quinnkempert's review against another edition
informative
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Xenophobia, War, Racism, Colonisation, Body horror, and Blood
Minor: Child death
serendipitysbooks'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? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
I first heard about The Art of Losing when it was named on the shortlist for the Dublin Literary Award so I’m especially glad it was shortlisted. It’s got so many elements that appeal to me as a reader I would have hated to have missed it. It’s a multi-generational family story and focusses on themes like colonisation, immigration, racism, knowing and understanding your roots, and of course family. I always appreciate a little novelty in my reading, when a book exposes me to things I didn’t previously know. In this novel that came because these issues were explored in the context of the Algerian-French relationship. It was interesting to note the commonalities as well as the differences when compared to similar stories from America or the United Kingdom. The treatment of harkis (Algerian Muslims who remained loyal to France during Algeria’s fight for independence) particularly caught my attention. The writing and translation were both strong - nothing felt flat or struck me as clunky as I read. The personal family story and the wider political background were well balanced. As a reader I felt I was given enough information to understand the political situation but never felt overburdened by large info dumps. All up an interesting, well-told story - just what I want in my reading life.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence and Racism
Moderate: Death
mephistofelix's review against another edition
informative
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
vraiment un très bon livre, j’ai appris plein de choses sur la guerre d’indépendance de l’Algérie et les conséquences sur les gens que ça a touchés.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Blood, Colonisation, Gun violence, Death, Racism, Alcohol, War, Injury/injury detail, Racial slurs, and Torture
Minor: Misogyny, Child death, Sexism, Grief, Police brutality, Pregnancy, Death of parent, Infertility, Islamophobia, Animal death, and Terminal illness
ça raconte des choses dures donc des fois c’est violent mais ça n’en fait pas trop, j’ai trouvé en tout casthe_literarylinguist's review
challenging
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Sexual content, Racial slurs, Racism, Islamophobia, Gun violence, and Death
Moderate: Child death, Cursing, Confinement, and Infidelity
Minor: Kidnapping, Panic attacks/disorders, and Mass/school shootings
More...