A review by katelynprice
Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead by Olga Tokarczuk

mysterious slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

I got so annoyed with the narrator's thoughts. While it wasn't stream-of-consciousness, I just didn't care to be in her head that much. I'm a vegetarian, and the animal cruelty tirade was a bit much even for me. I stuck with it for the mystery element just to be disappointed and annoyed in the end.
It is not clever to completely withhold information from the reader about a murder. Clever mysteries are seeded with hints and puzzle pieces throughout the story so that the reader can play along. Revealing random details at the end does not make the solving of the mystery satisfying; to me it just feels pretentious and lazy.
However, I was able to read this all the way through and maintained at least some interest, which is why I'm giving it 2 stars. I will also say that there were a few musings that resonated with me, and I did find the narrator's quirkiness to be endearing at times. But overall this was not for me.


Expand filter menu Content Warnings