Reviews with content warning for Death of parent - Styr din plog över de dödas ben

i have never read anything quite like this book. it is a story that will question your perception of madness, animals, astrology and religion—and you will probably finish it with a very different view of the world.

the plot follows the story of the sickly, elderly woman janina duszejko and her life in a lonely polish village on the border of the czech republic. the book drags you along on her investigation into the strange, unsettling murders of several members of the town’s hunting society, filling you with intrigue, awe—and perhaps horror, depending on your attitude towards animals. do you treat them like they have souls, or not? are you willing to face their wrath?

drive your plow over the bones of the dead is everything i could ever ask for in a book. the weather is strange, the animals are vengeful, the stars are sentient. it is a beautifully dark exploration into feminism, animal rights and murder, and although at first it may just seem like the story of a lonely old women, the prose grips you by the throat and really doesn’t let you go. you will come away from the book wondering if your horoscope could show you how you will die, and if you should really continue eating meat.

drive your plow over the bones of the dead is a deliciously dark read. so go on—take the plunge. 🤭

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horizonous's review against another edition

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mysterious medium-paced

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

3.0

Great sense of place, interesting main character, but I just didn't care about the horoscope passages or William Blake's poetry and to me it was also very obvious where the story is going. However, this won't be my last book by Olga Tokarczuk.

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uranaishi's review against another edition

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adventurous funny hopeful mysterious reflective tense slow-paced

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

4.25

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catunbound's review against another edition

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medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character

3.5

Fuck yeah animal rights. Fuck yeah crazy, old women. Loved the tone of the book. Gave me a feeling I haven’t had before, but probably will never be able to let go of again. Lots of snow! Someone just as passionate as me! Here’s to “crazy” women, may we know them, may we be them, may we raise them.
On a more serious note, this book brings out the systemic flaws in the way we treat women, not only those who may have a standing in society, but especially those who are constantly marginalised. In a literal way, Janina lives on the fringes of society and is very well deemed to the local crazy old hag. She has acclimatised herself to her surroundings, fully living the woodland life. She studies cosmography (how she likes to say astrology), has prophetic and supernatural dreams, and is a protector of animals. I like her, sometimes. But the point is not to have me like her, its to realise that even though we may not understand her, she deserves to have her voice heard loud and clear. This book is a brilliant nod to the olden “knowledgeable” women who were persecuted, marginalised, and burnt at the stake as witches. It deals with authoritarian callousness, animal rights, oddball neighbours (the anthropological need to have a little community of people), and unheard, ignored women’s voices. I am probably too dumb to understand this book on a deeper level but i love it for what i have understood.

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