y_nk's review against another edition
4.0
Nauseating and visceral tale of a disturbed immigrant struggles to survive inner demons and socioeconomic precarity, set against the background of a bleak winter Montreal. A cockroach analogy that presents the despair and nihilism that comes with extreme social isolation.
“I was stunned to realize how the change of scenery felt suddenly burdensome in the aftermath of my consumption of dead animals, alcohol, scratchy soggy lettuce, and tomatoes. And I was overwhelmed with the particular guilt of the impulsive poor who, in a moment of grandiose self-delusion, self-indulgence, and greed, want to have it all. The poor one is greedy. Greedy! Greed is the biggest stupidity. But I was filled with greed.”
“I was stunned to realize how the change of scenery felt suddenly burdensome in the aftermath of my consumption of dead animals, alcohol, scratchy soggy lettuce, and tomatoes. And I was overwhelmed with the particular guilt of the impulsive poor who, in a moment of grandiose self-delusion, self-indulgence, and greed, want to have it all. The poor one is greedy. Greedy! Greed is the biggest stupidity. But I was filled with greed.”
janeschmidtreads's review against another edition
4.0
Brilliantly written, but pretty bleak. This will make your inner cynic spit with manic glee. The drudge of being human and the mundane of everyday life is masterfully described. Not too big in terms of plot, which I tend to struggle with in a book, but on the whole, definitely a worth while read.
jannie_mtl's review against another edition
5.0
Hage's writing never fails to seduce. His protagonist is not particularly appealing in the usual way, but I began to care for him even as he stumbles through life, seemingly unable to have normal relationships with those around him. Much of the novel takes place in a Montreal winter and our immigrant cockroach avoids the sun, stumbles along the frigid streets, bumming cigarettes and food, and stealing. He is (I believe) unnamed in the novel.
So why did I care?
Because there is some damaged core to this character. A childhood of violence and hunger in his homeland. A suicide attempt for which he is receiving free psychiatric out-patient care. Cockroach expresses his love for those around him in sometimes (very) inappropriate ways, yet we understand him, and want the best for him.
This is not a pretty story. But it is reality for those who live on the margins. Hage has captured these lives in previous novels and hits it out of the park with this one.
So why did I care?
Because there is some damaged core to this character. A childhood of violence and hunger in his homeland. A suicide attempt for which he is receiving free psychiatric out-patient care. Cockroach expresses his love for those around him in sometimes (very) inappropriate ways, yet we understand him, and want the best for him.
This is not a pretty story. But it is reality for those who live on the margins. Hage has captured these lives in previous novels and hits it out of the park with this one.
chelseycatterall's review against another edition
3.0
Very good. Very dark and quite creepy at some points, but extremely interesting and a great literary read. Saw Hage in an interview at school and am glad that he didn't speak before I read the book because he interprets his characters completely different than the way I did. Hage uses strong metaphors to tell his story. Intriguing read!
vlide's review against another edition
4.0
Грозничаво реалистичен опис на подземјето животот и имигрантите на маргините на едно туѓо општество. Хаж умее да ја приближи таа отуѓеност, притоа давајќи акцент на неславното минато на протагонистот, покажувајќи дека истиот е само едно ништожно човече, роб на своите пориви. За оние кои се љубители на романите на Ками, топла препорака.
wentingthings's review against another edition
bookclub meets sporadically when P proposes a common book and we come together in the park (this time P's new kitchen) to discuss the book but also this moment in our lives over collective supply of snack food. this time: carrot ginger soup, stuffed olives, loaf of crusted bread, 3 sweets, tea. there was also a neighbour cat. one of us didn't finish the book and i can see why. the narrator releases a steady supply of beautifully strung sentences in desperate circumstances. long long winter in montreal, continuous search for stolen food, kitchenful of cockroaches, breaking/ enterring other characters' homes in cockroach form, sleeping in a bed of wet laundry warmed to morning by body heat, and a sticking point, sexual objectification of women including a minor. it's a bookful of unresolved trauma, sometimes unnamed trauma. there's probably more to say than we could say
mobilisinmobili's review against another edition
3.0
I enjoyed the nods to Camus's L'Etranger & Kafka's Metamorphosis, the outsider's perspective on Montreal, the critiques of Canadian colonialism. I'm really tired of seeing women written this way though, and I found few interesting or redeeming qualities about the main character.
jamielyne's review against another edition
1.0
Ce livre faisait partie des livres que je devais lire dans le cadre de mon dernier cours de français aux études collégiales. À vrai dire, j'ai eu beaucoup de difficulté à suivre la cadence de l'histoire. Je ne sais pas si c'est parce que je suis plus habitué à lire des livres en anglais, mais lire ce livre à été très difficile pour ma part. Je n'ai pas accroché au personnage, il a fallu que je fasse plus de recherche à propos du livre pour comprendre que l'auteur voulait dessiner un portrait d'un immigrant à Montréal (encore je ne suis pas sur si c'était le but premier de l'auteur). Il faut ajouter que j'avais de la misère à suivre avec tous ses personnages et je crois que la ligne du temps que j'ai dresser pour le "cafard" est mal faite. J'ai eu de la misère à comprendre la comparaison aux cafards aussi. Bref, ce livre n'est pas un livre que j'ai aimé lire, car j'étais plus confuse qu'autre chose.