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2.27 AVERAGE
2.27 AVERAGE
2,5* (the plot twist made me add half a point)
This was kind of a weird read. I felt like the writing wasn't really good, but who am I to say that. None of the characters had any depth and they did nothing so that you would root for them. The story was quite interesting but the characters just ruined it. It felt like a Russian version of Desperate Housewives with a murder in it. The thing I liked was the plot twist at the end, didn't see that one coming, other then that, wouldn't necessarily recommend.
This was kind of a weird read. I felt like the writing wasn't really good, but who am I to say that. None of the characters had any depth and they did nothing so that you would root for them. The story was quite interesting but the characters just ruined it. It felt like a Russian version of Desperate Housewives with a murder in it. The thing I liked was the plot twist at the end, didn't see that one coming, other then that, wouldn't necessarily recommend.
Der Klappentext des Buches verspricht viel. Eine (vielleicht) naive junge Frau, die es sich - frisch verwitwet - in den Kopf setzt, den Mörder ihres Mannes zu finden. Und, wie kann es anders kommen, plötzlich von der Jägerin zur Gejagten wird. Eine Grundidee, die mir gefiel und auch der Schauplatz des postsowjetischen Moskau schien mir verlockend. Leider kann das Buch in keiner Weise überzeugen. Das Spannungsniveau bleibt durchgehend auf Hanny & Nanny-Niveau und die Entwicklung der agierenden Personen ist so bewegt wie ein mit Botox vollgepumptes Starlet-Gesicht. Die Autorin Oksana Robski, selbst so eine Art It-Girl der Moskauer Neureichen-Szene, versteht es geschickt (das einzig halbwegs geschickte an diesem Buch), beim Leser den Eindruck zu erwecken, man lese etwas Autobiographisches. Ob das Leben von Frau Robski Ähnlichkeiten aufweist oder nicht, ist letztlich auch zweitrangig. Das Leben, das die Protagonistin führt, bewegt sich zwischen Beauty-Salon, Einkaufstouren in Edelläden und sündhaft teuren Restaurants. Sie trifft sich mit „Freundinnen“, die eher kurzfristige Weggefährtinnen sind (Die Freundinnen erinnerten mich frappant an die Freundinnen von Mildred Montag aus „Fahrenheit 451“). Freundschaft, überhaupt menschliche Gefühle anderen Gegenüber sucht man im gesamten Buch vergebens. Menschen sind entweder nützlich oder uninteressant. Polizisten sind dumm oder korrupt, Hausmädchen prinzipiell diebisch und unfähig. Die enorme Bandbreite versammelter Stereotype hätte lustig sein können, aber das Lachen bleibt einem mit jeder Seite mehr im Halse stecken. Denn mit jeder Seite mehr merkt man, wie ernsthaft die Autorin davon überzeugt ist, ein Leben als reiche Drohne sei Lebenszweck genug. Wer verstehen möchte, warum das aktuelle Russland immer weiter einer Katastrophe entgegen schlittert, dem sei diesem Buch empfohlen. Mich hat es auf eine sehr ungewöhnliche Weise an den Film „Vatel - Ein Festmahl für den König“ erinnert, in dem es um die Prunk- und Verschwendungssucht des Sonnenkönigs Ludwig XIV ging.
Written in a very simplistic style, the book nevertheless has its moments of depth. Very brief moments. Mostly it's about shallow Russian women and their extravagant spending habits. And a murder. (Some of the extravagant spending is concerned with avenging said murder...and moving on.)
For the full review, go to my blog: http://rubys-books.blogspot.com/2012/01/book-review-casual-by-oksana-robski.html
This book reminded me of Desperate Housewives, only in Russia. You have funny moments, tragic moments, some tears, plots and schemes and money. Lots and lots of money. The heroine of this book is very witty, sarcastic, sometimes almost snarky. Her and her friends are rich and they aren't afraid of showing that. The author takes you from spas to exclusive restaurants and clubs, where the rich people in Moscow have fun, drink, gossip and flirt.
I liked the feel of reality this book had. It truly made me believe that about half of the things that happened in the book might happen in real life, which is really rare in a book. And the little intrigues, the every day life experiences, like running into an ex, or your lover and his wife and realizing he's not going to leave her for you, or finding out your late husband's mistress is pregnant, being threatened by the mob, all those subplots made this a very interesting read.
At times though, some of the characters blended together, probably because some of them had very similar names.
All in all, this was an interesting book. If you're a fan of chick lit, then you should give this book a try.
This book reminded me of Desperate Housewives, only in Russia. You have funny moments, tragic moments, some tears, plots and schemes and money. Lots and lots of money. The heroine of this book is very witty, sarcastic, sometimes almost snarky. Her and her friends are rich and they aren't afraid of showing that. The author takes you from spas to exclusive restaurants and clubs, where the rich people in Moscow have fun, drink, gossip and flirt.
I liked the feel of reality this book had. It truly made me believe that about half of the things that happened in the book might happen in real life, which is really rare in a book. And the little intrigues, the every day life experiences, like running into an ex, or your lover and his wife and realizing he's not going to leave her for you, or finding out your late husband's mistress is pregnant, being threatened by the mob, all those subplots made this a very interesting read.
At times though, some of the characters blended together, probably because some of them had very similar names.
All in all, this was an interesting book. If you're a fan of chick lit, then you should give this book a try.