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abbys's review against another edition
4.5
I absolutely loved the beautiful and magical language which Alessandro Baricco wound together in this novel just as the silk which was created within the silk mines of Lavilledieu.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death and Death
Moderate: Sexual content
archivofrances's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Sexual content, and War
kiwi_33's review against another edition
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
I did not enjoy reading this one bit.
To start with, the structure of the writing in the form of extremely short chapters (0,5-2 pages each) was really off-putting. There was no way for the story to gain any momentum before being abruptly interrupted.
The female characters were written as completely passive and the description of the Japanese woman (and yes, she is Japanese) felt like something straight out of the r/menwritingwomen reddit thread. And that relates to my next point, which is the blatant Orientalism present throughout the novel. The woman is described several times as being Japanese and yet Hervé is simply incapable of seeing her as such for the stupidest reason. That she does not have an epicanthic fold; in his words “her eyes, did not have an oriental slant”. This trait is what draws his eyes to her in the first place, and spark his obsession with her. He then repeatedly insists on calling her white and compares her to the other women in the village by emphasising how non-oriental she looks, or how the other women look oriental compared to her. And this is just one example of the rampant Orientalism in this work.
Not to mention the fact that she is repeatedly described as a young girl throughout the book while he’s in his mid-thirties and happily married! The romanticisation of cheating in this also really bothered me. I didn’t see anything romantic about it and it honestly made me a bit disgusted.Also, a kid died because they were feeling horny, so there’s that.
The only thing that made me give this 2 stars instead of 1, is the plot twist at the end of the book. It made sense, but still surprised me.At first, the sex letters just made me even more uncomfortable about the situation than I already was. I found them tasteless. However, once we find out that it was Hélène’s final wish to possibly be seen by her husband the way she knew he was looking at the other woman, it gained a tragic sort of beauty. It also added to Hervé’s tragic circumstances, which I didn’t mind. He should have seen what he had while it was still there. Him driving his wife to tears from violent love-making due to his own sexual frustrations was a disgusting act, and I hold no sympathy for him, or the situation he wound his own damn self into.
To start with, the structure of the writing in the form of extremely short chapters (0,5-2 pages each) was really off-putting. There was no way for the story to gain any momentum before being abruptly interrupted.
The female characters were written as completely passive and the description of the Japanese woman (and yes, she is Japanese) felt like something straight out of the r/menwritingwomen reddit thread. And that relates to my next point, which is the blatant Orientalism present throughout the novel. The woman is described several times as being Japanese and yet Hervé is simply incapable of seeing her as such for the stupidest reason. That she does not have an epicanthic fold; in his words “her eyes, did not have an oriental slant”. This trait is what draws his eyes to her in the first place, and spark his obsession with her. He then repeatedly insists on calling her white and compares her to the other women in the village by emphasising how non-oriental she looks, or how the other women look oriental compared to her. And this is just one example of the rampant Orientalism in this work.
Not to mention the fact that she is repeatedly described as a young girl throughout the book while he’s in his mid-thirties and happily married! The romanticisation of cheating in this also really bothered me. I didn’t see anything romantic about it and it honestly made me a bit disgusted.
The only thing that made me give this 2 stars instead of 1, is the plot twist at the end of the book. It made sense, but still surprised me.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Child death, Death, Infidelity, Racial slurs, Sexism, Sexual content, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Animal death and Rape
imoran's review against another edition
slow-paced
3.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child death and Death
miamcmillan's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
oh god this was so WEIRD. it’s beautifully written and the style of it is so unique and captivating, but the plot itself felt weirdly uncomfortable. i couldn’t get over the phrase “young girl” and the fixation on her eyes while the protagonist was in his early thirties. and i felt so bad for hélène :( and the LITTLE BOY? WHO DIDNT DO ANYTHING WRONG AND WAS SO HAPPY? i was so sad for them both </3
i really loved baldabiou as a character tho lol something about him is oddly compelling. overall a very very odd and uncomfortable read, but the writing is enchanting
i really loved baldabiou as a character tho lol something about him is oddly compelling. overall a very very odd and uncomfortable read, but the writing is enchanting
Content Warnings
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Death, and Sexual content