flyingbulgarian's review against another edition
3.0
Kapka, I understand you better now.
I still don’t like some of your style, I still don’t think you have authority to talk about parts of Bulgaria which I know and love to death, I still don’t think your choice of words and your choice of using the Bulgarian/Turkish or English word is appropriate, I still don’t like it when you have your rants about injustice on the treatment of ethnic minorities which I find one sided, I still don’t like your history lessons which even to me seem toned down, I still don’t like that your editor spells Bulgarian names differently - sometimes even on the same line, and I still hate it when you try to translate Turkish words and get it stupidly wrong. But I understand you better now.
The sentence in the beginning of the book, where you say you want your name to be easily pronounced and for people to be able to spell your name, about the conflicted national identity, about not knowing where and how you belong - that struck a chord in my soul because I know what that feels like and it’s something I’m still learning to deal with too.
I loved learning about your childhood - and your past. It brought back many memories of my own childhood and my own family. The story of your grandmother and her lost love, the story of your parents struggling, your first years of school - albeit we grew up in different years and different cities, I felt like I knew you. And knew your story. And I was so touched. I fell in love with your writing...
Until, you started writing about your travels again through Bulgaria - a random visit to Istanbul, more politics about Bulgarians vs Greeks vs Turks, and just your thoughts on things I feel are ultimately in my mind so mine, that my mind can’t accept your opinion or even description of them. So I fell out of love again once those chapters started.
But I want to thank you none the less - and I definitively enjoyed this one more than your other book Border... and I’ll read your next one as well - because I want to, and because I know you’ll take me on another journey.
I still don’t like some of your style, I still don’t think you have authority to talk about parts of Bulgaria which I know and love to death, I still don’t think your choice of words and your choice of using the Bulgarian/Turkish or English word is appropriate, I still don’t like it when you have your rants about injustice on the treatment of ethnic minorities which I find one sided, I still don’t like your history lessons which even to me seem toned down, I still don’t like that your editor spells Bulgarian names differently - sometimes even on the same line, and I still hate it when you try to translate Turkish words and get it stupidly wrong. But I understand you better now.
The sentence in the beginning of the book, where you say you want your name to be easily pronounced and for people to be able to spell your name, about the conflicted national identity, about not knowing where and how you belong - that struck a chord in my soul because I know what that feels like and it’s something I’m still learning to deal with too.
I loved learning about your childhood - and your past. It brought back many memories of my own childhood and my own family. The story of your grandmother and her lost love, the story of your parents struggling, your first years of school - albeit we grew up in different years and different cities, I felt like I knew you. And knew your story. And I was so touched. I fell in love with your writing...
Until, you started writing about your travels again through Bulgaria - a random visit to Istanbul, more politics about Bulgarians vs Greeks vs Turks, and just your thoughts on things I feel are ultimately in my mind so mine, that my mind can’t accept your opinion or even description of them. So I fell out of love again once those chapters started.
But I want to thank you none the less - and I definitively enjoyed this one more than your other book Border... and I’ll read your next one as well - because I want to, and because I know you’ll take me on another journey.
clarereadstheworld's review against another edition
4.0
I began reading this book up in June 2019. This book begins in the 1980's during the last years of Bulgaria's Cold War Communism. Narrated from a child's point of view, this semi-autobiological book is beautifully well narrated and moving.
.
Having lived in Romania, and seen the left over blocks of communist concrete flats, I could really feel this book. Kapka dosen't shy away from exposing the harsh realities and struggles faced by ordinary people during the Bulgarian communist regime. .
The scene that stuck out the most for me was when his mother was able to visit Germany, and broke down crying in a department store because there was just so much choice in the clothing department. Living in western Europe, we forget how privileged and lucky we are.
.
I also really enjoyed the end of the book where Kapka revisits Bulgaria as an adult. As someone who has spent most of their adult life abroad, I could also really understand this strange feeling of not quite belonging in your own country anymore.
.
Having lived in Romania, and seen the left over blocks of communist concrete flats, I could really feel this book. Kapka dosen't shy away from exposing the harsh realities and struggles faced by ordinary people during the Bulgarian communist regime. .
The scene that stuck out the most for me was when his mother was able to visit Germany, and broke down crying in a department store because there was just so much choice in the clothing department. Living in western Europe, we forget how privileged and lucky we are.
.
I also really enjoyed the end of the book where Kapka revisits Bulgaria as an adult. As someone who has spent most of their adult life abroad, I could also really understand this strange feeling of not quite belonging in your own country anymore.
rhodaj's review against another edition
3.0
This was my read the world selection for Bulgaria.
This book is in two parts: the first covers the authors life growing up in Communist Bulgaria until she left at age 19, immigrating to New Zealand. The second part of the book covers various trips she makes back to Bulgaria to visit family and sightsee.
I very much enjoyed the first part of the book about her childhood and was fascinated to read about her neighbourhood, schooling and general facts about life in Bulgaria under Communist rule.
The second part of the book was unfortunately not nearly as interesting and some parts were quite dull, although it did have some interesting themes relating to where one most feels ‘home’ or perhaps even feeling that you don’t really have one. ⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 from me.
This book is in two parts: the first covers the authors life growing up in Communist Bulgaria until she left at age 19, immigrating to New Zealand. The second part of the book covers various trips she makes back to Bulgaria to visit family and sightsee.
I very much enjoyed the first part of the book about her childhood and was fascinated to read about her neighbourhood, schooling and general facts about life in Bulgaria under Communist rule.
The second part of the book was unfortunately not nearly as interesting and some parts were quite dull, although it did have some interesting themes relating to where one most feels ‘home’ or perhaps even feeling that you don’t really have one. ⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 from me.