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nhborg's reviews
378 reviews
Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens
4.0
«Kya laid her hand upon the breathing, wet earth, and the marsh became her mother.»
Set in a beautifully atmospheric marshland, this novel tackles the painfully isolated and alienated coming-of-age story of Kya. I was instantly moved by this young girl’s connection to nature, and as the quote above expresses, her character embodies a necessity to seek out parental comfort in her physical surroundings rather than in people, who are all fleeting. Over the course of the novel, Kya doesn’t necessarily adapt to the society around her, but rather gradually let’s bits of the world into her home, the marsh.
The nature descriptions were wonderful, and I adored the representation of taxonomic biology. I also thought it was a cool move to tie in biological examples of reproductive strategies to the dilemmas of the plot; this contributed to the impression that Kya thinks about interpersonal relationships in a «wild» and seemingly primitive way, but instead of this being derived from her unconventional lifestyle in the marsh, the mindset is rather the result of her diligent, intellectual participation in natural studies. I thought this made a clever contrast, also tying into the thematics of xenophobia and discrimination.
Now I’m quite interested in seeing the movie adaptation, especially intrigued about Daisy Jessica Edgar-Jones starring as Kya.
Set in a beautifully atmospheric marshland, this novel tackles the painfully isolated and alienated coming-of-age story of Kya. I was instantly moved by this young girl’s connection to nature, and as the quote above expresses, her character embodies a necessity to seek out parental comfort in her physical surroundings rather than in people, who are all fleeting. Over the course of the novel, Kya doesn’t necessarily adapt to the society around her, but rather gradually let’s bits of the world into her home, the marsh.
The nature descriptions were wonderful, and I adored the representation of taxonomic biology. I also thought it was a cool move to tie in biological examples of reproductive strategies to the dilemmas of the plot; this contributed to the impression that Kya thinks about interpersonal relationships in a «wild» and seemingly primitive way, but instead of this being derived from her unconventional lifestyle in the marsh, the mindset is rather the result of her diligent, intellectual participation in natural studies. I thought this made a clever contrast, also tying into the thematics of xenophobia and discrimination.
Now I’m quite interested in seeing the movie adaptation, especially intrigued about Daisy Jessica Edgar-Jones starring as Kya.
Exciting Times by Naoise Dolan
4.0
3.75
I actually really liked this! This made me realize that I much prefer love-themed contemporary novels rather than your typical romances, mostly because of the unpredictability rooted in the flawed characters. You didn’t exactly have anything to root for, but the fiction felt realistic in all it’s complexity, alienation and interlacing identity crises, as to be expected from relationships between people who try to figure out who they are based on their ambiguous function in others’ lives.
Although I couldn’t relate to the plot directly, I felt a familiarity with the depictions of overwhelming or perplexing aspects of life in the modern world. I enjoyed how the book was written, with the self-deprecating humor and inventive parallels drawn between elementary school English lessons and the overarching disorientation that the MC is currently going through.
Sorry about the rambly review, just felt like jotting down some thoughts as soon as I finished.
I actually really liked this! This made me realize that I much prefer love-themed contemporary novels rather than your typical romances, mostly because of the unpredictability rooted in the flawed characters. You didn’t exactly have anything to root for, but the fiction felt realistic in all it’s complexity, alienation and interlacing identity crises, as to be expected from relationships between people who try to figure out who they are based on their ambiguous function in others’ lives.
Although I couldn’t relate to the plot directly, I felt a familiarity with the depictions of overwhelming or perplexing aspects of life in the modern world. I enjoyed how the book was written, with the self-deprecating humor and inventive parallels drawn between elementary school English lessons and the overarching disorientation that the MC is currently going through.
Sorry about the rambly review, just felt like jotting down some thoughts as soon as I finished.
Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus
4.0
Engaging, thematically interesting, and just as nerdy as I like it. The storytelling felt so fluent and well-woven together that I never got the impression that this was a debut until I heard the interview at the end of the audiobook.
It feels strange to think how much women’s role in science has changed in just a few decades, especially when I’m used to being surrounded by other girls and women within my field of biology, which makes me grateful for how far we’ve gotten. Let’s keep moving towards full equality.
Currently watching the TV show adaptation and liking it so far!
It feels strange to think how much women’s role in science has changed in just a few decades, especially when I’m used to being surrounded by other girls and women within my field of biology, which makes me grateful for how far we’ve gotten. Let’s keep moving towards full equality.
Currently watching the TV show adaptation and liking it so far!
So Late in the Day by Claire Keegan
4.0
The setup is simple, but I admire the way Claire Keegan writes!
Snømannen by Jo Nesbø
3.0
3.5
Synes dette var god underholdning (spesielt på hytta midt i mørke vinterskogen for å få opp paranoia-nivået
Synes dette var god underholdning (spesielt på hytta midt i mørke vinterskogen for å få opp paranoia-nivået
Hour of the Star by Clarice Lispector
3.0
3.5
«As for the girl, she lives in an impersonal limbo, without reaching the worst or the best. She just lives, inhaling and exhaling, inhaling and exhaling. Actually - why should she do anything more?»
This was an interesting read! Unlike anything I’ve ever read before. It was chewy, puzzling, seemingly playful but also heavy from seriousness. I kept wondering whether the things being said were deep and wise or just nonsense, and I honestly don’t feel like I can be a fair judge of that. I’d say it depends on what you manage to connect to and take away from the reading experience.
I especially enjoyed the story-within-a-story quality of the beginning, in which the narrator is presenting the story he wants to tell and is struggling to convince both the reader and himself why it is even worth telling. Despite his display of pride, he’s suffering from a strong sense of self-doubt and inferiority complex, in stark contrast to the female character Macabéa at the centre of his story. Unfortunately, I took less interest in the rest of the book where the narrator took a step back to progress on the story itself. Nevertheless, it had its moments!
«As for the girl, she lives in an impersonal limbo, without reaching the worst or the best. She just lives, inhaling and exhaling, inhaling and exhaling. Actually - why should she do anything more?»
This was an interesting read! Unlike anything I’ve ever read before. It was chewy, puzzling, seemingly playful but also heavy from seriousness. I kept wondering whether the things being said were deep and wise or just nonsense, and I honestly don’t feel like I can be a fair judge of that. I’d say it depends on what you manage to connect to and take away from the reading experience.
I especially enjoyed the story-within-a-story quality of the beginning, in which the narrator is presenting the story he wants to tell and is struggling to convince both the reader and himself why it is even worth telling. Despite his display of pride, he’s suffering from a strong sense of self-doubt and inferiority complex, in stark contrast to the female character Macabéa at the centre of his story. Unfortunately, I took less interest in the rest of the book where the narrator took a step back to progress on the story itself. Nevertheless, it had its moments!