A review by nothingforpomegranted
The Fig Tree by Goran Vojnović

emotional reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

I bought this book from a bookstore in Ljubljana on my trip with my dad. It was fascinating to read about the region and the politics while traveling here, and I loved references to Plitvice and Mostar and so many other places we visited. That said, I was pretty lukewarm about this until about three quarters of the way through, when it finally clicked and I connected to the characters and Jadran’s story and actually found myself quite emotional. Unfortunately, I think the translation had a negative impact on this one. There were weird wording choices and typos that really took me out of the story, which was a bit of a tricky story to get into in the first place, but I really believe it could have been immersive. 

The story is written from the perspective of Jadran , whose wife has left him and their young son just before the death of his grandfather, which he suspects may have been a suicide. As he tries to accept both of these realities, Jadran explores the relationships of the generations before him: his parents and grandparents. He questions the significance of love and leaving, and he rediscovers his own passions as he untangles and invents these stories. This was a quick read and an emotional one, once I finally got my bearings.