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hashtag29's review against another edition
dark
tense
slow-paced
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
While Oskar is certainly an eccentric and quirky Peter Pan type character, and his narrative is grandiose and full of intriguing deaths, although he tends to be unreliable at times, I found myself only able to stomach reading a chapter or two at a time. The pacing, especially in Book 1 - Prewar, is slow and plodding at parts, and the experimental portions of the novel fall flat and felt more tedious than a worthwhile addition to the narrative. I don't regret reading it, but it certainly felt like a slog to get through certain portions.
Fans of Catcher in the Rye will certainly enjoy this German magical realism epic though as both tales explore the idea of a boy refusing to grow up in a world gone mad.
Trigger warning, however, for those readers with religious hang-ups or who are extremely religious. Grass definitely veers into blasphemy territory in his constant allusions to Oskar as a Jesus (or anti-Christ) like figure.
P.S.: I would love to read a book from the mom's perspective. Of all the stories provided in the novel, hers is certainly the most intriguing outside of Oskar's.
Fans of Catcher in the Rye will certainly enjoy this German magical realism epic though as both tales explore the idea of a boy refusing to grow up in a world gone mad.
Trigger warning, however, for those readers with religious hang-ups or who are extremely religious. Grass definitely veers into blasphemy territory in his constant allusions to Oskar as a Jesus (or anti-Christ) like figure.
P.S.: I would love to read a book from the mom's perspective. Of all the stories provided in the novel, hers is certainly the most intriguing outside of Oskar's.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying and Death
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Eating disorder, Incest, Rape, and Vomit