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balinkili's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
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
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Incest, Violence, and Death of parent
sharkybookshelf's review against another edition
4.0
Edvard is brought up by his grandparents on a remote farm in Norway - when his grandfather dies, Edvard unexpectedly finds himself on a quest to find out about his parents who mysteriously died when he was three and his great-uncle…
I love Mytting’s writing - he has a remarkable ability to create an atmospheric setting (especially, though not only, the harsh, desolate, windswept variety) through which to weave a gripping story. I didn’t even mind that some of it was a little far-fetched, I was absolutely invested and wanted to know what Edvard would find out next.
Ultimately, this is a story of the toll of family secrets and how the past (whether secret or not) can eat away at people, such as Sverre’s choice to serve in the German army - a choice that followed him his whole life even in the smallest of ways, regardless of whether he regretted it. As for the family secrets, this isn’t just one secret but layer after layer of intertwined secrets. But it’s not all tragedy - the book is also a joyous ode to working with wood and the skill of cabinetmaking. My grandfather was a carpenter, so I deeply appreciated this aspect of the novel.
An atmospheric, slightly mysterious story of family secrets, being haunted by the past and the beauty of skilled woodworking.
marjorie_'s review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
4.5
I really enjoyed it
line_books's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
lambsears's review against another edition
4.0
I thoroughly enjoyed this engaging story about a family, it's history and wood. Yes, wood.
I found it a little slow to start with and think that is perhaps down to the translation, which I found a little clunky at times, however Lars Mytting is clearly an excellent storyteller. I heard him interviewed on Radio National Books and Arts, where the interviewer described his complex and evocative story as a page-turner. And that's certainly what it was.
At the moment, most of my reading seems to be leading me back to the outer Isles of Scotland, with this one moving from Norway to the Shetlands - but that works for me too.
A great read.
I found it a little slow to start with and think that is perhaps down to the translation, which I found a little clunky at times, however Lars Mytting is clearly an excellent storyteller. I heard him interviewed on Radio National Books and Arts, where the interviewer described his complex and evocative story as a page-turner. And that's certainly what it was.
At the moment, most of my reading seems to be leading me back to the outer Isles of Scotland, with this one moving from Norway to the Shetlands - but that works for me too.
A great read.
n0niim's review against another edition
3.0
I liked the story, but there wasn't more to it than just that.
ljm57's review against another edition
4.0
A thoroughly engrossing family mystery spanning two world wars and criss-crossing three countries. Beginning on a farm in a remote Norwegian village, Edvard, orphaned as a young child, has been raised by his dour grandparents. Edvard remembers little of his parents, and the story surrounding their deaths in faraway France, has always been shrouded in mystery. But after he lays his grandfather to rest, Edvard discovers clues to his past that throw up more questions than answers. Determined to learn more, his quest takes him to the wilds of Shetland in northern Scotland and to the battlefields of France. Each chapter adds another layer to the complex set of events that led to the tragedy that took his loving parents. The descriptions of setting and characters are very well done and the plot is intricately woven. A very rewarding read.