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finny's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-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? Yes
4.0
Confuso e ansiogeno.
Ma bello!
Ma bello!
foobrizio's review against another edition
5.0
Un libro molto intenso e scorrevole, si lascia leggere tutto d'un fiato seppur catapultandoti in un'atmosfera di angoscia, tristezza e morte. Oltre ció, l'avanzare del libro, suddiviso in tre parti, ti spiazza e confonde sempre più, portandoti a credere che forse hai letto male finora. Un pó così cosí l'ultima parte
ilman002's review against another edition
5.0
Whoa! Let me catch my breath. This book hit me like an onrushing locomotive. It exceeded all of my expectations and then some. This book consists of three novels but they are definitely meant to be read together. This is a story about twin brothers, Claus and Lucas, who are struggling to survive World War II. They recollect their experiences in a notebook but what is real and what is a figment of their imagination? That's for the reader to decide. I won't mention anything else about the plot because it's best to go into this one completely blind.
Agota Kristof was born in Hungary but she was forced to leave her homeland during the revolution of 1956. She settled in Switzerland where she resided until her death in 2011. She chose to write fiction in her 2nd language, which is French. This entire trilogy was written in French and then translated to English by three different translators. You can feel that the language used in this book wasn't Kristof's first language. The vocabulary is simple but it's simple in a deceptive way. Kristof presents deep, philosophical ideas in an easy and accessible way and this book was a pleasure to read.
If you decide to pick up this book, which I highly recommend you do, get ready to be disturbed and maybe even shocked. There is a lot weird, morally ambiguous shit packed in this trilogy. This is not just a tale about two twin brothers and their survival. Kristof brings up a lot of debauched and depraved topics and themes in this story and it will question your own morality. In other words, this book is not afraid to touch on taboo topics. Overall, I loved loved LOVED this trilogy. Its structure is so unique that my first thought after finishing these novels was "Damn, that's crazy. I should reread this again soon." Indeed, this work of fiction almost demands a second reading because knowing how this story ends will definitely change the reader's approach to reading and understanding this story. Without a doubt this book is going on my special 6-star shelf. This book is a masterpiece.
Agota Kristof was born in Hungary but she was forced to leave her homeland during the revolution of 1956. She settled in Switzerland where she resided until her death in 2011. She chose to write fiction in her 2nd language, which is French. This entire trilogy was written in French and then translated to English by three different translators. You can feel that the language used in this book wasn't Kristof's first language. The vocabulary is simple but it's simple in a deceptive way. Kristof presents deep, philosophical ideas in an easy and accessible way and this book was a pleasure to read.
If you decide to pick up this book, which I highly recommend you do, get ready to be disturbed and maybe even shocked. There is a lot weird, morally ambiguous shit packed in this trilogy. This is not just a tale about two twin brothers and their survival. Kristof brings up a lot of debauched and depraved topics and themes in this story and it will question your own morality. In other words, this book is not afraid to touch on taboo topics. Overall, I loved loved LOVED this trilogy. Its structure is so unique that my first thought after finishing these novels was "Damn, that's crazy. I should reread this again soon." Indeed, this work of fiction almost demands a second reading because knowing how this story ends will definitely change the reader's approach to reading and understanding this story. Without a doubt this book is going on my special 6-star shelf. This book is a masterpiece.
iammmartina_'s review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
mlketto's review against another edition
5.0
Sono boh, confuso? Non so.
Spiazzato? Di sicuro.
Lo consiglierei e lo consiglierò? Assolutamente.
Assurdo, che esperienza strana
Spiazzato? Di sicuro.
Lo consiglierei e lo consiglierò? Assolutamente.
Assurdo, che esperienza strana
tali's review against another edition
dark
emotional
lighthearted
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
vi_chy's review against another edition
4.5
"L'estate è spaventosa. È in estate che la morte è più vicina. Tutto s'inaridisce, soffoca, s'immobilizza."
"Dimenticherà. La vita è fatta così. Tutto si cancella col tempo. I ricordi si attenuano, il dolore diminuisce."
"Gli dico che se è morto, beato lui, e che vorrei essere al suo posto. Gli dico che gli è toccata la parte migliore e che sono io a dover reggere il fardello più pesante. Gli dico che la vita è di un'inutilità totale, è nonsenso, aberrazione, sofferenza infinita, invenzione di un Non-Dio di una malvagità che supera l'immaginazione"
"Dimenticherà. La vita è fatta così. Tutto si cancella col tempo. I ricordi si attenuano, il dolore diminuisce."
"Gli dico che se è morto, beato lui, e che vorrei essere al suo posto. Gli dico che gli è toccata la parte migliore e che sono io a dover reggere il fardello più pesante. Gli dico che la vita è di un'inutilità totale, è nonsenso, aberrazione, sofferenza infinita, invenzione di un Non-Dio di una malvagità che supera l'immaginazione"
ilenia_'s review against another edition
dark
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5