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sidharthvardhan's review against another edition
5.0
It shows how fierce the competition for International Booker should be that this one didn't even make to the short list. The narrative style is a bit too sentimental for my liking but its a beautiful story and I liked this novel much better than the only other book I read from this author - 'A horse walks into a bar' (which actually won the booker and shouldn't have IMO)
saretta02's review against another edition
Too slow paced, did not find the story entertaining
jellter's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide attempt
mete's review against another edition
dark
informative
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
sjgrodsky's review against another edition
1.0
I’m quitting on page 165, having read about 2/3rds of the book. Even though I usually commit to finishing books that will be discussed by my book club, I just couldn’t continue this time.
I get that the book is a “reveal” as we learn about the past histories of the four characters. I get that a reveal is slow, as each small piece of the puzzle is shown.
Here is what I said to my book club “I just didn’t want to spend any more time in the company of such dysfunctional people.”
Most of the book club discussion focused on Vera’s abandonment of her daughter, with this group of (mostly) mothers, all comfortably middle-class, voicing some variation of “How could she? It is not possible to understand or forgive.”
After I confessed to quitting in the book, some confessed to finding it hard going.
This article, found in another review on Goodreads, describes Eva Panić-Nahir, the real person who serves as the model for Vera. The book is closer to reality than I knew.
https://www.haaretz.com/2003-07-10/ty-article/evas-choice/0000017f-e2aa-d568-ad7f-f3ebf1730000?_amp=true
I get that the book is a “reveal” as we learn about the past histories of the four characters. I get that a reveal is slow, as each small piece of the puzzle is shown.
Here is what I said to my book club “I just didn’t want to spend any more time in the company of such dysfunctional people.”
Most of the book club discussion focused on Vera’s abandonment of her daughter, with this group of (mostly) mothers, all comfortably middle-class, voicing some variation of “How could she? It is not possible to understand or forgive.”
After I confessed to quitting in the book, some confessed to finding it hard going.
This article, found in another review on Goodreads, describes Eva Panić-Nahir, the real person who serves as the model for Vera. The book is closer to reality than I knew.
https://www.haaretz.com/2003-07-10/ty-article/evas-choice/0000017f-e2aa-d568-ad7f-f3ebf1730000?_amp=true
ninaws's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
essjay1's review against another edition
4.0
He’s such a great writer, and an interesting one too. I always enjoy a moral choice - this would make for an interesting discussion about choosing the truth and/or personal integrity over comfort. And the obligations as a parent - should you take the best outcome for your child? Is that the best option? Really? Hard questions. This is also an important and timely story. I’m not sure about the ending. Perhaps I’ll come back to this review after I’ve thought about it again.
marija_miskulin's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
4.0