junivive's review against another edition
2.0
Pretentious.
The author tries to hide no plot and little character development under a mountain of existential philosophizing. Though some of the passages are poignant, the story fails to capture the reader.
The author tries to hide no plot and little character development under a mountain of existential philosophizing. Though some of the passages are poignant, the story fails to capture the reader.
mmull1024's review against another edition
challenging
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
3.25
yaelshayne's review against another edition
3.0
Disappointing. Not nearly as good as Great House. Beginning was really good but by the end, I wasn’t sure what the author was looking to tell me.
biblioph1le's review against another edition
1.0
I didn’t finish this which is pretty rare for me. I usually persevere but just couldn’t this time 🙃
milamoon's review against another edition
reflective
slow-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? It's complicated
2.25
Molte riflessioni interessanti, profonde e condivisibili.
Ma la storia si sviluppa faticosamente, troppo.
Ma la storia si sviluppa faticosamente, troppo.
debbiecuddy's review against another edition
4.0
After reading so many mixed reviews, I didn't know what to expect when I began this novel and I ended up liking it quite a bit. I found it very intriguing how the author used Kafka and the themes of metamorphosis/transformation/gilgul to connect the two parallel stories. As I read, I recalled my own pilgrimage in the Holy Land and my experience of change and a sense of connectedness to other pilgrims of other faiths and nations...I'm sure this affected my take on the book. I'm still unsure whether or not I have an understanding of it all. I wish I had a book club, because this would be a great book to discuss.
mattydiggs's review against another edition
2.0
Nicole Krauss is an undeniable talent in the literary world, but this book is little more than her means of venting the angst of her divorce from Jonathan Safran Foer (whose own divorce novel/therapy session is “Here I Am”). Duel-storylines, that I believe were meant to connect like Halliday’s in “Asymmetry,” are well-written and at times downright beautiful, but never really enjoyable. One storyline follows the “character” Nicole, who is - surprise! - a successful Jewish novelist struggling with her marriage and with writing her next book. And while I would never fault an author for expressing themselves through their work, I found this to be a tired, self-indulgent 300-page ramble. I was incredibly disappointed.
rainydayread's review against another edition
I just can’t slog through this anymore right now - I’ll pick it back up eventually.
morrisem90's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
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