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A review by megansmith
Parasol Against the Axe by Helen Oyeyemi
adventurous
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
I don’t know if this is one of those books I was just honestly too stupid to understand, or if this is actually a mindfuck for the general population, but I hardly had a single idea what was going on the entire time. This book feels like an unending ramble and I had a hard time making heads or tails of what was happening. It was hard to understand who characters were because of the way they were introduced, there were also way too many plot lines introduced in such confusing ways to make any sense with the stories and stories within the story included. This book felt pointless and just when maybe the point of the novel was summed up in one of the last two pages, I lost my interest in caring about what the book meant, and why I should care. Truly so frustrating and not a relief to read! The description on this book threw me off so much. Its not wrong but its very misleading for how this book actually is! I dont think id recommend this unless you want something that makes you really confused and love confusing endings that dont make sense.
I will say - I didnt give this a lower rating because some of the stories were intriguing, and I was struck by the last line in the book that kind of summed it all up. I do think though the book could be more straightforward AND still make the point it was trying to make. Just not my preferred writing style or cup of tea. Her writing can be very descriptive and I found myself in parts of Prague reading this (which is part of why I picked this up). I could also see some of the more comedic moments in the story with her great sense of description. So it has some merits, and if you like a real mind-bender, this would be for you.
I will say - I didnt give this a lower rating because some of the stories were intriguing, and I was struck by the last line in the book that kind of summed it all up. I do think though the book could be more straightforward AND still make the point it was trying to make. Just not my preferred writing style or cup of tea. Her writing can be very descriptive and I found myself in parts of Prague reading this (which is part of why I picked this up). I could also see some of the more comedic moments in the story with her great sense of description. So it has some merits, and if you like a real mind-bender, this would be for you.