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janada59's review against another edition
5.0
"Grief was the celebration of love, those who could feel real grief were lucky to have loved"
sophie_reads301's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
3.0
Grief is a process unique to each individual. This book is an insight into the author’s grief but often feels uncomfortably personal and difficult to read.
killerqueen102's review against another edition
5.0
‘I know it is not so much about what my father says as it is about being with him, a laugh I will never laugh again. Never had come to stay. Never feels so unfairly punitive. For the rest of my life I will live with my arms outstretched for things that are no longer there’
oxnard_montalvo's review
Deeply personal collection of essays about the author's emotional experiences after the death of her father and the essays do focus on their relationship and her memories; this isn't explicitly a treatise on grief in general, or the process of mourning, so be aware if you are expecting a broader approach. From reading other reviews, I get the impression many people go into this book wanting something less personal to the author; these are almost like diary entries.
Personally, I found it incredibly poignant. Particularly the parts about how people struggle to 'say something comforting' in times of great sorrow. How hollow well meaning sentiments seem.
Personally, I found it incredibly poignant. Particularly the parts about how people struggle to 'say something comforting' in times of great sorrow. How hollow well meaning sentiments seem.
mitskacir's review against another edition
3.0
Usually I'm such a fan of Adichie, even her short stories, because she so quickly and fully engages us with the characters. However, these "Notes" were so brief that I think even she wasn't able to fully flesh out her characters. There were certainly moments where I felt like I really knew the people in her life, for example in her story of her dad feeling like he was lied to at his surprise party, but most of the time we are in Adichie's head. When in her head, she mostly reiterates that she is sad, which of course is understandable, but not particularly interesting. Certainly not my favorite Adichie read, nor the most moving meditation on the death of a loved one I have read (I couldn't help comparing it to [b:Crying in H Mart|54814676|Crying in H Mart|Michelle Zauner|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1601937850l/54814676._SX50_.jpg|68668937]). I think I would have enjoyed it more if it focused more on her father and her memories of him, since those parts were the most engaging, and you could see her love for him more in her characterization of him than in her descriptions of her grief.