heather's mind we barely get a glimpse of how murky the waters are before we fall straight in the deep end. I love stories about houses and families and this book ticked a lot of boxes for me.
I'm trying very hard to read 52 books in 52 weeks but when I'm done, I will return to The Paper House for a re-read.
As we wade through the darkness of Heather's mind we barely get a glimpse of how murky the waters are before we fall straight in the deep end. I love stories about houses and families and this book ticked a lot of boxes for me.
I'm trying very hard to read 52 books in 52 weeks but when I'm done, I will return to The Paper House for a re-read.
sanchwrites's review against another edition
4.0
Such a beautifully written book. Heart wrenching and sensitive. It tackles issues of mental health and grief with delicate balance without once sounding cliched. Anna's lyrical prose is to die for! One can only dream of forming sentences this way and using the metaphors and similes as she does. The voice of the protagonist moves seamlessly from present to past. All in all, a great debut novel. Detailed review to come soon on the blog.