bookswithriinu's review against another edition
4.0
Aasta on 1941 ja nõod Roland ja Edgar on saabunud Soomest väljaõppelt, et võidelda Eesti okupeerinud Venemaa vastu. Peagi suudavad nii Saksa kui Soome väed venelased taganema panna. Paljude eestlaste jaoks tähendas see Eesti vabadust, kuid peagi olime Saksa võimu all. Roland oli valmis võitlema Eesti iseseisvuse eest, kuid Edgar, kes oli nende poolt, kelle poolt parasjagu oli vaja olla, töötas aastatel 1941-44 Saksa salateenistuses. Kui Venemaa 1944. aastal Eesti taas okupeeris, väitis Edgar, et see päästis ta elu Klooga koonduslaagri massihukkamises. Nüüd on temast saanud kirjanik, kuid tal kriibib hinges teadmatus, mis sai tema kadunud nõost Rolandist. Kuna Roland teab täpselt, mis mehega on tegemist, on Edgaril vaid üks võimalus, et oma nahka päästa - ta peab oma nõo üles leidma.
See raamat sõbranna riiulist osutus mulle väga huvitavaks leiuks. Juba raamatu algusest alates, lugedes meie enda ajaloost, haaras see mind täielikult kaasa. Kuna Saksa ja Vene okupatsiooni teema ning erinevad jõhkrad sündmused tekitasid minus suurt huvi, lugesin ka netist juurde ning tahan kindlasti ära märkida autori täpsuse ja uurimistöö.
Kuigi minu vanavanemad enam ei ela, olen uurinud vanemate käest nende kuuldud lugusid. Nad rääkisid mulle palju selle ajastu kohta, mõned lood olid toredad, nagu Saksa sõduri abi minu vanaemale paistes jalgade ravimisel, kuid oli ka halvemaid lugusid, nagu sõdur, kes tulistas mu vanaisa... õnneks mitte surmavalt. Külastasin raamatut lugedes ka Klooga koonduslaagri alasid, Saksa surnuaeda ja venelaste püstitatud mälestusmärki nende langenud sõduritele Valga linnaäärel. Kuigi Valga on minu kodulinn ja ma olen korduvalt neist kohtadest möödunud, siis seekord läksin nendele aladele hoopis teise pilguga.
Soovitan kõigile, kellele meie ajalugu huvi pakub. Ja kui ajalugu ei huvita, siis usun, et see raamat tekitab seda kindlasti.
See raamat sõbranna riiulist osutus mulle väga huvitavaks leiuks. Juba raamatu algusest alates, lugedes meie enda ajaloost, haaras see mind täielikult kaasa. Kuna Saksa ja Vene okupatsiooni teema ning erinevad jõhkrad sündmused tekitasid minus suurt huvi, lugesin ka netist juurde ning tahan kindlasti ära märkida autori täpsuse ja uurimistöö.
Kuigi minu vanavanemad enam ei ela, olen uurinud vanemate käest nende kuuldud lugusid. Nad rääkisid mulle palju selle ajastu kohta, mõned lood olid toredad, nagu Saksa sõduri abi minu vanaemale paistes jalgade ravimisel, kuid oli ka halvemaid lugusid, nagu sõdur, kes tulistas mu vanaisa... õnneks mitte surmavalt. Külastasin raamatut lugedes ka Klooga koonduslaagri alasid, Saksa surnuaeda ja venelaste püstitatud mälestusmärki nende langenud sõduritele Valga linnaäärel. Kuigi Valga on minu kodulinn ja ma olen korduvalt neist kohtadest möödunud, siis seekord läksin nendele aladele hoopis teise pilguga.
