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3.63 AVERAGE
3.63 AVERAGE
dark
sad
slow-paced
I dunno. The writing is good. I just had a hard time connecting to the characters, but maybe that was the point.
98th book of 2024.
Voted one of Norway's top ten books of the last twenty-five years, Love follows a mother and a son over a single night. Vibeke on her own journey, and little Jon on his. It is the eve of the latter's ninth birthday. Ørstavik has immense control over the narrative which hops from Vibeke to Jon, sometimes sentence by sentence, with little to no overture or indication. The reader must keep themselves orientated for Ørstavik does not waste time holding your hand. There is so much dread throughout the book, but it explores the unconditional love a child can have for their parent. Sometimes that love is misplaced. Technically impressive and poignant.
Voted one of Norway's top ten books of the last twenty-five years, Love follows a mother and a son over a single night. Vibeke on her own journey, and little Jon on his. It is the eve of the latter's ninth birthday. Ørstavik has immense control over the narrative which hops from Vibeke to Jon, sometimes sentence by sentence, with little to no overture or indication. The reader must keep themselves orientated for Ørstavik does not waste time holding your hand. There is so much dread throughout the book, but it explores the unconditional love a child can have for their parent. Sometimes that love is misplaced. Technically impressive and poignant.
Tangled narrative where I was left guessing if they were in the same timeline or not. Effective and affecting
Took me a while to understand what was going on, even though it was very simple.
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
N/A
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
"Love" is a little book of surprises. I didn't know what to expect and couldn't even begin to guess how certain scenes would end up. The language is simple and straightforward but, as many other reviewers have pointed out, the author still manages to create an unsettling aura around each action--and the translator expertly captures this (well, I assume so, since I can't read Norwegian). To me, it was borderline still life writing: small details are celebrated and seemingly mundane actions feel more meaningful. The insight we get into the characters' minds left me curious, and indeed, the story seems to be largely about longing. When I reached the end, I kept turning the page over to make quadruply sure that there wasn't possibly just a little bit more. Haunting, mesmerizing, strange, tragic. I love this book.
emotional
sad
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Stakkars, stakkars gutt
slow-paced