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littlephoenix's review
dark
mysterious
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
royallysnooch's review against another edition
It was too many stories and I couldn’t follow all of them
chillcox15's review against another edition
4.0
I'm still trying to make up my mind about how Mréjen exactly processes and relates to death. One blurb I saw somewhere said it was neither sentimental nor cynical and while I agree with the former, it feels a bit harder to agree with the latter. The repetition of seemingly random, highly specific, and just barely on the edge of absurd deaths cataloged in Black Forest feel slightly cynical or provocative, but that may just be the vestiges of bourgeois fears attached to death.
bhavani's review against another edition
3.0
Rating: 3.5 stars
Imagine yourself flipping through a newspaper and coming across the obituaries page. You see photos of people, many old, some young. Most of us usually glance at the photos and turn the page. But what if you stopped and looked at them? Really looked at them and thought about the lives they led, the people they knew, and most relevant to this book, how they died? Reading this book feels like getting short glimpses into their lives and deaths.
I took weeks to finish it, reading a page or two every night and sometimes going days without opening it at all. Some stories are a just a few sentences long; the longest is about 3 ebook pages. The stories feel emotionally removed somehow and can be confusing because none of the characters have names, but the last line usually delivers a punch to the gut.
Imagine yourself flipping through a newspaper and coming across the obituaries page. You see photos of people, many old, some young. Most of us usually glance at the photos and turn the page. But what if you stopped and looked at them? Really looked at them and thought about the lives they led, the people they knew, and most relevant to this book, how they died? Reading this book feels like getting short glimpses into their lives and deaths.
I took weeks to finish it, reading a page or two every night and sometimes going days without opening it at all. Some stories are a just a few sentences long; the longest is about 3 ebook pages. The stories feel emotionally removed somehow and can be confusing because none of the characters have names, but the last line usually delivers a punch to the gut.
constant_reader_19's review against another edition
No rating for right now. I have no idea what I just read.
versmonesprit's review against another edition
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
5.0
Black Forest had been on my digital TBR for a very long time, but suffered from my inability to retain anything of its blurb. Even while reading the book’s description, it was already completely erased from my memory. Sometimes my brain refuses to retain information, and though it’s not a reflection on anything other than my brain’s capriciousness, it meant that Black Forest kept being overshadowed by “more enticing” books.
I am so glad I took the plunge tonight. I hate it when reviewers take the lazy way out by saying “go into it blind,” but this is one of the very few books for which such a suggestion will not only work, but work a lot better than having many ideas about what the book is about.
One of the reasons is that when you sum it up, the book doesn’t sound interesting. Statements on opposing tonalities might even put you off. It’s difficult to pin down Black Forest truly, because while it’s very concrete, its nature is still elusive. Black Forest is its very own thing. All I’m willing to offer as information is that it’s a book on death. Mréjen’s approach is so novel, so unique, that even if you like me read often on loss and grief, you still will not have read anything like Black Forest.
I would have loved to read the original, which is something I always advocate for (if you know the original language, read the book as written by the author!) but unfortunately accessibility sometimes prevents that. I can’t get my hands on any Mréjen books at the moment aside from Black Forest, and so I don’t have the original to compare against, but the translation read so seamless in English, that I’m inclined to believe it is formidably done!
I rarely read books in one sitting. I’m glad I could do it with Black Forest, and would recommend waiting until you have uninterrupted time to spare to read it as well. The way the book is set up demands that flow in order to be effective. This way, you slowly find your footing inside the initial disorientation the book throws you into, and witness the book slowly settle and unfold before your eyes. I’d also highly recommend reading it in the quiet and dimness of the night to enhance the aura of the book.
I am so glad I took the plunge tonight. I hate it when reviewers take the lazy way out by saying “go into it blind,” but this is one of the very few books for which such a suggestion will not only work, but work a lot better than having many ideas about what the book is about.
One of the reasons is that when you sum it up, the book doesn’t sound interesting. Statements on opposing tonalities might even put you off. It’s difficult to pin down Black Forest truly, because while it’s very concrete, its nature is still elusive. Black Forest is its very own thing. All I’m willing to offer as information is that it’s a book on death. Mréjen’s approach is so novel, so unique, that even if you like me read often on loss and grief, you still will not have read anything like Black Forest.
I would have loved to read the original, which is something I always advocate for (if you know the original language, read the book as written by the author!) but unfortunately accessibility sometimes prevents that. I can’t get my hands on any Mréjen books at the moment aside from Black Forest, and so I don’t have the original to compare against, but the translation read so seamless in English, that I’m inclined to believe it is formidably done!
I rarely read books in one sitting. I’m glad I could do it with Black Forest, and would recommend waiting until you have uninterrupted time to spare to read it as well. The way the book is set up demands that flow in order to be effective. This way, you slowly find your footing inside the initial disorientation the book throws you into, and witness the book slowly settle and unfold before your eyes. I’d also highly recommend reading it in the quiet and dimness of the night to enhance the aura of the book.
cstefko's review against another edition
3.0
3.25 stars
I'm not sure I buy this as a novella. It's more like a collection of loosely connected flash fiction. Which is fine, it just felt a little insubstantial in the end. Mréjen is clearly a talented writer though, and I would be interested to read something else by her.
I'm not sure I buy this as a novella. It's more like a collection of loosely connected flash fiction. Which is fine, it just felt a little insubstantial in the end. Mréjen is clearly a talented writer though, and I would be interested to read something else by her.