Soovitan kõigile, kellele meie ajalugu huvi pakub. Ja kui ajalugu ei huvita, siis usun, et see raamat tekitab seda kindlasti.
lottalukutoukka's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
thesarppa's review against another edition
2.0
Melko tylsä eikä tässä mitään tapahtunut mutta tulipahan ensimmäinen Sofi Oksaseni luettua.
leenu's review against another edition
challenging
dark
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
annarod's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
guuran62's review against another edition
4.0
https://boklaadan.wordpress.com/2014/12/27/nar-duvorna-forsvann/
andrew61's review against another edition
4.0
An interesting story of Estonia in the second world war and 1960's under Communist Russian rule. The story follows two cousins Roland and Edgar who in 1941 are fighting the Russian invading troops as Estonian freedom fighters. Roland is a tough and virtuous man who is in love with Rosalie ,Edgar is a schemer who is married to Juudit in a loveless relationship. The story then alternates between the 1940's as the Germans invade and rule the country with the consequent horrors , Roland is on the run and Edgar starts to work for the Nazi regime under a new name, and the 1960's when Edgar is following the story of his cousin under the fist and conspiracies of Communist Russia. I enjoyed the portrayal of a country torn apart by repressive regimes and the characters of the two men wove an enjoyable contrast with Edgar being a very well drawn villain. Worth a read if it is a period that interests you although I did not view it as a classic as some of the endorsements on the cover suggest.
vhop's review against another edition
3.0
I actually read the dramatized version of this book, but I don't know how to change editions...
Anyway, I still don't quite understand what the big thing about Sofi Oksanen is. Her writing is nothing special. Quite boring, actually. Maybe it's just her topics that have made her so famous/popular. Important topics to write on, I admit.
Anyway, I still don't quite understand what the big thing about Sofi Oksanen is. Her writing is nothing special. Quite boring, actually. Maybe it's just her topics that have made her so famous/popular. Important topics to write on, I admit.
rachel_reece's review against another edition
4.0
All of the historical context was unstated/implied so I learned a lot about Estonia in WW2. Really well-told story!
katiecatbooks's review against another edition
4.0
Historical fiction. Estonia. Multiple perspectives.
Story: The story begins in 1941 on the battlefield in a forest. Roland is stepping over fallen soldiers in search of his cousin, Edgar. The two men leave their group to go help refugees and check on their fiancee, wife, and family back in the countryside.
Characters: This book has a lot of characters and sometimes they can be hard to keep track of. Roland is the only character written in first person, all the rest are written in third person. He is very patriotic and wants an independent Estonia. Edgar is described as weak and different from all the other guys. He would much rather be reading a spy novel than holding a gun. Juudit is a young woman and all she dreams about is a husband, pretty hair and to go out dancing. She ended up with Edgar, who shattered her dreams after showing no interest in her after they were married. Rosalie is Roland's fiance, and everyone expects the two to have a happy marriage with many children.
Language: In addition to many perspectives, the story jumps around to different times and places. This can be rather confusing and so the book requires some concentration while reading. There are a ton of details and descriptions in this book that, on the one hand are overwhelming, and on the other, make the reader stop and think or look things up to learn more. Some stories like part of Juudit's, are a bit lighter and almost fluffy, while others, like Edgar's, are very dark and twisted. This book will appeal to many, in many different ways.
I read this for a book club. I'd read Purge years before and wasn't a big fan, but I found this book more accessible and interesting. I enjoyed Edgar's thrilling story and learning more about Estonian history. Recommend.
Story: The story begins in 1941 on the battlefield in a forest. Roland is stepping over fallen soldiers in search of his cousin, Edgar. The two men leave their group to go help refugees and check on their fiancee, wife, and family back in the countryside.
Characters: This book has a lot of characters and sometimes they can be hard to keep track of. Roland is the only character written in first person, all the rest are written in third person. He is very patriotic and wants an independent Estonia. Edgar is described as weak and different from all the other guys. He would much rather be reading a spy novel than holding a gun. Juudit is a young woman and all she dreams about is a husband, pretty hair and to go out dancing. She ended up with Edgar, who shattered her dreams after showing no interest in her after they were married. Rosalie is Roland's fiance, and everyone expects the two to have a happy marriage with many children.
Language: In addition to many perspectives, the story jumps around to different times and places. This can be rather confusing and so the book requires some concentration while reading. There are a ton of details and descriptions in this book that, on the one hand are overwhelming, and on the other, make the reader stop and think or look things up to learn more. Some stories like part of Juudit's, are a bit lighter and almost fluffy, while others, like Edgar's, are very dark and twisted. This book will appeal to many, in many different ways.
I read this for a book club. I'd read Purge years before and wasn't a big fan, but I found this book more accessible and interesting. I enjoyed Edgar's thrilling story and learning more about Estonian history. Recommend.