literarilysmitten's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
dmanning426's review against another edition
3.0
Glad I know German, otherwise I’m not sure I could’ve finished this book. I liked this book, but I have many more questions. I wished there were about 50 more pages? I thought the author did a great of if describing the setting and mood of reunified Germany in the 90s, and I could picture Tante Eva perfectly. I really liked the setting — I don’t think I’ve ever read a book set in Berlin during this time period— and I am looking for more stories similar to this one.
kkecreads's review against another edition
3.0
Published: May 18, 2021
Soho Press
I received a copy of this book for free, and I leave my review voluntarily.
Paula Bomer is the author of a novel, Nine Months, the story collections Baby and Inside Madeleine, and the essay collection Mystery and Mortality. She lives in Brooklyn.
“Pain is memorable, and the daily goodness of life is not.”
Eva has lived through more devastation than the average person. And while it has made her strong, it has also made her vulnerable. Her family situation is precarious, and she has been having a long-term affair with a married man. Her addiction to all the dangerous things in life is something that weighs on her. But her addictions are also what keeps her going.
This was a heavy book to read. The plot had some darkness that cannot be explained without having read the book. The characters, mainly Eva, have so much humanity in them. There is such a raw vulnerability to this story and the way it unfolds.
Not my typical style; there were not any dramatic twists or shocking turns. But a steady, downward spiral as the reality of life is played out.
Many of the scenes in this book were difficult to read. As much as I wanted to like the characters, there are not many redeeming qualities displayed. There is authentic humanity written across these pages, however.
The things we do for love. Be it romantic, familial, or otherwise, they are so clearly and brutally written throughout this book. Addiction is a significant theme in this book—addiction to drugs, alcohol, acceptance, denial, and ultimately desire.
There is a very emotional overtone to this story, and it is so eloquently written—the streets of brought to life in the most dramatic of ways. My biggest complaint is the majority of the dialogue is in German, with no translation. So it made the following conversation difficult. But the way the dialogue is written and responded to made the words make sense.
Deep, disturbing, and emotionally riveting, Tante Eva will capture and break your heart every chapter.
Soho Press
I received a copy of this book for free, and I leave my review voluntarily.
Paula Bomer is the author of a novel, Nine Months, the story collections Baby and Inside Madeleine, and the essay collection Mystery and Mortality. She lives in Brooklyn.
“Pain is memorable, and the daily goodness of life is not.”
Eva has lived through more devastation than the average person. And while it has made her strong, it has also made her vulnerable. Her family situation is precarious, and she has been having a long-term affair with a married man. Her addiction to all the dangerous things in life is something that weighs on her. But her addictions are also what keeps her going.
This was a heavy book to read. The plot had some darkness that cannot be explained without having read the book. The characters, mainly Eva, have so much humanity in them. There is such a raw vulnerability to this story and the way it unfolds.
Not my typical style; there were not any dramatic twists or shocking turns. But a steady, downward spiral as the reality of life is played out.
Many of the scenes in this book were difficult to read. As much as I wanted to like the characters, there are not many redeeming qualities displayed. There is authentic humanity written across these pages, however.
The things we do for love. Be it romantic, familial, or otherwise, they are so clearly and brutally written throughout this book. Addiction is a significant theme in this book—addiction to drugs, alcohol, acceptance, denial, and ultimately desire.
There is a very emotional overtone to this story, and it is so eloquently written—the streets of brought to life in the most dramatic of ways. My biggest complaint is the majority of the dialogue is in German, with no translation. So it made the following conversation difficult. But the way the dialogue is written and responded to made the words make sense.
Deep, disturbing, and emotionally riveting, Tante Eva will capture and break your heart every chapter.
laurenleyendolibros's review
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
2.0
ARC from NetGalley and Soho Press
I requested this book as I recognised the author as one I had read before, but actually, though I have read a collection of her stories, I think I was confusing her with the author of a different collection.
Tante Eva is about an older woman, the titular Eva, who has lived most of her life in East Berlin and is now adjusting to life in what is now just east Berlin after the fall of the Wall. The main storyline is that her American niece is coming to visit – hence this ‘Tante’ of the title.
I didn’t enjoy this book for two reasons. First, it’s just boring. I suppose there’s a critique of Germany in there but not knowing much about the time I couldn’t decipher most of it. Eva is a rather naïve woman who laments the rise in crime in her area since the fall of the Berlin wall but is reluctant to ‘westernise’. However, as for story, not much happens and it moves along slowly until the end, when it seems things are coming to a head but simply finishes and in my opinion absolutely everything is left at loose ends.
The other reason I didn’t enjoy this book (and perhaps missed some information too) was that the author seems to assume we readers are fluent in German. Now, it’s normal in most books that are set in foreign countries or are translated into English to have a few foreign words to remind the reader of their foreign setting and lend some exoticness – think a ‘danke’ or ‘bitte’ at the end of a phrase. That was not the case here. Whole chunks of dialogue were in German and rarely was a paraphrased explanation given. It was too much, and it was alienating. I found myself skipping the German and not even attempting to decipher it after a while.
So, I’m not sure what the author’s intent was with this book and it wasn’t for me. Perhaps another reader, one who reads German, will enjoy this more.
Thank you NetGalley and Soho Press.
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