Scan barcode
lubug's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
mishallison's review against another edition
3.0
A heart-breaking portrait of grief, based on Petterson's loss of his parents and two brothers in a horrible ferry accident. I liked his book "To Siberia" better and think I might be finished with grief books for a while.
turnercrosby's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
bookmarish's review against another edition
4.0
This is Petterson's debut novel, and I like his very stark and simply writing style, but his "Out Stealing Horses" was superior to this one in my opinion. As a translation from the original Norwegian, there were quite a few typos which were distracting, but otherwise it was a unique read. I like this author and will continue to read more of his work.
dougawells's review against another edition
4.0
This is a dark and disturbing book - an amazing glimpse into pure grief and despair, all the more difficult knowing that Petterson lived this grief. That said, as I came towards the end of the book, I found myself slowing down so it wouldn't end. Once again, I find Petterson's writing some of the best that I've come across in quite some time.
kdstutzman's review against another edition
5.0
Chapter 10 of this book is perhaps the most perfect and beautiful single chapter I have ever read. You will need to read the chapters that come before and after it in order to appreciate it fully, but that isn't a bad thing as the whole book is wonderful. It is spare, quiet, hugely affecting. There are long stretches in which it seems like nothing is happening, yet even at these moments the story is working in its mysterious ways.
andyshute's review against another edition
3.0
Reading this is like getting swept up in a dream, you feel caught in the hazy, meandering narrative through mundane and heartbreakingly plain events. It's a powerfully sparse book, with lovely evocative prose, a tale exploring the way people keep living even after terrible events and loss.
dm_domosea's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
I'm not one for constant paragraph-length sentences, and that's what much of this book is. That, combined with first-person present tense POV, gave the book an overwhelming stream-of-conscious prose. Still, it's a quiet peek into the head of a man as he grapples with the death of his father, and through that grief realizes the intricacies and importance of their relationship.
Content Warnings
Minor: Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, and Death of parent
teresatumminello's review against another edition
4.0
My first thought upon closing this book is that it was both sad and sweet, though I suppose the 'sweetness' is really humor, certainly nothing saccharine. And the sadness isn't really in the words either, but in what the reader takes from the words. Understated, subtle book.
Don't read this book if you need a plot or even something to happen (not something I need at all) and I ended up liking the book despite some passages that seemed pointless -- I realized these passages are important to the theme -- and they're beautifully written, so I was never bored with them.
My favorite parts are when the narrator (we're inside his head the whole time) has some engagement (however tentative) with the very few people he does encounter as he walks and drives aimlessly (though not really) around. And I wasn't sure at all how Petterson would end the book (always a plus) but it felt perfect to me.
Quote: "I remember a lot of dreams. Sometimes they are hard to distinguish from what has really happened. That is not so terrible. It is the same with books."
Don't read this book if you need a plot or even something to happen (not something I need at all) and I ended up liking the book despite some passages that seemed pointless -- I realized these passages are important to the theme -- and they're beautifully written, so I was never bored with them.
My favorite parts are when the narrator (we're inside his head the whole time) has some engagement (however tentative) with the very few people he does encounter as he walks and drives aimlessly (though not really) around. And I wasn't sure at all how Petterson would end the book (always a plus) but it felt perfect to me.
Quote: "I remember a lot of dreams. Sometimes they are hard to distinguish from what has really happened. That is not so terrible. It is the same with books."