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seventhswan's review against another edition
reflective
relaxing
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
This book is more a collection of unconnected scenes featuring the same characters, rather than a cohesive narrative. Jansson's worldbuilding and descriptive writing is beautiful, and it was interesting to read about main characters in their seventies - probably the first time I've done this outside of the trope of a dying person recounting their life. I also found some of the side characters amusing and endearing, although others didn't really stick in my mind as whole people.
I would have liked this book better if there had been just the tiniest thread of a continuing story in it. The final chapter was poignant, but it didn't have the same emotional weight that it might have done if there had been more development beforehand. As it was, I thought Jonna and Mari were both perfectly lovely characters, but they were fairly similar and didn't change or grow much through the book, nor reveal much of their backstories. I also tired of their bickering and found it wearing.
I would perhaps recommend this book as a way to study building convincing scenes in very few words - the "episode" with the pistol stands out as particularly well-done - but this isn't a story in the conventional sense of the word.
I would have liked this book better if there had been just the tiniest thread of a continuing story in it. The final chapter was poignant, but it didn't have the same emotional weight that it might have done if there had been more development beforehand. As it was, I thought Jonna and Mari were both perfectly lovely characters, but they were fairly similar and didn't change or grow much through the book, nor reveal much of their backstories. I also tired of their bickering and found it wearing.
I would perhaps recommend this book as a way to study building convincing scenes in very few words - the "episode" with the pistol stands out as particularly well-done - but this isn't a story in the conventional sense of the word.
Content Warnings
Minor: Alcohol
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