victorhawi 's review for:

Die linkshändige Frau by Peter Handke

4.0

challenging dark mysterious sad tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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The Left-Handed Woman by Handke is a very interesting, bizarre book. I've never read anything like it before. Without any inner-monologue, the author still manages to ensure that the reader always believes he knows what the main character is thinking. Although the main character is only called "the woman", a bond develops between her and the reader while reading. You can imagine exactly what she looks like, thinks and what she'll do next, even though she often seems robotic and cold. That impressed me a lot. What bothers me about the book, however, is that while reading it you notice that the author had difficulty empathizing with the various characters, for example the child. This takes a little away from the authenticity of the whole thing and seems artificial. Otherwise, a very good book, especially towards the end.