monarchin's review against another edition
5.0
Delphine de Vigan ist eine begnadete Autorin, das hat sie schon regelmäßig in der Vergangenheit bewiesen. In "Dankbarkeiten" zeigt sie erneut, dass es sich absolut lohnt, sie zu lesen!
"Sie heißt Michka. Eine alte Dame mit dem Habitus eines jungen Mädchens. Oder ein junges Mädchen, das versehentlich, durch ein böses Schicksal, alt geworden ist." (S. 13 - 14)
In ihrem Buch, das gerade einmal 176 Seiten umfasst und doch viel schwerer wiegt, geht es um eben jene Michka, die durch beginnenden Alzheimer gezwungen ist, ihren Lebensabend in einem Wohnheim zu verbringen und die Kontrolle über ihr Leben in die Hände Fremder zu legen.
Zwei, sowohl für die Geschichte, als auch für Michkas Leben wesentliche Charaktere sind ihre Ziehtochter, die sie regelmäßig besuchen kommt und der Logopäde, der sich sehr intensiv mit seiner Klientin auseinandersetzt.
In "Dankbarkeiten" geht es unter anderem um die Sprachlosigkeit, mit der wir früher oder später alle konfrontiert werden, ungesagte Wörter, ausgebliebene Worte, die den Adressat nie erreicht haben und unseren Körper vergiften. Aber die Autorin umreißt diese Thematik nicht plakativ, sie wirft nicht mit Lebensweisheiten um sich, sondern verpackt ihre Botschaft, von der ich denke, dass sie ihr sehr stark am Herzen liegt, in eine wunderbar charmante Geschichte. Sie nimmt ihre Figuren ernst, serviert uns aber auch die benötigte Prise Humor, um dem Ganzen die Schwere zu nehmen.
Vorallem die Dynamik zwischen Michka und dem Logopäden war eine ganz besondere, die die Geschichte auch in ganz besonderer Art und Weise vorantrieb.
Ich kann jedem, der sich mal in das noch überschaubare Werk der Autorin einlesen möchte, "Dankbarkeiten" sehr ans Herz legen. Kaum vorstellbar, dass man danach nicht das Bedürfnis verspürt, mehr von ihr zu lesen.
"Sie heißt Michka. Eine alte Dame mit dem Habitus eines jungen Mädchens. Oder ein junges Mädchen, das versehentlich, durch ein böses Schicksal, alt geworden ist." (S. 13 - 14)
In ihrem Buch, das gerade einmal 176 Seiten umfasst und doch viel schwerer wiegt, geht es um eben jene Michka, die durch beginnenden Alzheimer gezwungen ist, ihren Lebensabend in einem Wohnheim zu verbringen und die Kontrolle über ihr Leben in die Hände Fremder zu legen.
Zwei, sowohl für die Geschichte, als auch für Michkas Leben wesentliche Charaktere sind ihre Ziehtochter, die sie regelmäßig besuchen kommt und der Logopäde, der sich sehr intensiv mit seiner Klientin auseinandersetzt.
In "Dankbarkeiten" geht es unter anderem um die Sprachlosigkeit, mit der wir früher oder später alle konfrontiert werden, ungesagte Wörter, ausgebliebene Worte, die den Adressat nie erreicht haben und unseren Körper vergiften. Aber die Autorin umreißt diese Thematik nicht plakativ, sie wirft nicht mit Lebensweisheiten um sich, sondern verpackt ihre Botschaft, von der ich denke, dass sie ihr sehr stark am Herzen liegt, in eine wunderbar charmante Geschichte. Sie nimmt ihre Figuren ernst, serviert uns aber auch die benötigte Prise Humor, um dem Ganzen die Schwere zu nehmen.
Vorallem die Dynamik zwischen Michka und dem Logopäden war eine ganz besondere, die die Geschichte auch in ganz besonderer Art und Weise vorantrieb.
Ich kann jedem, der sich mal in das noch überschaubare Werk der Autorin einlesen möchte, "Dankbarkeiten" sehr ans Herz legen. Kaum vorstellbar, dass man danach nicht das Bedürfnis verspürt, mehr von ihr zu lesen.
dianaholguin's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
czytatnik's review against another edition
3.0
3 stars
Writing about the end is always difficult. And I'm not very much convinced that this book added any real value to this topic. I have a feeling that there was too much put in too little space. Author wanted to tell us about Mishka and her struggles, about war's nightmares, about how life changes when someone inserts themselves into it unexpectedly. Many difficult topic of which, in my opinion, only a very surface was mentioned.
The book starts with rather dramatic scene: Mishka is home alone and unable to move. As much a start for us, it is also an end for her. From this point on she's going to live in an nursing home. But there are things that bother her far more than that: at the dawn of her life she's loosing more and more of her words everyday. Even an intensive speech therapy seems to be to no avail. And Mishka has an unpaid debt haunting her since she was a little girl. Some brave couple hidden her for the time of war in their own home. She never had a chance to see them after that, nor to thank them properly for all they did to make sure she survived that uneasy time. But is she really still indebted? Didn't she repaid that when she's gotten herself a little girl who needed a safe space and lots of love when her own mother wasn't able to provided that? As much as I can see why this is constantly on Mishka's mind, I didn't really get why she wasn't able? didn't want to? find the couple herself when she became adult. Other than writing to a various nationwide newspapers she did nothing to search for them. If that was so important to her why did she not do more? I still don't know.
