Scan barcode
A review by siobhanward
When We Cease to Understand the World by BenjamÃn Labatut
medium-paced
2.0
NYT Notable Books 2021: 13/100
I don't love fictional works about real people and this book was no exception. Maybe it's partly because I don't have enough background on the subjects Labatut is writing about to know where the line was between fiction and nonfiction, but I think it's just not a style for me. I found the stories dry and just didn't care for what was happening. Clearly this is a well-reviewed book, so I have a feeling my dislike is because I don't care for the style or much for the subjects, rather than it being an objectively poor book.
I don't love fictional works about real people and this book was no exception. Maybe it's partly because I don't have enough background on the subjects Labatut is writing about to know where the line was between fiction and nonfiction, but I think it's just not a style for me. I found the stories dry and just didn't care for what was happening. Clearly this is a well-reviewed book, so I have a feeling my dislike is because I don't care for the style or much for the subjects, rather than it being an objectively poor book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Child death, Death, Suicide, and Violence
Moderate: War