luluhim's review
challenging
emotional
informative
reflective
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
4.0
debsd's review
3.0
I started this more than once, finding the early pages confusing and difficult to follow, not being pulled in by it at all - but the many glowing reviews convinced me to keep trying. Was it worth it? Well, yes - the writing is technically good and the main character is complex. Is it something I'd be recommending to others? Well, no. It never did really grab me, I'm afraid. Perhaps the somewhat broken narrative is supposed to illustrate the broken character of Alfred Day, but it also meant that I never really connected with him and never found myself really wanting anything for him. Perhaps it's just that some of the stylistic choices - the train-of-thought, the second-person narrator, the structure of the story (and of the actual book) - are things that are not for me. 2-and-a-bit stars, rounded up.
berlinbibliophile's review
2.0
I read this book for a uni course on contemporary Scottish literature, and that is the only reason I finished it.
The first fifty pages or so were incredibly hard work to slog through, and with the past flowing into the present, random italicization of some thoughts, and shifts back and forth to the second perspective, the author doesn't really seem to want the reader to have a good time reading her book.
Once you get used to the style of the narration, however, (and once the italicized intrusive thoughts vanish), the going gets easier, and I even felt that the book was really engaging. Kennedy is a lot better at group dynamics and interactions with other characters than at solitary stream-of-consciousness. The characters are slowly developed into rounded personalities, the reader learns more about past events, and overall it is a good read.
On the other hand, the premise and the plot fall apart at the slightest thought. The war movie setting develops more holes the longer the characters spend there, and Vasyl is a strangely constructed antagonist with a story cut short abruptly. Instead of having a proper plot, this novel just seems to have characters whom things happen to.
In the end, I was frustrated by the book and my expectations remained unfulfilled.
The first fifty pages or so were incredibly hard work to slog through, and with the past flowing into the present, random italicization of some thoughts, and shifts back and forth to the second perspective, the author doesn't really seem to want the reader to have a good time reading her book.
Once you get used to the style of the narration, however, (and once the italicized intrusive thoughts vanish), the going gets easier, and I even felt that the book was really engaging. Kennedy is a lot better at group dynamics and interactions with other characters than at solitary stream-of-consciousness. The characters are slowly developed into rounded personalities, the reader learns more about past events, and overall it is a good read.
On the other hand, the premise and the plot fall apart at the slightest thought. The war movie setting develops more holes the longer the characters spend there, and Vasyl is a strangely constructed antagonist with a story cut short abruptly. Instead of having a proper plot, this novel just seems to have characters whom things happen to.
In the end, I was frustrated by the book and my expectations remained unfulfilled.
evakristin's review
5.0
Oh wow. This was a painful read. Kennedy makes the Second World War come vividly alive through tail-gunner Alfred Day. Her language and the way she tells his story is exceptionally original and beautiful. It’s been a long while since i enjoyed a challenging read as much as this.
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