Reviews tagging 'Rape'

Juja by Nino Haratischwili

5 reviews

sequinn88's review against another edition

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challenging dark mysterious reflective slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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thecaffeinatedlibrary's review against another edition

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dark mysterious

2.5

Juja has some incredibly beautiful writing, but unfortunately the overarching plot and thematic movements of the characters fell short for me. I was just left feeling underwhelmed, and frankly very frustrated (and very mad, the longer it sits with me) by the events in the last 15% of the novel. I am interested to read more of the author's work, as the writing was beautiful.

I received the audiobook ARC through Netgalley, and the narrator was excellent with the diverse accents at play but there was a lot of playback issues that impacted my experience unfortunately.
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jager123's review

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dark slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? N/A
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

2.0

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ghazalg's review

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challenging dark medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? N/A
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? N/A
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

2.5

I was very intruiged by this book initially and thought it had a lot of potential. However I just didn't like the characters or understand the obsession with the Saré or her book. Had there been more about how her book was so captiatinng or more about how the other characters related to it other than 'its like I wrote it' I may have rated the book higher. 
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abbie_'s review against another edition

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dark mysterious sad medium-paced

3.5

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for my free digital ARC!

Honestly it must be difficult when your magnum opus is published in English first and all your English-speaking audience is expecting is another Eighth Life 😂 I was sort of disappointed in Haratischwili’s second English translation, My Soul Twin, but Juja fared better. This is her debut novel in fact, and I think, depressing as it is, it’s a solid debut though not without a few weaknesses.
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Translated again by Ruth Martin, Juja is told through a variety of perspectives. At its centre is a mysterious little book, written by 17-year-old Jeanne Saré whose tragic suicide then inspired 14 copycats after reading her book Ice Age. The main POVs are ‘Brother’, a vile little man half in love with his own sister, and Laura, a Dutch academic who is semi-coerced into embarking upon a research project focusing on Saré.
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It goes without saying that Juja is filled with awful acts, it’s bleak and explores the darkest recesses of the human mind. The first half of the book was a lot stronger than the second. Sometimes a couple of the POVs felt difficult to distinguish. Their voices felt too similar, and I suppose that may be down to the fact that all of them are experiencing terrible sadnesses. I was definitely intrigued throughout, and was keen to know how all the storylines would come together - which some did more satisfyingly than others.
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Juja is an exploration of the power of storytellings, the idea of myth and finding what we want to find in the literature we consume. The characters are all battling their own demons, and I think their stories are well-developed on their own, but the book stumbles when it comes to tying them together. The mysterious draw of the book, its effect on its readers and the legend of Saré was what I found most compelling.
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Book 4 for #WomenInTranslation month
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