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crybabybea's review against another edition
funny
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
What a delightfully weird book. One of the most unique narrators I've ever read.
This is technically a thriller I guess, since it includes a murder mystery, but I'm not sure if it would appeal to general thriller enjoyers as the pacing is actually quite slow and we spend a lot of time in our main character's head than actually in the action. I loved the unreliable narrator and the fact that she's a different type of main character for a thriller read. She's not a cop, or a PI, or even anyone that matters to the investigation. She's just a "normal" (she's actually incredibly odd) person who just finds herself in the middle of a string of murders in a small Polish town. I super enjoyed how she makes you question your own judgment. It felt a bit like a noir film with her unique perspective on the world and the way she constantly narrates the most mundane, seemingly irrelevant things.
For a while we spent so long in the main character's narration that I wondered what was going to happen and where the story was going. But the ending picks up quite a bit and I found it super satisfying and fun.
This is technically a thriller I guess, since it includes a murder mystery, but I'm not sure if it would appeal to general thriller enjoyers as the pacing is actually quite slow and we spend a lot of time in our main character's head than actually in the action. I loved the unreliable narrator and the fact that she's a different type of main character for a thriller read. She's not a cop, or a PI, or even anyone that matters to the investigation. She's just a "normal" (she's actually incredibly odd) person who just finds herself in the middle of a string of murders in a small Polish town. I super enjoyed how she makes you question your own judgment. It felt a bit like a noir film with her unique perspective on the world and the way she constantly narrates the most mundane, seemingly irrelevant things.
For a while we spent so long in the main character's narration that I wondered what was going to happen and where the story was going. But the ending picks up quite a bit and I found it super satisfying and fun.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Animal death, Alcohol, and Animal cruelty
Moderate: Blood, Body horror, and Injury/Injury detail
bomenvernietiger's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
"In unison, they set about tearing up the plants that had been growing around their house until now, in order to plant others that they'd bought at a shop. It was hard to tell what logic was driving them."
"Deep inside their anthill, the Ants cling to each other in a large ball and sleep like that until spring. I only wish people had the same sort of confidence in each other."
'"Why are you crying?" I asked.
"You're so kind..."
"I know," I replied.
"What about you? Why are you crying?" he said.
That I didn't know.'
"Deep inside their anthill, the Ants cling to each other in a large ball and sleep like that until spring. I only wish people had the same sort of confidence in each other."
'"Why are you crying?" I asked.
"You're so kind..."
"I know," I replied.
"What about you? Why are you crying?" he said.
That I didn't know.'
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Animal cruelty, Animal death, and Murder
Moderate: Chronic illness, Gore, Religious bigotry, Blood, Bullying, Misogyny, and Sexism
Minor: Alcoholism, Ableism, and Addiction
chloeam3103's review against another edition
dark
informative
mysterious
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Misogyny, Murder, Sexism, and Animal cruelty
Moderate: Body horror, Chronic illness, and Blood
dizzzybrook's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I adored everything about this book. I’ve found myself becoming increasingly bored with literary mystery/thriller books written from the POV of an unreliable narrator but Tokarczuk’s execution here is really great. Janina is one of my favorite literary characters that I’ve read in quite a while. Honestly, this book could have had absolutely no plot and I would have considered it a six star book anyways based on how incredible I found the prose alone.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, and Murder
Moderate: Violence, Death, Body horror, and Blood
liesbethvv's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
This book had been on my TBR for so long and I’m happy BOB bookclub finally made me pick it up. It read like a gloomy thriller with an unreliable narrator and a big focus on the main characters loathing of hunting and killing animals.
The set-up was predictable (to me) yet executed in an entertaining way.
I could have done without the lengthy rants about astrology, though they did feel like part of the main character’s eccentricities. If you’d like to read something of
The set-up was predictable (to me) yet executed in an entertaining way.
I could have done without the lengthy rants about astrology, though they did feel like part of the main character’s eccentricities. If you’d like to read something of
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Murder, and Animal death
Moderate: Blood and Chronic illness
whatthekatdraggedin's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Blood, Death, Gore, Animal death, and Murder
rusina's review against another edition
challenging
dark
funny
mysterious
reflective
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
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death and Murder
Moderate: Misogyny, Violence, Sexism, Chronic illness, and Death
Minor: Animal cruelty, Religious bigotry, and Blood
booksnug's review against another edition
dark
funny
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death and Murder
Minor: Blood, Animal cruelty, and Confinement
rain_blackbird's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Religious bigotry, Torture, Animal cruelty, Injury/Injury detail, Animal death, and Blood
proudtobeabookaholic's review against another edition
dark
informative
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Janina Duszejko bor på den polska landsbygden där hon studerar astrologi och ser till rika Warszawabors sommarställen när de inte är där. Hon har några grannar, men spenderar hellre tid med djuren än med människorna. När en av grannarna hittas död är det bara början på en rad märkliga dödsfall. Janina är övertygad om att det är djuren som hämnas, men hon blir naturligtvis avfärdad som en "tokkärring".
Det här är en omläsning för min bokcirkel. Första gången lyssnade jag på Radioföljetongen, i uppläsning av Gunilla Abrahamsson, och nu lyssnade jag igen, men med Marie Richardson i uppläsarrollen.
Jag kan förstå om den här boken inte faller alla i smaken. Huvudpersonen är lite udda och hennes handlingar kanske inte helt lätt att förstå alla gånger. Själv blir jag ofta förtjust i udda personligheter - åtminstone när de befinner sig på sidorna i en bok! Den bok som jag kommer att tänka på som jämförelse är "Coyote" av Gabrielle Filteau-Chiba; båda böckerna har en djur- och naturälskande ensam kvinna i huvudrollen som slåss mot tjuvjägare och deras brott. Så om du har läst "Coyote" och gillade den så är det hyfsat sannolikt att du även gillar "Styr din plog över de dödas ben". Själv föredrar jag Tokarczuks bok, men kan inte riktigt sätta fingret på varför. Titeln är för övrigt ett citat av poeten William Blake, som även han spelar en viss roll för historien!
Det här är en omläsning för min bokcirkel. Första gången lyssnade jag på Radioföljetongen, i uppläsning av Gunilla Abrahamsson, och nu lyssnade jag igen, men med Marie Richardson i uppläsarrollen.
Jag kan förstå om den här boken inte faller alla i smaken. Huvudpersonen är lite udda och hennes handlingar kanske inte helt lätt att förstå alla gånger. Själv blir jag ofta förtjust i udda personligheter - åtminstone när de befinner sig på sidorna i en bok! Den bok som jag kommer att tänka på som jämförelse är "Coyote" av Gabrielle Filteau-Chiba; båda böckerna har en djur- och naturälskande ensam kvinna i huvudrollen som slåss mot tjuvjägare och deras brott. Så om du har läst "Coyote" och gillade den så är det hyfsat sannolikt att du även gillar "Styr din plog över de dödas ben". Själv föredrar jag Tokarczuks bok, men kan inte riktigt sätta fingret på varför. Titeln är för övrigt ett citat av poeten William Blake, som även han spelar en viss roll för historien!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Animal cruelty, Death, and Animal death