The Museum of Abandoned Secrets

Overall I really enjoyed this book - I think the stream of consciousness style works really well with the kind of story this book is trying to tell (after all, the only way the characters can uncover whatever truth remains is to circle around it like that) and it's a great book for annotating if you enjoy that sort of thing. Some of the ideas and sentences blew me away. On the other hand, there's a lot of really nasty writing about women to get through, and I don't think the final reveal of one character's Jewish heritage worked at all (unbelievable that a modern author would describe a Jewish character as looking as if he had horns!!!!).

I read this book for a course about Ukrainian literature and this was by far my favorite book of the semester. There is a lot to love about “The Museum of Abandoned Secrets” The plots you follow are engaging, the writing style is beautiful, and the ending provides a satisfying payoff. Each of the main characters are fleshed out and complex- the protagonists aren't always likable but they're always compelling.

Of course, “The Museum of Abandonment Secrets” is not perfect. The storyline follows multiple perspectives and can be a little confusing because the author tends to get into tangents. I'd recommend going in with a little context about Ukrainian History. But overall, this is one book you won't regret reading!