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male_lactation's review
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
5.0
zombiezami's review
dark
emotional
reflective
fast-paced
3.0
I read this because I wanted to read a book that took place in Windsor, ON to complete a prompt in a reading challenge. I don't think I would have heard about it otherwise. The prose is quite lovely and reflective, but the book overall didn't have much of a narrative thrust. It definitely had themes and events, but they felt more episodic, and I think I was hoping for something with greater internal cohesion. There was a lot of gesturing at meaning, but maybe I don't know enough about Jewish culture to get the references. I did learn more about Jewish culture from reading this, though.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Mental illness, Death, Animal cruelty, Body horror, Car accident, Child death, Animal death, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Chronic illness, Classism, Medical content, Sexual content, Infertility, Miscarriage, Forced institutionalization, Panic attacks/disorders, Antisemitism, and Misogyny
Minor: Fire/Fire injury, Genocide, and Racial slurs
Environmental disastermsjoanna's review
3.0
I wanted to like this book more than I actually did. The topic sounded interesting -- coming of age, set in Canada right across from Detroit, a rabbi's family, Holocaust survivors, musings on the role of religion. But even though the elements were there and the writing had the feeling of poetry, it never really came together for me. I never really understood the concerns that the narrator's mother expressed about him, I found the descriptions of the Holocaust experiments depressing but almost beside the point, and I never quite empathized with these characters. Maybe the right book at the wrong moment or maybe just a not quite ready for prime time debut.
eiseneisen's review
4.0
I really enjoyed this book.
The Far Euphrates is a very honest portrayal of a young man growing up under circumstances that are psychologically complex. The young man---the narrator of the story---is very accessible, despite displaying exceptional intellect and perception. It's a very subtle and deliberately moving story, but there are moments that make you chuckle, moments that surprise you, and moments that make you want to cry. And at its core, Far Euphrates addresses serious questions about what defines a life of quality, about who can live such a life, and how.
Far Euphrates is not a book that everyone will enjoy. But it's a book that I enjoyed greatly. A pensive and worthwhile read.
The Far Euphrates is a very honest portrayal of a young man growing up under circumstances that are psychologically complex. The young man---the narrator of the story---is very accessible, despite displaying exceptional intellect and perception. It's a very subtle and deliberately moving story, but there are moments that make you chuckle, moments that surprise you, and moments that make you want to cry. And at its core, Far Euphrates addresses serious questions about what defines a life of quality, about who can live such a life, and how.
Far Euphrates is not a book that everyone will enjoy. But it's a book that I enjoyed greatly. A pensive and worthwhile read.
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