A review by wanderaven
Bottled Goods by Sophie van Llewyn
3.0
This is the fourth (and probably final from this series, anyway) novella I've read from the newly published line by Fairlight Moderns (who provided to me a reader's copy).
This one was in the top two of my hierarchy of interest in these novellas, primarily due to it being described as magical realism. I've always been the (admittedly foolish) reviewer who tries (usually vainly) to define the borders of magical realism. For this one I'm going to say that my primary categorization for this one isn't magical realism but rather surrealism, and just flat out magical.
I wavered on this one, which surprised me. Though sold as and encouraged me as a reader under the promises of magical realism and the interesting and unique setting of communist Romania in the 70's (and I did find the setting to be one of the more interesting elements), I found that at its core this story was about the relationship of a marriage and whether it could withstand the destructive societal and political pressures in which it (tried) to grow. Unfortunately for me, I couldn't support or cheer for the relationship because I never felt its strength through a substantial background or insight to its core. In fact, in something like only the second or third (short) chapter in which we discover that they've just been married, the bride is already questioning their relationship and feeling cold and contained and alienated from her husband (though little previously made me believe in the thread between them anyway). So when that relationship is then almost immediately tested by outside forces, I didn't feel like there was much at stake to begin with.
I loved the novel setting and I did like enough of the writing to keep this author in my headlights and consider her again.
This one was in the top two of my hierarchy of interest in these novellas, primarily due to it being described as magical realism. I've always been the (admittedly foolish) reviewer who tries (usually vainly) to define the borders of magical realism. For this one I'm going to say that my primary categorization for this one isn't magical realism but rather surrealism, and just flat out magical.
I wavered on this one, which surprised me. Though sold as and encouraged me as a reader under the promises of magical realism and the interesting and unique setting of communist Romania in the 70's (and I did find the setting to be one of the more interesting elements), I found that at its core this story was about the relationship of a marriage and whether it could withstand the destructive societal and political pressures in which it (tried) to grow. Unfortunately for me, I couldn't support or cheer for the relationship because I never felt its strength through a substantial background or insight to its core. In fact, in something like only the second or third (short) chapter in which we discover that they've just been married, the bride is already questioning their relationship and feeling cold and contained and alienated from her husband (though little previously made me believe in the thread between them anyway). So when that relationship is then almost immediately tested by outside forces, I didn't feel like there was much at stake to begin with.
I loved the novel setting and I did like enough of the writing to keep this author in my headlights and consider her again.