The design and UX isn't done, Rob and Abbie, okkurrrr! 😌
estherdb's review against another edition
3.0
I liked this novel, but I'm not overly impressed, but I think that's mostly due to the - in my opinion - bad - translation that I read. I wish I would've just read it in the original language, but my aunt was so kind to let me borrow her (Dutch) edition, so that I didn't have to buy a copy myself. Beggers can't be choosers and all that.
Why did I hate this translation?
- the language felt too "simple". The Dutch text was too bare in comparison to the richness that the Italian original has to offer. I found the first chapter of the original text online and it was so much better.
- it was soooooo Dutch Dutch. I'm Flemish, you see, and the editors did NO effort to make this novel more natural to Flemish readers. Some of the words ("spijkerbroek") and expressions ("voor pampus liggen") were so strange to my Flemish eyes that I was constantly pulled out of the story.
Whereas I KNOW that I would've already enjoyed this novel purely based on its language if I would've read the original text, now I was left with nothing but the content to review.
Content-wise this book was okay. Not great, but okay.
I enjoyed the themes of (agnostic) nature, youth, growing up and how life decisions alter both your own world and the world of those surrounding you.
The characters, on the other hand, were unable to fascinate me. Instead, they just irked me. Most of them are self-obsessed, overly righteous, pompous, stupid, reckless, impulsive pieces of sheer annoyance. Bern and Danco, especially, were hypocrite moralists who could use a smack of their high horse.
Also, the entire I-want-to-get-into-that-isolated-cave-no-one's-ever-crawled-in-before-oops-I-fell-and-broke-a-leg-and-oops-it's-really-slippery-I'm-not-going-to-get-out-I-guess-I'll-just-die-in-here-then ordeal felt ridiculous to me. But then again, Bern's entire personality was so ridiculous that I wasn't even that surprised by this turn of events. No matter how many times a character is said to think Bern is amazing and wonderful, to me he always be the second biggest pr*ck in this entire novel: brooding, arrogant, stuck on an ecological and moral high horse and mostly nonsensical. [Biggest pr*ck goes to Danco, whose preaching made me want to punch him in the face, even though he's just a fictional character.]
Teresa has very little to no personality of her own. She merely follows others or sits alone sulking her life away. I expected more from you, as I did from every other female character in this novel who are either dishrags (e.g. Teresa and Floriana) or complete b*tches (e.g. Corinne and Giulia). Violalibera was merely stupid, I will not repeat my Sex Ed orgy comment.
In "Divorare il cielo", it's the men that constantly are heralded for their intelligence, strength and actions. The women's main role is supporting them and enabling their male fantasies of being awesome. The only female I liked, was Teresa's grandmother. Too bad she dies.
I liked this novel because of its themes and the contemplation it provoked, too bad I couldn't enjoy the style (due to the translation) or the characters.
Why did I hate this translation?
- the language felt too "simple". The Dutch text was too bare in comparison to the richness that the Italian original has to offer. I found the first chapter of the original text online and it was so much better.
- it was soooooo Dutch Dutch. I'm Flemish, you see, and the editors did NO effort to make this novel more natural to Flemish readers. Some of the words ("spijkerbroek") and expressions ("voor pampus liggen") were so strange to my Flemish eyes that I was constantly pulled out of the story.
Whereas I KNOW that I would've already enjoyed this novel purely based on its language if I would've read the original text, now I was left with nothing but the content to review.
Content-wise this book was okay. Not great, but okay.
I enjoyed the themes of (agnostic) nature, youth, growing up and how life decisions alter both your own world and the world of those surrounding you.
The characters, on the other hand, were unable to fascinate me. Instead, they just irked me. Most of them are self-obsessed, overly righteous, pompous, stupid, reckless, impulsive pieces of sheer annoyance. Bern and Danco, especially, were hypocrite moralists who could use a smack of their high horse.
Spoiler
It goes to say that orgies can lead to pregnancy, morons. Why didn't they use protection? Stupid hippies. Idem for Bern and Teresa back when they were teens. *Good thing she turned out infertile, I guess, or the masseria would've been overrun by the results of teen pregnancies.*Also, the entire I-want-to-get-into-that-isolated-cave-no-one's-ever-crawled-in-before-oops-I-fell-and-broke-a-leg-and-oops-it's-really-slippery-I'm-not-going-to-get-out-I-guess-I'll-just-die-in-here-then ordeal felt ridiculous to me. But then again, Bern's entire personality was so ridiculous that I wasn't even that surprised by this turn of events. No matter how many times a character is said to think Bern is amazing and wonderful, to me he always be the second biggest pr*ck in this entire novel: brooding, arrogant, stuck on an ecological and moral high horse and mostly nonsensical. [Biggest pr*ck goes to Danco, whose preaching made me want to punch him in the face, even though he's just a fictional character.]
