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risemini's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Graphic: Death, Grief, Death of parent, Misogyny, Murder, and Violence
jstilts's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
The book follows Duszejko - an elderly Polish lady - living remotely enough that in winter she only has two neighbours, and makes an income from keeping watch on and maintaining the houses of those that can't stand to live there in the colder seasons. She spends her time looking after the local wildlife, railing against hunters and poachers, translating Blake into Polish, and researching the horoscope in all sorts of unusual ways.
One morning one of her two neighbours discovers the other dead, and as they tend to the corpse Duszejko becomes convinced he was murdered by the very animals he hunted.
This surprising book reads almost as a stream-of-conciousness from a narrator that is not so much unreliable as mildly out of touch with reality.
Her worldview is disarmingly cosy and endearing, sometimes heartbreaking, and it's so wonderful to follow her unusual trains of thought - not just of her life but the very mechanics of existence itself - that it's easy to forget that Duszejko's state of mind is probably unhealthy, especially as she rarely if ever seems to be in anything approaching peril.
At once both relaxing and compelling, I honestly didn't want this book to end - but the terrible truths being laid out were done so with such verve it had me laughing in glee at the audaciousness of the author.
Highly recommended!
Graphic: Dementia, Grief, Murder, and Chronic illness
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Misogyny, Animal death, and Death
egle_va's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Moderate: Animal death, Violence, Death, Misogyny, Murder, Sexism, Animal cruelty, and Grief
marywahlmeierbracciano's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Moderate: Animal death, Murder, Misogyny, Grief, and Death
Minor: Vomit, Fire/Fire injury, Violence, and Medical content
jewelrybonney's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Murder, and Grief
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Alcoholism, and Ableism
Minor: Body horror
chris_reads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Graphic: Murder, Animal death, and Chronic illness
Moderate: Grief, Confinement, and Gore
Minor: Misogyny, Racial slurs, Animal cruelty, Medical content, and Vomit
lifepath7's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Grief and Chronic illness
Moderate: Animal death, Animal cruelty, and Death
Minor: Murder and Gaslighting
willow_thewisp's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Animal death, Death, Violence, Animal cruelty, Chronic illness, and Murder
Moderate: Religious bigotry and Grief
_maia3_'s review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Which was fortunate, as honestly I think this book has been mislabeled. This isn't a typical genre fiction book - more like a fictional memoir concerning the events of a mystery rather than a detective-culprit story. I did feel a little cheated when this clicked, but again, the mystery wasn't my first priority anyway.
The entire setting toes the line between being real and unreal, and this adds to the overall atmosphere of the unreliable narrator who is, technically, correct. To explore morality, lines between humans and animals are intentionally blurred whilst making police and church corruption blatant - it felt very fable-like whilst also being realistic.
Read this book if you enjoy odd, liminal little stories with morality as a central theme.
Graphic: Death, Animal cruelty, Animal death, and Grief
tjwolf's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Graphic: Death, Murder, Animal cruelty, and Animal death
Minor: Alcohol, Misogyny, Grief, and Fire/Fire injury