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nanirump's review against another edition
2.0
Like many of the other reviews I found this a challenging read because of the lack of quotation marks and general structure- maybe it was an artistic choice? It seems more jumbled in the beginning and straightens out a little bit towards the end which is maybe a good representation of the authors feelings of those time. I didn't feel a lot of emotion in this book and I feel like the character was unecessarily blunt and cruel at times, to the point of being autistic. I couldn't connect with the story despite working in the field and being able to picture how this would have played out. There was lots missing for me in this book, but maybe it's just the style, maybe the Swedish culture.
bookerage's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
In this novel, we follow Tom who's been forced to raise his daughter alone as he loses his partner shortly after giving birth. This story could have been much more emotional, but felt flat at times. The focus was oftentimes on practical details such as custody for the newborn and funeral arrangements. Only through flashbacks of Tom's and Karin's previous live together, are we shown the grief he must have experienced. The ending was touching and made up for the slow pacing of the novel.
kellyroberson's review against another edition
2.0
An interesting concept but the structure just did me in.
caroleugenepark's review against another edition
2.0
This book had so much potential. There were moments where I thought, "YES!" or where I felt emotional. Some passage were beautiful. Others very relatable: moments between Tom and his father Thomas, the resentment and admiration.
But at the end of the day, I could not completely connect with the novel. The first half of the novel had me hooked but when I began to realize the emotional build up I was hoping for would never come to fruition, my interested waned. The ending was fantastic. The writing style suited the plot, but the lack of emotion and a climactic plot was what lost me in the mid to second half of the book.
As some reviewers noted, there was a lot of "telling" and not enough "showing." The dialogue between all the characters were confusing and at times, unsatisfactory. There were so many implications in the unclear communication between Tom and Karin, so much potential in what was actually being said to each other, but they were not flushed out well enough, and left me incredibly confused. I kept thinking, "what are they really talking about? why do they seem so cold to each other? are they truly life partners?"
It was very unsatisfactory. And perhaps that was simply because the English translation didn't do it justice. I don't know. I really wanted to like the novel, since it's never easy to write a novel that's based on your life to some extent.
But at the end of the day, I could not completely connect with the novel. The first half of the novel had me hooked but when I began to realize the emotional build up I was hoping for would never come to fruition, my interested waned. The ending was fantastic. The writing style suited the plot, but the lack of emotion and a climactic plot was what lost me in the mid to second half of the book.
As some reviewers noted, there was a lot of "telling" and not enough "showing." The dialogue between all the characters were confusing and at times, unsatisfactory. There were so many implications in the unclear communication between Tom and Karin, so much potential in what was actually being said to each other, but they were not flushed out well enough, and left me incredibly confused. I kept thinking, "what are they really talking about? why do they seem so cold to each other? are they truly life partners?"
It was very unsatisfactory. And perhaps that was simply because the English translation didn't do it justice. I don't know. I really wanted to like the novel, since it's never easy to write a novel that's based on your life to some extent.
borky's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
fast-paced
4.0
Another case of right book, right time; I'm so glad that I found this book while navigating a unbelievably similar situation to the main characters. I found the lack of quotation marks challenging at first, but it actually made for a very engrossing read because I had to focus on who was saying what, and what was stream of consciousness rather than speech. I learnt a lot about grief from this book.
jenno's review against another edition
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
ane_vest's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
antarcticophile's review against another edition
dark
inspiring
reflective
sad
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Pregnancy, Death, Death of parent, and Cancer
thereadingparamedic's review against another edition
4.0
This proof was sent to me by Sceptre Books. A devastating true story about the death of Tom Malmquists's wife. Initially, the book is written in quite medical terms & as a healthcare professional, I understood most of the terms, which helped bring home to me just how ill Karin was. Karin is pregnant with their daughter at the time of her illness & some tough decisions have to be made. Although absolutely heartbreaking, this book is a great testament to the strength of human beings and how we seem to, somehow, have the resolve to deal with grief and utter tragedy.