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sterlingeatsbooks 's review for:
Killing Stella
by Marlen Haushofer
dark
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This was a short and effective novella.
We follow Anna, a wife to an adulterous husband, as she tries to preserve their home life in the midst of looking after her friend's daughter, Stella.
This is an interesting look into complicity, how turning a blind eye makes one just as culpable. Anna helps Stella grow into a young woman, but in doing so she inadvertently causes her husband's attention to shift to Stella. Instead of choosing to help the girl as she's seduced and discarded, Anna turns a blind eye in order to keep the peace, just as she's always done, ultimately leading to Stella's death. It's chilling, particularly looking into the cold relationship between Anna and her husband and the way she uses her son, Wolfgang, as a surrogate for the intimacy she's missing. I read this in one sitting and I'm so glad I did!
We follow Anna, a wife to an adulterous husband, as she tries to preserve their home life in the midst of looking after her friend's daughter, Stella.
This is an interesting look into complicity, how turning a blind eye makes one just as culpable. Anna helps Stella grow into a young woman, but in doing so she inadvertently causes her husband's attention to shift to Stella. Instead of choosing to help the girl as she's seduced and discarded, Anna turns a blind eye in order to keep the peace, just as she's always done, ultimately leading to Stella's death. It's chilling, particularly looking into the cold relationship between Anna and her husband and the way she uses her son, Wolfgang, as a surrogate for the intimacy she's missing. I read this in one sitting and I'm so glad I did!