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caerrie's reviews
162 reviews
In Zeiten des abnehmenden Lichts by Eugen Ruge
reflective
sad
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
4.5
Excellent writing, may be too ponderous for some, but it really captures that undefinable something in the mentality that all former GDR residents I know have in common.
Most characters are flawed - here meaning they are, often, really just arseholes - and often not particularly loveable. But they are complex and relatable and feel deeply truly real.
Most characters are flawed - here meaning they are, often, really just arseholes - and often not particularly loveable. But they are complex and relatable and feel deeply truly real.
I Must Betray You by Ruta Sepetys
Did not finish book. Stopped at 46%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 46%.
Just kind of lost interest as the book went on… it’s HEAVILY geared towards US audiences who know nothing about a) Romania or b) life under communism, and as someone with a fair amount of background knowledge that got annoying very quickly. Also Cristi is maybe a good representation of a teenager but also infuriating - naive, pretentious, and frankly a bit bland overall. The characters all seemed pretty one dimensional. The narration also bothered me; the protagonist keeps commenting stuff like “oh I was so stupid”, which doesn’t really add much to the narrative and also takes all the tension and suspense out of the story. Overall it just kind of feels like a well researched book but clearly written by someone who is trying *really* hard to represent something they didn’t personally experience. The book isn’t bad. It just didn’t grip me enough to make me finish it.
The Poppy War by R.F. Kuang
2.75
Obsessed with the first third or so of this book. By the 75% mark i was seriously considering not finishing the novel. It is way too long, and the pacing is really off - this feels like a whole trilogy awkwardly crammed into a single book. Also while the allusions to real history are incredibly cool in theory, they’d work much better if they weren’t just… listed off on page after page?
Content Warnings
Graphic: Genocide, Rape, Xenophobia, Medical trauma, Murder, War