Reviews with content warning for Blood - Sobre los huesos de los muertos

I borrowed this book from a friend and (even though she won the Nobel prize for literature) I didn't know much about the author or what the book was about. I was in for a ride.

The prose of the book is one of the most beautiful I've read in quite a long time, it's poetic even when describing what can be gruesome. The main character appeared to me as rather uncommon (a quirky old woman, kind of a rebel, child-free, who is deeply into astrology, social justice, and translating poetry) who felt incredibly real and mutidimensional, as did most of the secondary and side characters.

The story in itself is engaging, full of twists and turns, and surprising until the very end.

I don't think I could recommend this book enough.

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womanwill's review against another edition

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challenging dark funny mysterious reflective medium-paced

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

4.5

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inhisbluegardens's review against another edition

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dark funny mysterious reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

This was an unusual, unexpected crime story that I really enjoyed!

Our protagonist is an eccentric lady in her 60s named Janina Duszenko, who lives on her own in the middle of nowhere near the Polish-Czech border. She is odd and hermit-like with a love of astrology and a great reverence for animals. Mrs Duszenko's perspective on the world and her understanding of the story's happenings are really what makes this a worthwhile read. Her complete belief in the logic she draws from the stars and the deep empathy she displays for animals and for people also considered to be on the outskirts of society in some way really puts us on her side, I feel. Her dedication to solving the mystery of four separate murders involving local hunters are the focus of the book, but it almost comes second to her musings on everything from the local mushroom pickers society to the rights of animals and the reasoning behind the names she bestows on others in her head. Mrs Duszenko's unique voice does a stellar job of putting the unsavoury sharply into focus but presenting it in a matter-of-fact way. Indeed, cruelty, loneliness, exploitation and addiction can all be explained by the planetary alignments. The experience of reading this book is deepened by the way Tokarczuk writes about the landscape and the traditions that its people cling to. How we as humans, like all other living things mark the changing seasons.

Such an interesting read!

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massivepizzacrust's review against another edition

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dark mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

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

4.0

I have no idea how to rate this book, I've never read anything like it before. I wouldn't say I loved reading it but it made me want to force other people to read it just so we could talk about it! I really don't want to spoil anything but I will need to keep thinking about this one.

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laurenleigh's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional slow-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

4.0

If I had to pick one word to describe this novel, it’d be “weird.” It’s a kind of weird that, as the first chapter title suggests, makes you pay attention. Why are all these random words capitalized? Where are we? Who is this narrator? Some questions get answered, but plenty do not. It was overall a very unique experience, unlike anything else I’ve ever read. Though it wasn’t exactly my cup of tea, I totally understand why it’s won so many awards. The murder mystery plot line seems to be highlighted in many reviews, but I think that part of the story is by far secondary to the heart of the novel. The brilliance of Tokarczuk is in how she meticulously highlights and expands upon the unspoken but important tiny details of life, aging, and nature. She finds these moments or emotions that we all experience and hits the exact right words to describe them, again in a totally singular fashion. My favorite observation of hers was of “Anger.” How it sparks a blaze within that immediately brightens a path and makes everything seem crystal clear, but then when it burns out, you’re left with a cold void which grief or sadness almost inevitably fills. If you’re in the mood for something completely different, pick this up!

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carissa230's review against another edition

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dark emotional mysterious slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.75

Janina lives in the woods. She likes to be surrounded by animals and nature. When her neighbor, Big Foot, dies choking on a bone, she is convinced there is more to it. As the bodies start to pile up Janina is convinced that the animals that have been hunted by these victims are getting their revenge.

This book started slow so and I almost DNF'd. At about the 50% mark it started to pick up, but the last 15% was good.

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astridrv's review against another edition

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dark emotional funny informative mysterious reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

Favourite read of the year so far, but why? The writing really worked for me: it is restrained, composed, philosophical without being preachy, ambiguous without being too ambitious, funny without being too obvious. The tone, rhythm and narrative construction are extremely fine tuned. The cast of characters is entirely believable, and despite how far away from me they are (in every aspect), they felt familiar and present. And the theme! Un régal.

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