Reviews with content warning for Chronic illness - Sobre los huesos de los muertos

This is essentially a character study of the protagonist, Janina. While there is an element of murder mystery, you can not get away from the fact that this is literary fiction. If you don't like literary fiction, you will not like this!

I found Janina charming. She's unlike any other main character I've read in books, with her very strong opinions and strict worldview. Her deep philosophical thoughts about death and who should be allowed to kill as well as the book's discussion of revenge were constantly churning in my mind as I read this. I really liked the ending and was satisfied with my reading experience as a whole.

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noahfence's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional funny mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

yeah, so. prepare to enter the world of janina duszejko. like, really prepare. its not for the faint of heart.

i have never read anything quite like this book. it is a story that will question your perception of madness, animals, astrology and religion—and you will probably finish it with a very different view of the world.

the plot follows the story of the sickly, elderly woman janina duszejko and her life in a lonely polish village on the border of the czech republic. the book drags you along on her investigation into the strange, unsettling murders of several members of the town’s hunting society, filling you with intrigue, awe—and perhaps horror, depending on your attitude towards animals. do you treat them like they have souls, or not? are you willing to face their wrath?

drive your plow over the bones of the dead is everything i could ever ask for in a book. the weather is strange, the animals are vengeful, the stars are sentient. it is a beautifully dark exploration into feminism, animal rights and murder, and although at first it may just seem like the story of a lonely old women, the prose grips you by the throat and really doesn’t let you go. you will come away from the book wondering if your horoscope could show you how you will die, and if you should really continue eating meat.

drive your plow over the bones of the dead is a deliciously dark read. so go on—take the plunge. 🤭

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elzbethmrgn's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional funny mysterious sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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river69rat's review against another edition

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challenging dark mysterious 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? No

3.0

I picked this one up for the provocative title. I thought the prose of this book was beautifully written and the themes of animal rights was an interesting reflection on power and relations. Also enjoyed the discussion of ageism and sexism throughout. Lots of good things and yet I really struggled to get through this book. I'm thinking the astrology talk slowed me down and also the one dimensional side-characters, but for such a short book it felt LONG. Would still recommend but don't expect to fly through it. Testosterone Austism is an iconic chapter name...

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athenium's review against another edition

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dark mysterious reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

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