Scan barcode
heeyitsamy's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Most of the time I really enjoyed this book but there were times the descriptions of certain events were quite graphic and hard to read. Overall, the characters and stories were interesting and engaging.
Graphic: Animal death, Child death, Death, and Murder
Moderate: Rape, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence
kbhenrickson's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
This book is challenging for me to review. It is a very long multigenerational saga made up of many stories from the interconnected lives of the residents of a small town in Denmark from the early 1800s until the end of World War II. Some of the stories are completely engrossing, some are a little tedious, many are a bit grim. It is told from a strange perspective - unnamed residents (we) observing all of the events or listening to first-person accounts being told by a different resident. Everything is filtered through a very male perspective - this is not a positive or a negative. The women characters, however, (of which there aren't many) tend to be either victims or manipulative (or both), which I found a bit tiresome. Overall, it's kind of a downer, but it is very well told. The audiobook narrator does an excellent job, and I'm glad I ended up listening to the book rather than eye-reading.
Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Physical abuse, and War
Moderate: Child death, Rape, and Murder
More...