Even though this book didn't really move anything in me I have to admit that there were two things I really admire in it: the fact that it was focused on Mishka but told through two other characters rather than herself and the translation. Starting with the first, everything that happens in this book is told either by Marie or Jérôme. And still there's no escape from the fact that it is all about Mishka. To be honest, I very much like that approach. Instead of having a all-knowing narration which would reveal too much too quickly, we, as readers, are observing Mishka through others eyes. They're our judges, influencing somewhat our own opinion of her. It's much helping with getting attached to the central character of this book.
Now, about the translation. I have to say that even as person that doesn't speak french, I was able to see how much work the translator put into this book. All those scenes when Mishka is trying to speak but her escaping words are rendering it almost impossible to understand her are just brilliant. It was pure pleasure to see this high level of translation. Impressive!
As a word of summary I just wanted to say that maybe it just wasn't book for me. Or maybe I read it at wrong stage of my life. I don't know. Therefore, I don't want to say it was a bad book or discourage anybody for reading it. It just didn't have as much of an impact on me as I anticipated from ratings and opinions.
Writing about the end is always difficult. And I'm not very much convinced that this book added any real value to this topic. I have a feeling that there was too much put in too little space. Author wanted to tell us about Mishka and her struggles, about war's nightmares, about how life changes when someone inserts themselves into it unexpectedly. Many difficult topic of which, in my opinion, only a very surface was mentioned.
The book starts with rather dramatic scene: Mishka is home alone and unable to move. As much a start for us, it is also an end for her. From this point on she's going to live in an nursing home. But there are things that bother her far more than that: at the dawn of her life she's loosing more and more of her words everyday. Even an intensive speech therapy seems to be to no avail. And Mishka has an unpaid debt haunting her since she was a little girl. Some brave couple hidden her for the time of war in their own home. She never had a chance to see them after that, nor to thank them properly for all they did to make sure she survived that uneasy time. But is she really still indebted? Didn't she repaid that when she's gotten herself a little girl who needed a safe space and lots of love when her own mother wasn't able to provided that? As much as I can see why this is constantly on Mishka's mind, I didn't really get why she wasn't able? didn't want to? find the couple herself when she became adult. Other than writing to a various nationwide newspapers she did nothing to search for them. If that was so important to her why did she not do more? I still don't know.
Even though this book didn't really move anything in me I have to admit that there were two things I really admire in it: the fact that it was focused on Mishka but told through two other characters rather than herself and the translation. Starting with the first, everything that happens in this book is told either by Marie or Jérôme. And still there's no escape from the fact that it is all about Mishka. To be honest, I very much like that approach. Instead of having a all-knowing narration which would reveal too much too quickly, we, as readers, are observing Mishka through others eyes. They're our judges, influencing somewhat our own opinion of her. It's much helping with getting attached to the central character of this book.
Now, about the translation. I have to say that even as person that doesn't speak french, I was able to see how much work the translator put into this book. All those scenes when Mishka is trying to speak but her escaping words are rendering it almost impossible to understand her are just brilliant. It was pure pleasure to see this high level of translation. Impressive!
As a word of summary I just wanted to say that maybe it just wasn't book for me. Or maybe I read it at wrong stage of my life. I don't know. Therefore, I don't want to say it was a bad book or discourage anybody for reading it. It just didn't have as much of an impact on me as I anticipated from ratings and opinions.
mehditroism's review against another edition
4.0
"Gratifiant", dans une certaine mesure. Léger, oui, mais le style s'accorde avec le sujet : la mémoire, toujours fragile, précaire et périssable est une fuite en avant, une cause "perdue" d'avance.
anetq's review against another edition
4.0
En smuk bog om det vigtige i livet, de ting man takker for og alle dem man ikke får takket for. Om alderdom, demens, barndom og menneskelighed.
Og her er de Vigan ellers én af de forfattere jeg aldrig har fået startet på, fordi jeg har mistænkt at jeg ikke ville bryde mig om stilen, men det var så fin en fortælling og smukt konstrueret.
Og Ellen Hillingsø læser den smukt, og jeg er taknemmelig for den stukroset der viste sig at være smuk under kalk og plastikmaling, som jeg afdækkede mens jeg hørte den!
Og her er de Vigan ellers én af de forfattere jeg aldrig har fået startet på, fordi jeg har mistænkt at jeg ikke ville bryde mig om stilen, men det var så fin en fortælling og smukt konstrueret.
Og Ellen Hillingsø læser den smukt, og jeg er taknemmelig for den stukroset der viste sig at være smuk under kalk og plastikmaling, som jeg afdækkede mens jeg hørte den!
occasional_owl's review against another edition
emotional
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
katty2088's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
I loved it.
jazsever's review against another edition
4.0
Una historia sobre la vejez, la muerte, la pérdida de las palabras. Muy linda, enternecedora. A pesar de ser una lectura triste, siento que me hizo sentir bien leerla.
sofiamm's review against another edition
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0