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frumpburger's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 stars
This novel tells the tale of Teodor Szacki, an angry, tired, embittered polish prosecutor. Disenchanted by the provincial town in which he lives, frustrated by the women in his life, and run down by his job, suddenly he finds his world turned upside down when a skeleton is found in an old bunker. Initially assuming the skeleton to be a WWII remnant, everything changes when it's discovered that the remains are actually new. What follows is a journey into the dark world of domestic violence and violence against women, one with many twists and turns, and one with a resolution that is at once shocking and also somewhat underwhelming. It's even partially unbelievable, or perhaps too convenient, although the pieces all fit together rather seamlessly. Author Miloszewski, while perhaps not explaining the motivation of his characters as thoroughly as he could have, has created a world in which the characters, while occasionally not as fleshed out as they might have been, are all operating from their own unique set of motivations--and these motivations remain largely consistent throughout the course of the novel.
There were some questions that remained unresolved Rage that I would have preferred to see brought to completion. That's part of the reason for the less-than-stellar rating. The main reason, however, as I mentioned in a status update, is that the translation didn't thrill me. It seemed stiff in some parts, artless in others. It never devolved into bad prose, but definitely didn't live up to the expectations I had upon learning that the author is so well-respected. That said, I don't speak Polish and, as such, I have no point of comparison; this translation is all I will ever know of Rage. If I am placing the blame on the translator for authorly shortcomings, I apologize.
The constant references to Hollywood movies, however, which were heavy-handed and unnecessary, cannot be blamed on the translator.
Overall, I'm glad I read this novel. It kept my attention and I plowed through it. But thank you, NetGalley, for allowing me to read it, as I cannot imagine paying cover price for this novel. It just isn't quite strong enough.
This novel tells the tale of Teodor Szacki, an angry, tired, embittered polish prosecutor. Disenchanted by the provincial town in which he lives, frustrated by the women in his life, and run down by his job, suddenly he finds his world turned upside down when a skeleton is found in an old bunker. Initially assuming the skeleton to be a WWII remnant, everything changes when it's discovered that the remains are actually new. What follows is a journey into the dark world of domestic violence and violence against women, one with many twists and turns, and one with a resolution that is at once shocking and also somewhat underwhelming. It's even partially unbelievable, or perhaps too convenient, although the pieces all fit together rather seamlessly. Author Miloszewski, while perhaps not explaining the motivation of his characters as thoroughly as he could have, has created a world in which the characters, while occasionally not as fleshed out as they might have been, are all operating from their own unique set of motivations--and these motivations remain largely consistent throughout the course of the novel.
There were some questions that remained unresolved Rage that I would have preferred to see brought to completion. That's part of the reason for the less-than-stellar rating. The main reason, however, as I mentioned in a status update, is that the translation didn't thrill me. It seemed stiff in some parts, artless in others. It never devolved into bad prose, but definitely didn't live up to the expectations I had upon learning that the author is so well-respected. That said, I don't speak Polish and, as such, I have no point of comparison; this translation is all I will ever know of Rage. If I am placing the blame on the translator for authorly shortcomings, I apologize.
The constant references to Hollywood movies, however, which were heavy-handed and unnecessary, cannot be blamed on the translator.
Overall, I'm glad I read this novel. It kept my attention and I plowed through it. But thank you, NetGalley, for allowing me to read it, as I cannot imagine paying cover price for this novel. It just isn't quite strong enough.
tessisreading2's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
4.25
On the one hand, this was fun and occasionally darkly funny. On the other hand, the ending was so depressing that I won't be able to re-read it.
emily_mily's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
siriuschico's review against another edition
5.0
Lepší zakončení série jsme asi nemohli ani přát. Prokurátor se přesunul do ospalého Olštýna, aby se vyhnul následků svých předchozích úletů (a aby utekl před bývalou ženou). Vypadá to že bude pokračovat v nezajímavé činnosti prokurátora a bude řešit jenom nějaké podřadné případy domácího násilí, když narazí na nejsložitější případ své kariéry.
Předchozí díly se mi hodně líbily, měli zajímavý příběh, atmosféru polského maloměsta a hlavní postava prokurátora všechno nádherně okořenila. Myslel jsem si že to nemůže už být lepší, ale Miloszevski mě zase ohromil. Hloubka v jaké se v této knize řeší domácí násilí až ochromuje a myslím že po přečtení této knihy se budeme už na hlasité hádky sousedů dívat úplně jinak.