Teresa has very little to no personality of her own. She merely follows others or sits alone sulking her life away. I expected more from you, as I did from every other female character in this novel who are either dishrags (e.g. Teresa and Floriana) or complete b*tches (e.g. Corinne and Giulia). Violalibera was merely stupid, I will not repeat my Sex Ed orgy comment.
In "Divorare il cielo", it's the men that constantly are heralded for their intelligence, strength and actions. The women's main role is supporting them and enabling their male fantasies of being awesome. The only female I liked, was Teresa's grandmother. Too bad she dies.
I liked this novel because of its themes and the contemplation it provoked, too bad I couldn't enjoy the style (due to the translation) or the characters.
taikahelina's review against another edition
5.0
such an interesting novel. it took me a while to read, but once i got into it not too long after it was already read. this one also took a while to get going, especially since the narration isn’t linear and simple. however, it all comes together in the end and makes sense perfectly. i remember really enjoying the end-half of this book, even though it didn’t stick as one of the best books ever.
irene3obsex's review against another edition
4.0
The last scene cost this book a star. Damn you, Paolo Giordano.
federicafrazza's review against another edition
3.0
Durante una torrida estate in Puglia le vite di Teresa, Nicola, Tommaso e Bern si intrecciano per non lasciarsi più e passando attraverso amore, gelosia, attivismo politico e sociale, disagio giovanile e dell'età adulta, gioco d'azzardo, terrorismo, eventi drammatici, credo religioso, natura, maternità e paternità, etc etc...
In questo romanzo c'è di tutto, anche troppo, forse questo mi ha disturbata principalmente; Teresa rimane perennemente una "frustata dalla vita e in balia degli eventi" mentre i tre ragazzi non eccellono per simpatia e non stimolano molta empatia.
Confermo la mia scarsa affinità con Paolo Giordano.
In questo romanzo c'è di tutto, anche troppo, forse questo mi ha disturbata principalmente; Teresa rimane perennemente una "frustata dalla vita e in balia degli eventi" mentre i tre ragazzi non eccellono per simpatia e non stimolano molta empatia.
Confermo la mia scarsa affinità con Paolo Giordano.
polpofemo's review against another edition
2.0
"No, ma è migliorato!"
"Questo non è come la solitudine dei numeri primi!"
"Dagli un'altra possibilità!"
Mai più.
No, forse non è come la solitudine dei numeri primi e le prime pagine facevano sperare bene (ma anche le prime quattro della solitudine dei numeri primi...), ma è un racconto noioso, poco interessante e alla fine perfino irrealistico. Il finale è un'assurdità strappalacrime (e ammetto che un po' funziona, ma io ho la lacrima facile ed mi sentivo già triste) insopportabile!
Do sempre almeno un'altra possibilità agli scrittori che non mi sono piaciuti, ma a un certo punto basta.
4/10
"Questo non è come la solitudine dei numeri primi!"
"Dagli un'altra possibilità!"
Mai più.
No, forse non è come la solitudine dei numeri primi e le prime pagine facevano sperare bene (ma anche le prime quattro della solitudine dei numeri primi...), ma è un racconto noioso, poco interessante e alla fine perfino irrealistico. Il finale è un'assurdità strappalacrime (e ammetto che un po' funziona, ma io ho la lacrima facile ed mi sentivo già triste) insopportabile!
Do sempre almeno un'altra possibilità agli scrittori che non mi sono piaciuti, ma a un certo punto basta.
4/10
ashtrimmmer's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
verw0rren's review against another edition
2.0
Dieses Buch hätte mir möglicherweise gefallen, wenn ich es mit Ende 20 gelesen hätte, aber jetzt sehe ich in den Worten und in der Verzweiflung der Protagonisten nichts, was ich nachvollziehen kann. Die Passagen, die die Jugend von Bern, Tomasso, Nikolai und Teresa beschrieben haben, gefielen mir hingegen, da mir die Stimmung und die Beschreibungen dieses quälend warmen Ortes mitten im Nirgendwo gut gefallen hat. Für mich hat alles eine negative Wendung genommen, als Teresa sich für den Hof, also die Verkörperung einer leeren Leidenschaft, welche der Beweis für die Nichtigkeit der angeblichen Freiheit ist, entschied. Sehr schade, da die Grundidee des Buches so gut war, aber schlecht umgesetzt wurde.
catastrophe's review against another edition
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
evaverm's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
sigridjustens's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0