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eliansen's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
lighthearted
sad
slow-paced
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.0
top3 things
- the way the butcher & the priest become terrified of the sheep
- zoras realisation that some sheep are bred for their meat & her existential crisis afterwards. "we are the food. hes death" right out of a cannibalism story 10/10
- everything about othello
jitka_c's review against another edition
3.0
Ač jsem se u knihy chvílemi fakt královsky bavila, nakonec se nějak nemůžu dokopat ohodnotit ji více jak 3 hvězdičkami. Něco tomu přeci jen chybělo.
I tak ale můžu tuhle knížku vřele doporučit všem, kteří by ocenili něčo neobvyklého a trochu střeleného :)
I tak ale můžu tuhle knížku vřele doporučit všem, kteří by ocenili něčo neobvyklého a trochu střeleného :)
zbmorgan's review against another edition
3.0
This book is without a doubt one of the most original works I have read in the past few years.
First let me say, if you are looking for a cozy mystery, look elsewhere. The mystery is not the strongest part of this book, and while there are times it will keep you reading, and if it were better, this would be a four star book for me. That said, the mystery isn't great and the solution to it wasn't satisfying to me, personally, but that's by far not the only thing this book has to offer.
Ms. Swann writes sheep in a manner so complex that anyone who has ever wondered what an animal is thinking will find satisfying. They are simple, they are hampered by numerous fears, their memories are not the best, and they philosophize as well as any Frenchman. Their viewpoint on how other animals, books, humans, and even heaven works are so believable you will be touched and amazed. They also speak in a believable manner to one another - not quite like humans, but difficult to describe. Whether that was something the original author did or it happened in the translation from the original German or a combination of both, these creatures never break character. They also all have a past.
Charming, with a big side of 'makes you think;, this book is worth the time.
First let me say, if you are looking for a cozy mystery, look elsewhere. The mystery is not the strongest part of this book, and while there are times it will keep you reading, and if it were better, this would be a four star book for me. That said, the mystery isn't great and the solution to it wasn't satisfying to me, personally, but that's by far not the only thing this book has to offer.
Ms. Swann writes sheep in a manner so complex that anyone who has ever wondered what an animal is thinking will find satisfying. They are simple, they are hampered by numerous fears, their memories are not the best, and they philosophize as well as any Frenchman. Their viewpoint on how other animals, books, humans, and even heaven works are so believable you will be touched and amazed. They also speak in a believable manner to one another - not quite like humans, but difficult to describe. Whether that was something the original author did or it happened in the translation from the original German or a combination of both, these creatures never break character. They also all have a past.
Charming, with a big side of 'makes you think;, this book is worth the time.
nermrlib's review against another edition
4.0
This is one of the most entertaining books I've read in a long time. Told from the point of view of a flock of sheep who've lost their beloved shepherd, it is engaging and interesting. Kudos to the author, who never steps out of tone for one second. I can't imagine writing a novel from an animal's point of view, but she does so brilliantly. Well worth the time taken to read.
lastbraincell's review against another edition
4.0
Charming. Haven't seen something like this done before. However, they were a few holes for me. That one crazy/wise zen but sheep, and some of Zora's meditations, they were a little confusing for me at first. Other questions: Why was Sir Ritchfield suddenly improved after (spoilers) the return of Melmoth? After Operation Polyphemus was revealed, and how Rebecca (spoilers!) worked something out with the mysterious agent to live-- was the solution really that simple? Or did it hinge on a bargain with the cassette tape? In a normal mystery these would have made me rate it average, because of how much I didn't understand. But the novelty of the plot, and the author being able to carry it out throughout the whole book, give back a star. Also a lot of observational humor, like the sheep thinking humans have very small souls, if any at all, then how they understood human religion and "God", based on what they overhead. The big "F You, my sheep are going to Europe" at the end was satisfying. This would make for a good movie I think, like a Detective Babe.
klara1meyer's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
ylbirda's review against another edition
3.0
Eigentlich würde ich es 3,5 Sternen geben.
Das Buch fing sehr gut an, das Spiel mit der Sprache war sehr beeindruckend (mein Favorit: morgenfeuchte Innereien), und die Idee auch. Gegen der Hälfte fande ich es schwierig, da ist das Buch etwas zu langsam geworden. Die letzten 100 Seiten waren dann wieder sehr gut und spannend. Man mus sich bewusst machen, dass es nicht ein typischer Krimiroman ist, mit einem Detektiv, der den Fall möglichst schnell erledigen will, sondern ein Roman über Schafsherde, die nur so nebenbei rausfinden will, wer ihren Schäfer umgebracht hat. Das ist ein großer Vorteil aber gleich auch ein großer Nachteil. Wir kriegen zu dem Fall nur sehr wenig Informationen und die meisten sind nicht wirklich nützlich, was die eigene Vorstellungen etwas begrenzt. Andererseits war der Fall sehr gut gelöst und ich habe es nicht erwartet (tue ich meistens nicht aber eig. will man klüger als Schafe sein).
Die häufige Intertextualität hat mich auch gefreut, Othello war auf jeden Fall mein Liebling aber "Das Schweigen der Lämmer" war auch gut gelungen.
Es war einfach ein gutes Buch.
Das Buch fing sehr gut an, das Spiel mit der Sprache war sehr beeindruckend (mein Favorit: morgenfeuchte Innereien), und die Idee auch. Gegen der Hälfte fande ich es schwierig, da ist das Buch etwas zu langsam geworden. Die letzten 100 Seiten waren dann wieder sehr gut und spannend. Man mus sich bewusst machen, dass es nicht ein typischer Krimiroman ist, mit einem Detektiv, der den Fall möglichst schnell erledigen will, sondern ein Roman über Schafsherde, die nur so nebenbei rausfinden will, wer ihren Schäfer umgebracht hat. Das ist ein großer Vorteil aber gleich auch ein großer Nachteil. Wir kriegen zu dem Fall nur sehr wenig Informationen und die meisten sind nicht wirklich nützlich, was die eigene Vorstellungen etwas begrenzt. Andererseits war der Fall sehr gut gelöst und ich habe es nicht erwartet (tue ich meistens nicht aber eig. will man klüger als Schafe sein).
Die häufige Intertextualität hat mich auch gefreut, Othello war auf jeden Fall mein Liebling aber "Das Schweigen der Lämmer" war auch gut gelungen.
Es war einfach ein gutes Buch.
paulathepudding's review against another edition
funny
mysterious
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
priceliketag's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Cute characters but often lost track with the “through sheep’s eyes” storytelling
yellowboundbooks's review against another edition
5.0
i think this might be my favorite book of all time. lit fic fans—there is nothing more beautiful than poetic sheep.