Scan barcode
mercenator's review against another edition
5.0
This book is like one big puzzle. I really appreciated being able to put together the pieces on my own and not having the book tell me what to think. S does astounding job creating a book that is almost completely plotless and characterLess but still having a somehow be interesting. The fact that it functions of the palimpsest on its own right really impressed me and I enjoyed the challenge that this book presented.
lauren708's review against another edition
4.0
Sebald fashioned some really lovely prose in this book. I loved how it reflected the journey, itself. The book was overall fascinating in its context and makeup. I didn't expect to learn as much seemingly random information as I did.
mmillerb's review against another edition
5.0
likely a nonstandard introduction to sebald - but i get the hype guys! really i do!
egyptiaca's review against another edition
challenging
informative
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.5
themorsecode's review against another edition
5.0
Really unlike anything else I've read; a dreamlike, melancholy travelogue/essay/meditation on loss, memory and history. I know the areas of Norfolk and Suffolk he visits reasonably well, growing up in the area, and he captures the coastline well - Dunwich and its unique eeriness in particular. A book I can see myself returning to in the future.
ohsmilla's review against another edition
informative
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.75
dycook's review against another edition
5.0
Conceptually, this novel shouldn't work. There's no discernible plot, no real dialogue, no character development in a way that's familiar. Most paragraphs go on for pages. Most sentences are complex and hypotactic. Most of the book is nonfiction. The lists go on. Nothing about this book is "normal."
And yet, everything in this novel just makes sense. A single page may span centuries and continents, but there's no feeling of whiplash. After a while, you get used to Sebald delivering layers upon layers of history. Sebald lulls you into into his unique style, and once you get used to it, you can begin compiling all the information he throws at you and come to that a-ha moment. It's all very disorienting, but it's worth it.
And yet, everything in this novel just makes sense. A single page may span centuries and continents, but there's no feeling of whiplash. After a while, you get used to Sebald delivering layers upon layers of history. Sebald lulls you into into his unique style, and once you get used to it, you can begin compiling all the information he throws at you and come to that a-ha moment. It's all very disorienting, but it's worth it.