Předchozí díly se mi hodně líbily, měli zajímavý příběh, atmosféru polského maloměsta a hlavní postava prokurátora všechno nádherně okořenila. Myslel jsem si že to nemůže už být lepší, ale Miloszevski mě zase ohromil. Hloubka v jaké se v této knize řeší domácí násilí až ochromuje a myslím že po přečtení této knihy se budeme už na hlasité hádky sousedů dívat úplně jinak.
mattlava's review against another edition
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
jorgjuar's review against another edition
4.0
La ira es la tercera parte de una trilogía (que no he leído aún) donde el personaje principal es el fiscal Teodor Szacki. Esta es la primera novela que leo de Zygmunt Miłoszewski; de hecho, es la primera novela que leo de un autor polaco, y fue esa precisamente la razón por la que el libro llamó mi atención.
De forma bastante amena y con vastos tintes de humor negro, Miłoszewski narra una trama que inicia con el descubrimiento de una osamenta en el centro de Olsztyn, creyendo en un principio que es un vestigio más de la Segunda Guerra Mundial, pero que eventualmente se descubre que es parte de un tortuoso asesinato. La novela tiene varios giros inesperados al igual que una trama bien armada, pero, en mi opinión, uno de los grandes puntos a favor de esta novela es la descripción de la Polonia contemporánea desde diferentes aristas, tanto en la vida cotidiana como en los aspectos legales y burocráticos, así como opiniones entre líneas sobre distintos temas por parte del autor.
Como mencioné anteriormente, este libro es la última parte de una trilogía, y puede leerse como un tomo individual, ya que la historia no está atada a los otros libros, sin embargo, creo que es recomendable leer los libros anteriores para obtener un mejor contexto de los personajes. Z. Miłoszewski en ocasiones hace pequeñas referencias a eventos pasados, lo cual es comprensible para los lectores de toda la saga, pero insuficiente para quien sólo está leyendo este libro.
En resumen, La ira es una muy buena novela negra, pero si se quiere tener un mejor contexto de los personajes, lo mejor es leer la saga completa.
De forma bastante amena y con vastos tintes de humor negro, Miłoszewski narra una trama que inicia con el descubrimiento de una osamenta en el centro de Olsztyn, creyendo en un principio que es un vestigio más de la Segunda Guerra Mundial, pero que eventualmente se descubre que es parte de un tortuoso asesinato. La novela tiene varios giros inesperados al igual que una trama bien armada, pero, en mi opinión, uno de los grandes puntos a favor de esta novela es la descripción de la Polonia contemporánea desde diferentes aristas, tanto en la vida cotidiana como en los aspectos legales y burocráticos, así como opiniones entre líneas sobre distintos temas por parte del autor.
Como mencioné anteriormente, este libro es la última parte de una trilogía, y puede leerse como un tomo individual, ya que la historia no está atada a los otros libros, sin embargo, creo que es recomendable leer los libros anteriores para obtener un mejor contexto de los personajes. Z. Miłoszewski en ocasiones hace pequeñas referencias a eventos pasados, lo cual es comprensible para los lectores de toda la saga, pero insuficiente para quien sólo está leyendo este libro.
En resumen, La ira es una muy buena novela negra, pero si se quiere tener un mejor contexto de los personajes, lo mejor es leer la saga completa.
rmichno's review against another edition
3.0
Disclaimer: My copy was received from NetGalley, but it in no way influenced this review.
What I liked:
- The overall atmosphere of the novel. Interesting location that felt foreign to me but also familiar.
- Main character was mostly sympathetic and somebody you could root for. But also flawed and stubborn.
What I didn't like:
- Too many scenes where characters talked too long about either their motivations or some philosophical subject. I found these boring and unrealistic. Tighter plotting would have moved the action forward more.
- The ending. Not sure I totally understood what happened. Maybe it was a problem of translation or me reading it before bedtime. Either way, it was confusing and clunky.
What I liked:
- The overall atmosphere of the novel. Interesting location that felt foreign to me but also familiar.
- Main character was mostly sympathetic and somebody you could root for. But also flawed and stubborn.
What I didn't like:
- Too many scenes where characters talked too long about either their motivations or some philosophical subject. I found these boring and unrealistic. Tighter plotting would have moved the action forward more.
- The ending. Not sure I totally understood what happened. Maybe it was a problem of translation or me reading it before bedtime. Either way, it was confusing and clunky.
wonderlander's review
4.0
4.25
Podobało mi się do samego końca, chociaż końcówki spodziewałam się innej. Mimo wszystko, bardzo dobrze napisana.
Podobało mi się do samego końca, chociaż końcówki spodziewałam się innej. Mimo wszystko, bardzo dobrze napisana.
kejej's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No