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minella's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Violence, and Grief
clarabooksit's review against another edition
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Death, Gun violence, Mental illness, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Grief, Murder, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Body shaming, Fatphobia, and Violence
savvylit's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Translated from German, this introspective novel is a gripping tale of resilience in the face of unknown dystopian circumstances. The unnamed narrator is a middle-aged woman who adapts readily and impressively to self-sufficiency. She is fortunate to have the presence of several animals as companions: Lynx the hunting dog, Bella the milk cow, and a feisty semi-feral cat. The mutual reliance between the narrator and her animals was perhaps the most beautiful and relatable aspect of the novel.
The Wall could be perceived as a boring tale on a purely surface level. It's a diaristic narrative that includes a lot of realistic repetition; the main character's recap of chores completed comprises most of the novel. However, there's something deeply compelling in how The Wall is written. Haushofer skillfully weaves hints of international war, misogyny, and existentialism throughout the narrative.
All in all, many elements of this book felt like a combination of two of my past favorite reads: Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead (DYPOBD) by Olga Tokarczuk and I Who Have Never Known Men (IWHNKM) by Jacqueline Harpman. The first similarity is likely obvious - all three novels are translated works by European authors. But the similarities go deeper than that. The Wall's narrator reminded me quite a bit of Janina in DYPOBD, incredibly resilient, drily funny, and generally underestimated. Then, the themes of isolation and feminine strength in a dystopian setting were strongly reminiscent of IWHNKM. If you are also a fan of either - or both - novels, then you need to read The Wall.
The Wall could be perceived as a boring tale on a purely surface level. It's a diaristic narrative that includes a lot of realistic repetition; the main character's recap of chores completed comprises most of the novel. However, there's something deeply compelling in how The Wall is written. Haushofer skillfully weaves hints of international war, misogyny, and existentialism throughout the narrative.
All in all, many elements of this book felt like a combination of two of my past favorite reads: Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead (DYPOBD) by Olga Tokarczuk and I Who Have Never Known Men (IWHNKM) by Jacqueline Harpman. The first similarity is likely obvious - all three novels are translated works by European authors. But the similarities go deeper than that. The Wall's narrator reminded me quite a bit of Janina in DYPOBD, incredibly resilient, drily funny, and generally underestimated. Then, the themes of isolation and feminine strength in a dystopian setting were strongly reminiscent of IWHNKM. If you are also a fan of either - or both - novels, then you need to read The Wall.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death and Violence
loinereads's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
When I picked up this book I didn’t know what to expect at all.
At first when I realized it was just a report of a woman’s occupations during times of great loneliness, I did some research and understood a bit more about the context.
The reading was slow but very reflective and what kept me going was mostly the animals’ story.
The woman’s love and care for the animals was so deep that Lynx, Pearl, Tiger, Bella, Bull and the mother-cat became characters as well —without thoughts and speech but able to make us feel things.
The Wall is a classic that anyone should pick up one day because it really reflects on loneliness, womanhood, caring and loving.
What marked me the most was the way the story reflected how a woman could never be really alone. She would always find things to care for, herself, her environment and the creatures hanging around.
At first when I realized it was just a report of a woman’s occupations during times of great loneliness, I did some research and understood a bit more about the context.
The reading was slow but very reflective and what kept me going was mostly the animals’ story.
The woman’s love and care for the animals was so deep that Lynx, Pearl, Tiger, Bella, Bull and the mother-cat became characters as well —without thoughts and speech but able to make us feel things.
The Wall is a classic that anyone should pick up one day because it really reflects on loneliness, womanhood, caring and loving.
What marked me the most was the way the story reflected how a woman could never be really alone. She would always find things to care for, herself, her environment and the creatures hanging around.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Violence, and Abandonment
angela_iseli's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death and Violence
leonkoenig's review against another edition
challenging
dark
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
5.0
beklemmend, brutal zu lesen obwohl eigentlich sehr wenig passiert, starke Patriarchtsmetapher
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, and Blood
Minor: Medical content and Injury/Injury detail
jessy4550's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Confinement, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Blood, Excrement, Medical content, Grief, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Medical trauma and Abandonment
Minor: War
andrewhatesham's review against another edition
reflective
slow-paced
3.25
I think understanding the context surrounding this as well as the subtext is really important, otherwise you'll likely get bored. This is very much something you read for the journey, not the destination, so don't go into this expecting any twists and turns.
As a fan of fast paced reads, this was definitely a challenge for me, but I am glad I finished it because I actually enjoyed the second half more than the first!
As a fan of fast paced reads, this was definitely a challenge for me, but I am glad I finished it because I actually enjoyed the second half more than the first!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal cruelty and Animal death
Minor: Confinement, Death, Violence, and Medical content
vcarty's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
medium-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
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal death and Violence
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