Reviews

Bea and Niklas are the parents of two teenage daughters and have been happily married for over 30 years, when , after a small disagreement, he leaves home, doesn't return home for several weeks and then tells Bea he wants a divorce. To Bea, it's totally unexpected, surely the result of a mid-life crisis, and Niklas is bound to come to his senses any day. As we all know, there are two sides to every story, and the strength of this book is that it gives us them both, providing Niklas's perspective as well as Bea's. Suffice to say his point of view is very different and highlights some of the issues men can face in relationships, particularly when they are the main breadwinner. I feel like this is not a perspective I've often read, and I appreciated it for that reason. The book also highlights the importance of communication within a marriage and how essential listening is to true and meaningful communication. Overall, I thought this book was well done. I enjoyed my time with it and found it an absorbing and instructive read. I did find one character to be especially unlikeable, something that may have been exacerbated because I listened on audio. My eyes may have been able to skim over some especially irritating utterances had I read it in print. However, I believe the unlikeableness was the author's intention, so it didn't put me off, but it's something readers need to be prepared for. The ending felt a bit pat and neat, but, again, not to the extent that it detracted from the story as a whole.

Content Warnings

sireny13's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful reflective sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I flew through this book. It was gripping, it was tense, frustrating and heartbreaking, and I could not put it down.

I loved the dual POV aspect as we got to see both sides of the story, how they preceived life before and after such a monumental change. Their hopes and struggles, their imperfections felt real. The whole story felt raw and honest, and the ending was, in my opinion, perfect.

chantelle_pearce's review against another edition

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2.5

2.5 stars. I don’t know what it was about these characters that I found just so unlikeable but it really impacted my ability to enjoy the story.

penguin555's review against another edition

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emotional reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.5

eje15's review against another edition

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emotional reflective fast-paced

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

4.5

natyweiss's review against another edition

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3.0

Publication day August 6th

Moa Herngren's novel, The Divorce (Translated from the Swedish by Alice Menzies) explores the unraveling of a long-term marriage. Set in the heart of Stockholm, the story revolves around Bea and Niklas, who have shared over twenty years together, seemingly content with their lives alongside their twin teenage daughters. However, the facade of their stable family life shatters when Niklas decides not to return home one evening, a decision that sends ripples through their previously undisturbed existence.

From Bea's perspective, Niklas's sudden departure appears to be part of his midlife crisis, that will eventually pass. However, as the narrative unfolds, it becomes clear that Niklas's motivations are far from arbitrary.

The Divorce is a well-crafted narrative that effectively captures the complexities of a disintegrating marriage. While the characters' motivations may come across as self-centered and unconvincing, Herngren's storytelling and the book's optimistic message makes it a worthwhile read for those interested in contemporary stories of personal and relational introspection.

sipulidippi's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful reflective sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

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