Four friends - JB, Malcom, Willem and Jude - meet in college and somehow remain friends throughout the following 30-something years. Sure, it was not Four friends - JB, Malcom, Willem and Jude - meet in college and somehow remain friends throughout the following 30-something years. Sure, it was not always smooth sailing, some really shitty stuff happens, and even some outright tragedies, but ultimately they somehow always came together when it mattered.
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Is it possible to simultaneously despise and hold a book very very dear? Or maybe this story just turned me in a blubbering, bipolar mess and... I should stop trying to justify my ratings. It sucked, I hated it so much, but it won't let me go so I have to give it a high rating.
Yet as soon as I managed to drag myself through the boring bits, I got engrossed in so much relatability: Malcom's worries about adulthood, Jude's low self-esteem, JB's addiction, and Willem's thoughts on codependent relationships. Only to come out loving Jude to pieces; warts and all. Not romantically mind, but rather akin to Harold and Julia's style, like a parent. I wanted to hold Jude and tell him I get his grief, or just nod along and agree that he messed up and had to deal with the consequences now. I wanted to be there to support and cheer him on, no matter what.
Score: 4/5 stars
If I were to choose between liking or disliking this novel, I'd definitely go for the latter. I'm so pissed at Hanya Yanagihara with her never-ending phrases, overcomplicated asides, and interleaved timeline, even if I can objectively see the merit in her writing style. And the amount of suffering she felt the need to lob our way, is so not something I'm suited for.
Now if you'll excuse me, I'm off to dig a very deep (digital) hole to bury this book, because I can't stand this grieving mood that has taken over my mind.
He wanted the reminders to stop; he dreaded the day when they would.
Mia is only 4 years-old, when her mother decides to uproot their lives and move in with the Wild Poppy Woman. It's quite a bit of downgrade in comfortMia is only 4 years-old, when her mother decides to uproot their lives and move in with the Wild Poppy Woman. It's quite a bit of downgrade in comfort, a definite uptick in dubious socialisation and life plans, but hey at least it has a bed and a roof over their head.
Over the next few years, as Mia tries to desperately keep up with an ever changing environment, she nevertheless finds solace in the Wild Poppy Woman's place.
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This was a very sad and gritty account of the life of a child forced to face the harsh realities of life, due to the mother's desire for "independence". It reminded me a bit of Uns zusamenhalten, only this time around it finger pointing didn't come as easily.
One of the most heart-breaking episodes, was when the mother decides to leave Mia at her father's, to give her a chance of a better life. However as the father now has a new life, Mia doesn't manage to fit in, so she runs away and ends up bonding with a homeless guy over their shared love for dogs.
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Also, how cool is it that German high schools let you write your final thesis about anything? Mine just had us sit 7 exams in 6 subjects, most of which I hated with a passion.
Score: 4.45/5 stars
As a rule, this type of gritty slice of life is not exactly my go-to reading material, but it's definitely one that always leaves an impression on me. Its one of the few times where I look at myself, and feel all privileged and ashamed. It's what I get for loitering around the woke part of the internet. To think that my dad had once told me, that "we were the poor relatives"...
------------------------ ARC provided by via in exchange for a fair and honest review.
2023 Reading Challenge: book 2 of 20 written in German....more
Erin's life has never been particularly fun, but these days it's down-right bleak. Navigating her way between a boring editing job, slowly writing a nErin's life has never been particularly fun, but these days it's down-right bleak. Navigating her way between a boring editing job, slowly writing a novel and living up to her boyfriend's impossible expectations, all but exhausts her. Her only defense mechanism: try to disappear.
At a party thrown by her former college classmates, our protagonist meets Doro, whose magnetic personality gives her a taste of a different life. One full of color, passion and so, so much writing. It's no wonder she falls head over heels.
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One of the more interesting aspects, is how unsympathetic Erin is presented. Sure, I felt for her as an outsider, and I kept sneering at her boyfriend's ridiculous elitism, yet I also wanted to give her a good shake. Ironic really, as some of her faults are things I'm also guilty of.
In contrast, Doro's passionate outlook, and the utter joy that she'd bring to Erin's days was just so much fun to read. For all that I avoid any sort of elevated literature, following the two women's literary banter in their e-mails had me just fly through the pages. And credit to the author, she managed to sneak by me quite a lot of Doro's more radical feminist views, that I normally hate. Such is the power of contrast.
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An additional charm to Erin and Doro's relationship was the parallel of a book Erin reads as she gets closer to Doro: a real-life story of two Irish women from the 18th century, who rebel against societal expectations and eventually settle down together in Llangolen, a small town in Wales. The letters and diary entries of these ladies, had me positively riveted. Well, presumably as imagined by Carina Obster, rather than the actual letters.
I especially appreciated the many similarities, along with the occasional differences which would highlight the difference in mentality, making me believe, that the two stories would end similarly. Cue long pause and ironic laughter.
Score: 3.7/5 stars
While I greatly enjoyed the unpredictability of the story, and was positively fascinated by Erin's many dislikable features, I really could've done with a bit of trimming in the protagonist's past recollections. They were quite tedious to get through.
Kim Jiyoung has definitely lived a shitty 34 years. Raised to always defer to her male counterparts, bePublished in English as Kim Jiyoung, Born 1982.
Kim Jiyoung has definitely lived a shitty 34 years. Raised to always defer to her male counterparts, be it with food, studying opportunities, sexual overtures, or career advancement, she finally snaps. After one too many passive aggressive remarks from her in-laws, the young mother finally hits back, albeit by pretending to be a different person. Who is to blame? The evil in-laws? Her indifferent husband? An underlying genetic condition? Or maybe even... society as a whole?
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Told in a series of flashbacks, courtesy of a clinical narrator, the story may take some time to draw the reader in. As a matter of fact I can easily understand those who just dropped the book out of sheer frustration. Though I've stuck with it till the end, I did keep hoping that the narrative tone would gradually start changing. Failing that, I was willing to settle for a decent explanation for the weirdly impersonal tone.
On the one hand, we do eventually find out that the clinical narrative tone is reflecting a psychiatrist's patient report. On the other hand, the instances wherein the detached narrative tone gives way to surprising bouts of frustrations seem rather misplaced. Not in sentiment, but rather in their lack of consistency, probably de to the author's own personal feelings on the topc, rather than Kim Jiyoung's.
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In the end, I guess I finished the book out of sheer morbid curiosity, curious to see just what other sort of atrocities the protagonist would be subjected to. Though I didn't find most of the events unexpected, or even shocking, they definitely didn't leave me unmoved. For all that Kim Jiyoung's and my circumstances are vastly different, I could fully empathise with her choice of passive "acceptance", while also quietly raging at the injustice of it all.
Score: 3.7/5 stars
Kim Jiyoung's story definitely needs to be told, because its individual episodes are closer to realism that many of us would like to think, for all that the victim described in here is not actually one single person. That said, perhaps a different format would suit the narration style more: such as a documentary film.
ARC received from publishing house via for an honest and fair review....more
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