Reviews

Hengityskeinu by Herta Müller

troddk's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective sad slow-paced

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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Antisemitism, Torture, and Violence

Moderate: Mental illness

lucy_qhuay's review against another edition

2.0

I tried to love this book, but even though I think the writing is amazing and that the story started beautifully, I just couldn't bring myself to enjoy it from the 25% mark on

Surprisingly, I found myself rather bored and with no will to keep reading it.

I did found interesting the fact that hunger was called an angel, yet it was this dark, ominous, shadowed figure, a silent companion to the protagonist of this story and everyone else. More like a demon than an angel, really.

However, the book just dragged and dragged. I got tired of always being in the protagonist's head, 'listening' to him rambling and musing about not that interesting things.

Maybe I'll give it another try a few years from now.

pjv1013's review against another edition

5.0

Nobel da Literatura de 2009, romena mas de um minoria linguística que fala alemão no território da Transilvânia, Herta Muller é autora de um potente discurso poético que foi uma das minhas descoberta de 2021. E comecei inusitadamente pelos ensaios do volume “O Rei Faz Vénia e Mata” o que tendo os meus interesses por escrita não ficcional correspondeu a uma forma bem interessante de começar a conhecer uma autora que é, essencialmente, ficcionista. O romance "Tudo o Que Eu Tenho Trago Comigo" continuou a demonstrar a agradável surpresa que foi conhecer a obra de Herta Muller.


“O Rei Faz Vénia e Mata” de Herta Muller, tradução de Helena Topa, Texto Editores, Lisboa, 2011 (19/03/2021 a 20/3/2021)

“Tudo o Que Eu Tenho Trago Comigo” de Herta Muller, tradução de Aires Graça, Publicações Dom Quixote, Lisboa, 2010 (21/03/2021 a 23/3/2021)

rltinha's review against another edition

1.0

Pequei na minha mala, que era a da máquina de fazer caganças às tranças, levei nela a falta de vergonha em usar miséria alheia para onanismo literário travestido de testemunho histórico, nisso me acompanhando o Anjo da Infâmia.
De boca enlameada ruminei factos espiralados em metáforas pelo proxenetismo poético-egomaníaco, com os olhos postos no céu, à espera de ser noite e me ver como estrela maior no firmamento. Entretive-me a observar e seriar os servos do mefistofélico comunismo enquanto (oportunamente) não tive qualquer problema com a Shoah, antes a ela pretendendo equiparar aquilo que - sendo barbárie humana - fica a parsecs desse patamar cimeiro do pior daqueles tempos.

binstonbirchill's review against another edition

3.0

I struggled to connect with this book and the suffering of the character. To me it felt more like lists of ways to describe things than anything else. I didn’t feel like I knew anything about the character and I only really knew about the context from other books, that would be fine if it wasn’t combined with my other issues with the book, as it is it left me rather meh. The cement chapters I did find pretty engaging but for me I’d say give this one a pass and maybe read a history book about Romanians “rebuilding” Russia at the end of and after the war.

camomelia's review against another edition

emotional hopeful sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

Skjellsettende lesning om en overlevende fra en russisk leir i etterkant av andre verdenskrig.

dadoodoflow's review against another edition

dark emotional funny informative lighthearted 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? It's complicated

4.5

Oddly jaunty for such dark themes. Some breathtaking prose. Müller names and outlines impossible to pin universal states of being. Reads more like a series of prose poems but still holds together as a satisfying novel. Superb. 

adampear's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad slow-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? No

4.0

cindy_loves_books's review against another edition

dark emotional informative reflective slow-paced

3.0

callielion's review against another edition

4.0

Beautiful, lovely to read, powerful. A lot of this novel is absolutely poetic. A few times I found myself getting a little tired of the “Hunger Angel” image but it did mimic the feeling of the concentration camp’s repetition and the absolute starvation there.