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robbiericardo's review against another edition
emotional
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
rachelselene's review against another edition
1.0
this is the kind of book that makes me feel as though i am not intelligent enough to read it. i really enjoyed the chapters told from emine's POV, but the bekim chapters were confusing and deeply unsettling. there are metaphors everywhere and i was too busy puzzling over the narrative flow and hating the talking cat to catch them all.
lizzylue's review against another edition
challenging
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
thebobsphere's review against another edition
4.0
When I finished Pajtim Statovci’s My Cat Yugoslavia , translated by David Hackston, yesterday (June 3rd) afternoon. I just had to wait and let everything settle. A good chunk of the book is dominated by two rather unwieldy metaphors and I needed to think about them. Now after 24 hours I think I can write something decent.
The book is divided into two narratives. One takes place in Kosovo and details Emine’s marriage to the handsome Bajram. Unfortunately the marriage does not work out and amid domestic violence and the looming war, Emine and Bajram decide to move to Finland.
The second narrative concerns the couple’s youngest son Bekim, who grows up in Finland, where he hooks up with gay men. Due to his failure with relationships, Bekim decides to buy a constrictor, to which gravitates towards. One day he comes across a life sized cat in a gay bar and they hook up, with the cat living with him, although this relationship turns into a dominant/submissive one.
I saw both the snake and the cat as metaphors for Bekim’s inner struggles. As a child of immigrants, he finds it difficult to blend into Finnish society but this outsider quality is also prominent during his visits to Kosovo. All Bekim’s problems with being accepted are encapsulated with the cat. This animal represents contrariness, rebellion and hatred, all which Bekim suffers from. At one point in the book, Bekim’s parents send him to a psychologist and we find out that he has a fear of both snakes and cats. This could mean that the cat represents fear of facing reality.
The snake, although one of Bekim’s fears, seems to represent his dealings with humans. Since Bekim has problems bonding with humans, the snake befriends him and they have a relationship where he lets the snake suffocate him gently. Later on in the book and in the opening we see how he handles his boyfriends/one night stands.
To confuse matters, there’s one scene where Bekim returns to Kosovo and befriends a cat and kills a snake so maybe the whole of his narrative was a story just to emphasise his situation as a child of immigrants? It’s not that clear.
The Emine/Bajram narrative is easier as it is in chronological order and tells things in a clear way. Through Emine the reader understands how male-centric Kosovar traditions are and Ermine’s struggles are because she has to be submissive but does not want to be. Eventually when the family move to Finland, because of the Kosovan war. Bajram understands that society is different and cannot cope. Emine does break free and survives. Other than a commentary on sexism, i would also say that the Emine narrative is a snapshot of how immigrants are treated.
Despite the not so clear parts, I enjoyed My Cat Yugoslavia thoroughly: The Bekim narrative is great and example of how magical realism can be weird without being a distraction to the book. The Emine narrative is addictive as it an interesting look at rites. I have never read any literature about Kosovo (although I remember the war clearly as I was 20 at the time and it was big news) but My Cat.. was quite an eye opener, coincidentally I’ll be reading Adam Mars Jones’ Batlava Lake so I’m curious to see which aspect of Kosovan culture Mars Jones will focus upon.
The book is divided into two narratives. One takes place in Kosovo and details Emine’s marriage to the handsome Bajram. Unfortunately the marriage does not work out and amid domestic violence and the looming war, Emine and Bajram decide to move to Finland.
The second narrative concerns the couple’s youngest son Bekim, who grows up in Finland, where he hooks up with gay men. Due to his failure with relationships, Bekim decides to buy a constrictor, to which gravitates towards. One day he comes across a life sized cat in a gay bar and they hook up, with the cat living with him, although this relationship turns into a dominant/submissive one.
I saw both the snake and the cat as metaphors for Bekim’s inner struggles. As a child of immigrants, he finds it difficult to blend into Finnish society but this outsider quality is also prominent during his visits to Kosovo. All Bekim’s problems with being accepted are encapsulated with the cat. This animal represents contrariness, rebellion and hatred, all which Bekim suffers from. At one point in the book, Bekim’s parents send him to a psychologist and we find out that he has a fear of both snakes and cats. This could mean that the cat represents fear of facing reality.
The snake, although one of Bekim’s fears, seems to represent his dealings with humans. Since Bekim has problems bonding with humans, the snake befriends him and they have a relationship where he lets the snake suffocate him gently. Later on in the book and in the opening we see how he handles his boyfriends/one night stands.
To confuse matters, there’s one scene where Bekim returns to Kosovo and befriends a cat and kills a snake so maybe the whole of his narrative was a story just to emphasise his situation as a child of immigrants? It’s not that clear.
The Emine/Bajram narrative is easier as it is in chronological order and tells things in a clear way. Through Emine the reader understands how male-centric Kosovar traditions are and Ermine’s struggles are because she has to be submissive but does not want to be. Eventually when the family move to Finland, because of the Kosovan war. Bajram understands that society is different and cannot cope. Emine does break free and survives. Other than a commentary on sexism, i would also say that the Emine narrative is a snapshot of how immigrants are treated.
Despite the not so clear parts, I enjoyed My Cat Yugoslavia thoroughly: The Bekim narrative is great and example of how magical realism can be weird without being a distraction to the book. The Emine narrative is addictive as it an interesting look at rites. I have never read any literature about Kosovo (although I remember the war clearly as I was 20 at the time and it was big news) but My Cat.. was quite an eye opener, coincidentally I’ll be reading Adam Mars Jones’ Batlava Lake so I’m curious to see which aspect of Kosovan culture Mars Jones will focus upon.
notamy's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
mkohan's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
ken_untitled's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
daizie's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
The lyricism in the writing is incredible, but I wasn't entirely convinced of the plot/character development of Bekim's story... The last third didn't seem very cohesive with the rest of the book, but I did appreciate the author's strong grip on elucidating very difficult concepts.
ripaustaikaa's review against another edition
Viha-rakkaussuhde tähän, ei mitään hajua, montako tähteä antaisin
dawndeydusk's review against another edition
emotional
medium-paced
3.75
Although slightly disjointed in some parts, this book navigates a variety of topics: xenophobia, homophobia, loneliness, war, assimilation...it's a heavy one. It is rare that I ever see Bulgaria mentioned anywhere in print or other media in the West. The emotion that erupts from just seeing the name printed is just a fragment of the emotion poured into this novel. It navigates a fine line between the allegorical, symbolic, and literal.