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A review by funktious
Fight Night by Miriam Toews
emotional
funny
hopeful
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
This was the first book I got in my book subscription from Porty By Post (https://portybypost.com/) which my lovely partner got me for my 40th.
It’s a great present because I wouldn’t have picked this up for myself, so it was interesting to read something completely different. It’s a very funny book, with a hilarious child narrator, even if she doesn’t realise it. Her embarrassment at the antics of her family is so perfectly observed. And Grandma is a wonderful character, larger than life and with no fucks left as she grapples with multiple illnesses. There was so much love between the three generations of women, despite the many arguments. A really good portrait of a family.
The alleged framing of the novel as Swiv writing a letter to her absent father wore a bit thin though, and once I figured out how old she was I wasn’t terribly keen on how much she was having to care for her grandmother. There’s also very little plot beyond waiting for Swiv's sibling to arrive and the lessons that Grandma tries to impart.
But the ending all brings it together nicely, if heart breakingly, and you can see how much Swiv has learned and changed.
I didn’t realise this author also wrote Women Talking, which I’ll track down now. So a great first book box, all in all!
It’s a great present because I wouldn’t have picked this up for myself, so it was interesting to read something completely different. It’s a very funny book, with a hilarious child narrator, even if she doesn’t realise it. Her embarrassment at the antics of her family is so perfectly observed. And Grandma is a wonderful character, larger than life and with no fucks left as she grapples with multiple illnesses. There was so much love between the three generations of women, despite the many arguments. A really good portrait of a family.
The alleged framing of the novel as Swiv writing a letter to her absent father wore a bit thin though, and once I figured out how old she was I wasn’t terribly keen on how much she was having to care for her grandmother. There’s also very little plot beyond waiting for Swiv's sibling to arrive and the lessons that Grandma tries to impart.
But the ending all brings it together nicely, if heart breakingly, and you can see how much Swiv has learned and changed.
I didn’t realise this author also wrote Women Talking, which I’ll track down now. So a great first book box, all in all!
Content Warnings
Minor: Suicide