snappycatty's review against another edition
challenging
informative
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
grayfox14's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
casiana's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
3.5
ninni880's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
katsherms's review against another edition
4.0
Really interesting story of the life of two WILDLY over close siblings in divided Germany.
denisedup's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
thisisjohann's review
emotional
informative
reflective
slow-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
4.5
A great piece of writing and a great window in the thinking of people in the DDR. I found the writing really beautiful.
banachraum's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
anticonstitutionnellement's review against another edition
3.0
i’m rather conflicted about what to say about this book, which seems to be a theme for my reviews as of late. i really enjoyed the intimate portrayal of life in the DDR and the conflict between party loyalists and a younger, more liberal generation who felt stifled by the rigidity of the state. that being said the novel is definitely a product of its setting. at times the narrative felt constrained and ‘overly didactic’ as though it was written for those who wanted to flee to the West, as a way of discouraging them from doing so, using Elisabeth’s efforts to persuade Uli to stay as a wider allegory for an obvious divide in East German society. Furthermore, I often found my mind wondering for pages at a time, which says a lot given its relatively short length, something about the setting and the author’s purpose felt as though the target audience was quite narrow. i found myself struggling to connect with the characters at times, the romantic feelings Elisabeth had for Uli were hard to ignore and at times distracted from the captivating prose.