I totally agree with you.

Tt is a geat book....anyway "

Great overview of one that is not among my favourites. From Europe i would suggest Lyacos' Poena Damni trilogy (Leaf by Leaf has a great video on it). Lyacos has also very interesting conversations on various subjects, his latest "Violence and its Other" in The Common is fascinating.

Recently read this book in Russian translation, really enjoyed it

Pynchon is like existentialism; it's something you've heard about but know one really knows what it means. It seems important though. But looking at videos about him I can see that his stuff is really "deep" or profound like let's say Dostoyevsky, but are really just shaggy dog stories that may are may not be meaningful.

Reading it out, love it, and really love your review

My native language is Spanish and literally I was forced to switch halfway through the book to the English version to understand what I was reading. Argentine terminology reaches its peak, to the point that it seemed like a completely different dialect to me. Annie McDermott's task of translating the text into English was titanic. Added to this was the way of delimiting dialogues, the shifts between past, present, and future, the timeless episodes, the overlapping of stories, the non-delimitation of chapters. A challenge that at the end of the book would leave me wondering what the hell did I just read?

Thr rats also sing a song with pointsman or who ever it was .. and dance .. finally some mentions the sex stuff .. perverse

just curious , how many pages do you read on average . I ENJOY YOU VIDEOS

I went in for the 1919 Ukrainian historical fiction vibes and was quite satisfied. Wasn't as satisfied with the mystery element, but it kept my interest. Having cosy bits in the midst of a bloody revolution was different and fun too. I could have done without the magic ear, though. Neither Samson nor the author seemed to know what to do with it. I'd have been spying on people left and right or at least trying to. Still, I'm looking forward to the next volume.

Hello from Turkey Bob, thanks for your great review! Im reading this book now, so far its been a tiring but fun read for me. I read one chapter everyday, Yi Jino's story is interesting and captivating.

The worst book I've read in the past two years. 5/10

If you want to give another Kurkov book a try, I recommend The President's Last Love.

SOLD!🙋‍♀ I don't get the "it's a mystery novel, hence not a Booker book" comments. It's like there's an assumption that a whodunnit can only achieve so much, but there is such a thing as literary mysteries.

Enjoyed listening to your review, thank you.

Why is this fiction? It was a fast read but definitely non-fiction.

I've gone back and forth on whether to put this book on my wishlist, and you have convinced me to add it....manageable magical realism. I just found your channel and, so far, our tastes are similar. 😊

Thank you for the video - always looking forward to...

I didn't mind the book as I like to read about Berlin and this was a time of great change. The realpolitik of the comparisons in life between West and East were fascinating as well the pros and cons of before and after ie who wins out in the end. There was an ending to one chapter where my jaw dropped on the floor (the testing loyalties struggle session part). I suppose for what we learnt of Hans he had to have a strange mindset and psychology to do what he did - his authoritarianism and his ability to keep poker face. His establishment views, one may also say `elitist` (he was essentially at the foothills of the GDR elite) reflected his role both in and out of the relationship. The adultery reflects the two sides of his relationship with the state and his neighbours. For me though it was about 50 pages too long. I wish Christopher Isherwood were around at that time to write it.

Great video!!! Thank you. I couldn't agree more. Nobel price...? This literary award is so discredited, it lost respect and credibility long time ago (for me).

Thank you for your review. I didn't like the book at all, for me it was a waste of time...

"all he would do is shake maracas... kind of that equivalent" 🤣 I know some people are put off by autofiction, but I don't mind it. I never know which bit is "auto" and which one is fiction, so in the end it's all fiction for all I know. I really liked this book. I liked her idea of telling something by recounting her experiences with four people that were significant in her life. Just like that :)

This one sounds interesting to me, but it sounds like one I would prefer to read physically, so maybe I have to get my hands on a copy

Thank you, Mr. Bobsphere, for your excellent review. It sounds like a very good metaphor, and I am just hooked up.

lol "the ES - EEE - EKS"

I am hoping this one is good, it is in the list of the things I am interested in from the international booker

I found this rather important as a book - quite dark energies while being very sunny and hot. It's a tight vibe.

you pronounced Jente perfectly

She is so talented, it is the second book I read from her and I have really enjoyed both

I really liked the bee sting….. the ending completely caught me off guard…. The characters are great… the ending Truely had me on the edge of my seat…..

I had my eye on Brickmakers, but I think you suggested The Wind That Lays Waste to me, if I'm not mistaken. I don't need to have read those two to get to Not a River, right?

I agree with you, the people who can immediately dismiss a longlist as disappointing, without even needing to read the books, are amazing.

Good to have you back for a while! I have read the other two which were very good, and her non fiction book Dead Girls too. Excellent author.

I really liked Not a River too! Definitely want to read the other two in the trilogy!

Austerlitz is one of my all time favourites - glad you found it eventually!

Fish soup also did nothing for me, but I am also not into short stories

When reviewing a book please don't start with a spoiler. I haven't read it and right away when I came onto your channel you just spoiled the first surprise for me. Please. Don't do that. And it helps to warn people with a screen saying SPOILER ALERT. PLEASE. I come here to find books to read; not have them spoiled for me.

Course hero has good summaries of the episodes (the parts between the square boxes). I'm currently stuck around page 100.

It's not often that a book and a pillow feature in one short video. Better it seems might be a fictional book about rivalry in the world of cheese making in Holland, entitled This Other Edam?

You were right, well prophetized! Sadly, another winner that has no appeal for me.

I absolutely loved this book too! ❤

I'm currently reading it.

Am definitely sold now! Do you know if it came out too late to be a contender for this past cycle of the Booker International? (Or did it just not make the list?)

I think, this is the best book from the shortlist

Do you've goodreads?

Another reviewer said she didn't like the main character which is why she couldn't enjoy the book. Did you like her? Was it important to like her in order to appreciate the story?

I finished it last night. I didn't know where it was heading when I started it, but as I read on, I felt it progressed steadily, and it culminated in a tight final section. I liked how well-rounded her storytelling was: how she also focused on the significance of places and things. At times, places felt almost corporeal to me. The other thing I loved was how unassuming it was too. I don't know how long this will stay with me, but last night I had the feeling I had just finished this longlist's hidden gem.

We had 5 of the same in our prediction. I changed a spell of good things for in ascension, even though that book annoyed me

Waiting on this book to come in for me at my library

I thought I'd see 🐱when your door opened in minute 4:05.