Blue sky, green trees.
I made it to page 150 of 197 and I just couldn't muster the energy or interest to continue. I low-level want to know what happens but not enough to keep reading. The plot of this book should have been compelling - family betrayals, yay! - but for me it falls flat.
I made it to page 150 of 197 and I just couldn't muster the energy or interest to continue. I low-level want to know what happens but not enough to keep reading. The plot of this book should have been compelling - family betrayals, yay! - but for me it falls flat.
I find it very difficult to rate and review this book. On the one hand the story is great and the writing style is FANTASTIC. On the other hand all of the characters are depressing and Miren in particular is poisoned by envy and bitterness; it was truly upsetting to read about her verbally and emotionally abusing her family and friends.
So, a great book but also very difficult. Proceed with caution.
I find it very difficult to rate and review this book. On the one hand the story is great and the writing style is FANTASTIC. On the other hand all of the characters are depressing and Miren in particular is poisoned by envy and bitterness; it was truly upsetting to read about her verbally and emotionally abusing her family and friends.
So, a great book but also very difficult. Proceed with caution.
Added to listAuf Deutschwith 101 books.
Added to listNaturewith 56 books.
Added to listFavoriteswith 67 books.
Added to listGermanywith 96 books.
Absolutely incredible. I loved that it covered so many aspects of life, from theft to theater to love. I suspect that many readers will be extremely curious about denazification, as was I, and the chapter does not disappoint; frankly, it stunned me.
One thing that I particularly loved was that Brigitte Eicke's diary was one of the sources of information for this book. See, she grew up on the street that I now live on, in fact I can see her door from my living room. So her input for this book had particular meaning to me, and gave me a little thrill every time I saw her name. For the curious, Eicke's diary is called Backfisch im Bombenkrieg (Teenager in the War), available only in German as of this writing.
Absolutely incredible. I loved that it covered so many aspects of life, from theft to theater to love. I suspect that many readers will be extremely curious about denazification, as was I, and the chapter does not disappoint; frankly, it stunned me.
One thing that I particularly loved was that Brigitte Eicke's diary was one of the sources of information for this book. See, she grew up on the street that I now live on, in fact I can see her door from my living room. So her input for this book had particular meaning to me, and gave me a little thrill every time I saw her name. For the curious, Eicke's diary is called Backfisch im Bombenkrieg (Teenager in the War), available only in German as of this writing.
Added to listBookclubwith 43 books.
Added to listMysterywith 120 books.
Added to listNon Fictionwith 373 books.
Interesting and well-written science book. I did find it to be overly long, some of the diseases discussed could have been cut in order to keep it lean and zesty.
I also have to say that in the chapter about typhoid, I thought it was irresponsible of the author to declare that Mary Mallon (aka Typhoid Mary) had a mental illness when there is no indication that she was ever diagnosed with one - a fact that the author freely admits immediately after asserting the mental illness claim. Just because someone has a disagreeable personality, and sometimes doesn't conform to social norms, doesn't mean they have a mental illness. The willingness of the author to label people as mentally ill, having never met them and coming from an entirely different cultural period, is deeply troubling.
Interesting and well-written science book. I did find it to be overly long, some of the diseases discussed could have been cut in order to keep it lean and zesty.
I also have to say that in the chapter about typhoid, I thought it was irresponsible of the author to declare that Mary Mallon (aka Typhoid Mary) had a mental illness when there is no indication that she was ever diagnosed with one - a fact that the author freely admits immediately after asserting the mental illness claim. Just because someone has a disagreeable personality, and sometimes doesn't conform to social norms, doesn't mean they have a mental illness. The willingness of the author to label people as mentally ill, having never met them and coming from an entirely different cultural period, is deeply troubling.
Added to listOwnedwith 542 books.
It's like the love child of a fairy tale book and an inter-generational novel about mothers and daughters - I loved it.
It's like the love child of a fairy tale book and an inter-generational novel about mothers and daughters - I loved it.
