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mollylovestoread's review against another edition
4.0
The first 75% made me laugh, and the main character Rosa Achmetowna reminded me of Old Lady Grantham. And then. And then, it was heartbreaking and it made me very, very sad.
ohestelle's review against another edition
2.0
I actually didn't finish reading this book. I stopped about halfway through because, while the whole thing is pretty dark, it started taking a turn toward the really disturbing, and I just couldn't handle it.
mary_kurtz's review against another edition
3.0
Oh, my Kelly, we have much to talk about over this one!
barbaraalfond's review against another edition
2.0
One star for self-aggrandizement. One star for resilience. Uh-oh! Have I given away the whole book??
anam_kiani's review against another edition
dark
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
After a long time, I found a book that I did not want to put down.
It is a dark and bizarre story that follows three generations of women in a dysfunctional family, narrated by the controlling, narcissistic and manipulative grandmother, Rosa. Rosa is a sociopath who manipulates and abuses everyone and ruins the lives of the people she claims to love. Despite being a terrible person, she feels very real and being inside her twisted head was very interesting and seeing the world from her delusional and selfish POV was fascinating.
I loved the book despite hating the narrator.
It is a dark and bizarre story that follows three generations of women in a dysfunctional family, narrated by the controlling, narcissistic and manipulative grandmother, Rosa. Rosa is a sociopath who manipulates and abuses everyone and ruins the lives of the people she claims to love. Despite being a terrible person, she feels very real and being inside her twisted head was very interesting and seeing the world from her delusional and selfish POV was fascinating.
I loved the book despite hating the narrator.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body shaming and Abortion
Minor: Pedophilia
zaidaz's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
sad
fast-paced
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
scunareader's review against another edition
4.0
Having been born a Soviet and raised by 2 generations of Soviet women, I felt all at once familiar with the crazy: the unrelenting cleanliness, the instinct to stand in a line not knowing what to expect at the end of the line, the obsession with food, the compulsion to bribe people with chocolate (I find I do this from time to time), and the way of being raised to be better, have more, accomplish much by way of abusive language. A lot of it was not fun, but somehow I always knew I was loved by my grandmother and mother. My grams was nothing like Rosa, but I understand Rosa; hell, I have some relatives like Rosa.
Bronsky has masterfully transferred a real Soviet woman into the pages of a novel and has shown that the old cliche of writing what one knows is the only way to write.
eitvile's review against another edition
4.0
Turbūt kitoniškiausia mano skaityta (tiksliau - klausyta) knyga.
Joje pasakojama apie labai toksišką, narcisistinių savybių ir žiaurumo kupiną žmogų. Ir kas keisčiausia - pirmu asmeniu. Iki šiol į rankas man papuldavo knygos, kuriose apie blogį pasakodavo per atstumą, bent jau trečiuoju asmeniu, o čia buvo priešingai.
Kai kuriose vietose autorė pasakojimo ašį Rozalindą pašaržuoja ir pažiūri į ją su ironija, tai praktiškai visada man sukeldavo "c'mon, rimtai?!" reakciją.
Joje pasakojama apie labai toksišką, narcisistinių savybių ir žiaurumo kupiną žmogų. Ir kas keisčiausia - pirmu asmeniu. Iki šiol į rankas man papuldavo knygos, kuriose apie blogį pasakodavo per atstumą, bent jau trečiuoju asmeniu, o čia buvo priešingai.
Kai kuriose vietose autorė pasakojimo ašį Rozalindą pašaržuoja ir pažiūri į ją su ironija, tai praktiškai visada man sukeldavo "c'mon, rimtai?!" reakciją.