Reviews

Liquidazione by Imre Kertész, Antonio Sciacovelli

dougawells's review against another edition

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3.0

Kertesz won the Nobel Price in Literature "for writing that upholds the fragile experience of the individual against the barbaric arbitrariness of history." I'm not sure I understand what that means, but I think it describes his writing. Haunting, dark, plodding - the author's own experiences in Buchenwald and Auschwitz provide the foundation for his narrative. A book I might need to read several more times in order to more fully understand.

aurqra's review against another edition

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3.0

Beautifully written.

kris_mccracken's review against another edition

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3.0

A very Central European dose of introspection that mixes quite radical departures in style (there is a a text-within-a-text-within-a-text) and some pretty heavy intellectual chicanery in the way that it constructs its existential dilemma in the face of the existence of Auschwitz.

There is a fair whack of self-reflexivity here, as once again Kertész mulls the weighty shadow of the camp that he spent part of his childhood. This is an intensely postmodern piece, fragmented to the point of distraction and filled with an incredibly morbid sadness. You can't help that the author is an incredibly unhappy man, unhappy in the way that constantly asserts that happiness is not actually possible. The immediate post-Communist Hungarian setting (and dark shadow of the Holocaust) adds to the claustrophobic atmosphere.

Not for the faint-hearted.

forever_fantasy's review against another edition

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emotional mysterious sad fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.5

juniperusxx's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

Ei mitään helppoa luettavaa, mutta hyvin vaikuttava ja ajatuksia herättävä, koskettavakin kirja. Hyvin eri tavalla keskitysleirejä sivuava kirja kuin muut aiemmin lukemani, koska tämä ei ole varsinaisesti kuvaus keskitysleireistä, enemmänkin kuvaus siitä, miten valtaisa trauma jättää jälkensä ihmismieleen ja yhteiskuntaan. En ole lukenut aiempia romaanisarjan osia, joten en osaa arvioida, kuinka oleellista olisi ollut lukea ne kokonaisuutena. Mielestäni tämä pieni kirja toimi itsenäisenäkin kirjana.

ogik's review against another edition

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challenging dark slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? N/A
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

leoferrari's review against another edition

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challenging dark tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated

4.5

jeremie's review against another edition

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dark funny reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes

4.25

Expand filter menu Content Warnings

krisz's review against another edition

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2.0

Az alapötlet izgalmas, de nekem fájt a sok nézőpontváltás. Nem volt benne logika, mikor fordult az E/3. mesélés E/1-be, aztán egy másik szereplő E/1-ébe, aztán E/2-be. Pedig lehetett volna. A kézirat tartalmáról is ezek után szerettem volna hallani (remélem, Judit elolvasta az egészet). Zavart így a lezárás hiánya is… És miért minden lucidus?

dugongi's review against another edition

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dark reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character

4.5