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fauna_n_fiction 's review for:
Vita Nostra
by Marina Dyachenko, Sergey Dyachenko
This is my first dip into 'WEIRD' literature and I must say, I don't even know what to say or how to feel after reading this. I thought I had my rating but now I really don't know. Like this book sparked an existential crisis for me and then just like left me hanging high and dry if that makes sense. So, I will try my best to convey my thoughts logically, if that's even possible.
Firstly, I am absolutely eager to read more Russian/Ukrainian literature. It was so atmospheric and I genuinely love the whole mood and tone of this book. I'd love to read more stuff like this even though I don't think I'll be picking up the sequel of this.
Secondly, I seem to not be the only one who felt wholly unintelligent reading this. Like I so appreciated what this book was trying to do (mostly, and I'll get to that). I am a huge fan of language and the complexities of it but I feel like SOOOO much of this book went STRAIGHT over my head.
Thirdly, I did not enjoy how isolated Sasha was as a character. One of my favourite things about reading is witnessing and dissecting character dynamics and how different characters experience life and each other. But in this book Sasha is SOOO isolated and concerned with herself and her own journey that you get NOTHING from the other characters. The person I feel we get the most from is one of her professors and even then it's really nothing. And to an extent it's done to add to the narrative and the sense of dread and loneliness but she doesn't seem bothered by it and she doesn't try to correct it. I am left to wonder if anyone else experienced what she experienced in this place because it seems to me (and to Sasha) like basically everyone else is doing perfectly fine with everything and then all of a sudden they've got problems. Like Sasha just IGNORES and doesn't care about her 'friends' and I would have liked more interaction or anything.
I don't know if I did myself a disservice while reading this book which ultimately lowered my enjoyment of this. Around 40% of the way, I really needed to take a break. I was enjoying it SO MUCH and having such a good time but I was also like all encompassed because I was thinking through everything that had happened and I was so confused and intrigued and actually, for the first time ever, didn't want to like run through this book. So I took a day break (and then unwillingly a second day break) before sitting down to finish the book and I enjoyed the last 60% of this book SIGNIFICANTLY less than the first 40% and I don't know if it was because of this break or if it was the shift in the tone and story.
Lastly (and please just let me speak freely here), I am a Christian and I am very skeptical when reading horror/weird books to keep myself away from strange things. I don't like it. It makes me uncomfortable. And genuinely the entire time I read this book, I was having such a good confusing time, didn't pick up anything weird until like the last 5% of the book... Where all of a sudden there was "In the beginning there was..." and "Creator" and then finally "In the beginning was the Word." And I must be honest, it ruined the ENTIRE experience for me... Just thought I'd make a note of it because it did sour the whole book for me.
Firstly, I am absolutely eager to read more Russian/Ukrainian literature. It was so atmospheric and I genuinely love the whole mood and tone of this book. I'd love to read more stuff like this even though I don't think I'll be picking up the sequel of this.
Secondly, I seem to not be the only one who felt wholly unintelligent reading this. Like I so appreciated what this book was trying to do (mostly, and I'll get to that). I am a huge fan of language and the complexities of it but I feel like SOOOO much of this book went STRAIGHT over my head.
Thirdly, I did not enjoy how isolated Sasha was as a character. One of my favourite things about reading is witnessing and dissecting character dynamics and how different characters experience life and each other. But in this book Sasha is SOOO isolated and concerned with herself and her own journey that you get NOTHING from the other characters. The person I feel we get the most from is one of her professors and even then it's really nothing. And to an extent it's done to add to the narrative and the sense of dread and loneliness but she doesn't seem bothered by it and she doesn't try to correct it. I am left to wonder if anyone else experienced what she experienced in this place because it seems to me (and to Sasha) like basically everyone else is doing perfectly fine with everything and then all of a sudden they've got problems. Like Sasha just IGNORES and doesn't care about her 'friends' and I would have liked more interaction or anything.
I don't know if I did myself a disservice while reading this book which ultimately lowered my enjoyment of this. Around 40% of the way, I really needed to take a break. I was enjoying it SO MUCH and having such a good time but I was also like all encompassed because I was thinking through everything that had happened and I was so confused and intrigued and actually, for the first time ever, didn't want to like run through this book. So I took a day break (and then unwillingly a second day break) before sitting down to finish the book and I enjoyed the last 60% of this book SIGNIFICANTLY less than the first 40% and I don't know if it was because of this break or if it was the shift in the tone and story.
Lastly (and please just let me speak freely here), I am a Christian and I am very skeptical when reading horror/weird books to keep myself away from strange things. I don't like it. It makes me uncomfortable. And genuinely the entire time I read this book, I was having such a good confusing time, didn't pick up anything weird until like the last 5% of the book... Where all of a sudden there was "In the beginning there was..." and "Creator" and then finally "In the beginning was the Word." And I must be honest, it ruined the ENTIRE experience for me... Just thought I'd make a note of it because it did sour the whole book for me.