Reviews with content warning for Death - Η Ελένα ξέρει

Reviews tagging 'Death'

Η Ελένα ξέρει by Claudia Piñeiro

45 reviews

geraldinerowe's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

A heart-wrenching and at times harrowing story with the most extraordinary descriptions of living with advanced Parkinsons's disease. The author, Claudia Piñeiro, is known as an activist and this book covers many issues close to her heart. One that struck me was how lucky I am to live in a country with universal health care which, while far from perfect, doesn't require wrangling with insurance companies over every pill and which has care provision for this who need it. There are other, largely feminist, issues in here too. And examples of how many of us show love in our own way. This is a book which will stay with me for a long time.

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grunbean's review against another edition

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challenging reflective sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

A book that makes you reflect. I haven’t seen grief and acceptance explored like this before. I was on the verge of tears throughout.

I think a sharper reader would’ve seen the ending coming. That doesn’t change how much it winds you though. A moving novel with a lot to reflect on.

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mmccombs's review against another edition

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emotional reflective sad fast-paced

5.0

I thought I knew where this story would go and it completely took me by surprise. This was one of the finest uses of the “unreliable” narrator I’ve seen, I was right along with Elena for the entire book, wholeheartedly believing her perspective until the final scenes that make you realize that her “knowing” is not all that it seems. This was a book about bodies and who gets to control them, whether it be by others or even an illness. It explores disability while using Elena’s experience with Parkinson’s as a device to further limit the scope of what the audience is able to perceive, resulting in a restrictive feel to the narrative. This book used flashbacks very well, and the organization of the plot into Elena’s pill schedule was effective. For such a short book, this sure does pack a punch, I would highly recommend for great translation work and a wonderfully nuanced story about motherhood, disability, and what we are truly able to “know” about ourselves and others.

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viictoriaa's review against another edition

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dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

este es un libro perfecto, cada palabra tiene su significado y su propósito. claudia piñeiro es una genia y ojalá pudiera abundar más pero es que las palabras no me dan

increíble y si sigo analizando, se pone cada vez mejor. espero verla ganar un nobel de literatura fr fr, todos sus libros se volverán clásicos

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