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The Discomfort of Evening
The Discomfort of Evening | Marieke Lucas Rijneveld
43 posts | 32 read | 25 to read
The sensational Dutch bestseller: Marieke Lucas Rijneveld's extraordinary portrait of a Dutch farming family distorted by grief, translated by Michele Hutchison. I thought about being too small for so much, but that no one told you when you were big enough ... and I asked God if he please couldn't take my brother Matthies instead of my rabbit. 'Amen.' Jas lives with her devout farming family in the rural Netherlands. One winter's day, her older brother joins an ice skating trip; resentful at being left alone, she makes a perverse plea to God; he never returns. As grief overwhelms the farm, Jas succumbs to a vortex of increasingly disturbing fantasies, watching her family disintegrate into a darkness that threatens to derail them all. A bestselling sensation in the Netherlands by a prize-winning young poet, Marieke Lucas Rijneveld's debut novel lays everything bare. It is a world of language unlike any other, which Michele Hutchison's striking translation captures in all its wild, violent beauty. Studded with unforgettable images - visceral, raw, surreal -The Discomfort of Evening is a radical reading experience that will leave you changed forever.
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review
andrew61
The Discomfort of Evening | Marieke Lucas Rijneveld
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Pickpick

Every Xmas at Rdg grp we do a secret santa, my friend told me that she wanted me to get the one she had put in as I'd probably appreciate it. I'm not sure what says about me as my mouth is still on the floor; I will never look on a green soap comfortably again, and a cow udder rub! Disturbing images and ideas, sibling relationships that defy imagination, and a distressing ending. Still not sure what I think and certainly a very unique book.

sarahbarnes Great review. I‘ve had this one on my shelf for a year and keep putting it off. 2y
batsy I had a hard time with this one, but can't deny that the writing is brilliant. 2y
44 likes2 comments
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squirrelbrain
The Discomfort of Evening | Marieke Lucas Rijneveld
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Pickpick

Playing a bit of catch-up with reviews….

I think I went into this one over-prepared for the grimness, which was a good thing. It didn‘t make it an easier read but I had an idea of what was coming.

Aside from the nasty bits (of which there are a LOT - all of the TWs) this is a study of a grieving family through the eyes of a child.

This book will stay with me for a long time - thank you for gifting it to me @BarbaraBB

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AliceFaustus
The Discomfort of Evening | Marieke Lucas Rijneveld
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"... everything gets stuck. Game over."

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Pinta
The Discomfort of Evening | Marieke Lucas Rijneveld
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^^P137, 10-year-old Jas talking to the toads she is surreptitiously keeping (and slowly killing?) in her room. She wants to watch them mate, she wants companionship and control.

Asking the toads about God, questions and more questions.

“...maybe I‘ll even dare to take off my coat. Even though it will feel uncomfortable for a while, but according to the pastor, discomfort is good. In discomfort we are real.”

review
Pinta
The Discomfort of Evening | Marieke Lucas Rijneveld
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Mehso-so

Yikes. Discomfort is the least of it. Trauma and cruelty and coming of age. A family in an isolated Dutch dairy farming community spirals deeper into grief after accidental death of brother. 10-year-old Jas speculates on the whys, wrestles with her own feelings of guilt, refuses to remove her coat, suffers from intestinal troubles, is pulled to violence. Dark narrative with some beautiful language, but ultimately just bleak & cruel. Trans. 2020

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pigeonsandcrows
The Discomfort of Evening | Marieke Lucas Rijneveld
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Panpan

Wow, that was unpleasant. Winner of the 2020 Booker International Prize, this novel traces in excruciating detail the simultaneously mundane and grotesque happenings on a dairy farm in the Netherlands in the year after the oldest child, 12 year old Matthies, dies in an accident. Relentlessly repulsive and depressing without redemption, and chock full of animal cruelty and incest. Not recommended.

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BookishTrish
The Discomfort of Evening | Marieke Lucas Rijneveld
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Utterly devastating #12bestof2020 #12booksof2020

BarbaraBB Happy new year 🤍🥂! Yesterday I saw an interview with the author. She‘s so young and sweet, I could hardly imagine her writing this book 😀 4y
52 likes1 comment
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Chavelafab
The Discomfort of Evening | Marieke Lucas Rijneveld
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Here is a good example of the writing - which I liked

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Chavelafab
The Discomfort of Evening | Marieke Lucas Rijneveld
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Mehso-so

Mixed thoughts and feelings about this one. Hence the So So rating. Well written but disturbing themes. It‘s about grief and I like how it‘s described, the impact on the family and the children. Another unusual thing is the very religious farming community viewed through the eyes of a child.

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Bookish.SAM
The Discomfort of Evening | Marieke Lucas Rijneveld
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Pickpick

I did not see that ending coming...
😦

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Godpants
The Discomfort of Evening | Marieke Lucas Rijneveld
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Pickpick

Well that was all kinds of fucked up. A story about pure despair and abandonment and neglect and every form of child abuse and an unreliable narrator. It‘s super gross and very uncomfortable to read but it‘s so well written and engaging. It‘s absolutely not for everyone.

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Godpants
The Discomfort of Evening | Marieke Lucas Rijneveld
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I‘ve been looking forward to this one for a long time. I‘ve finally got my physical holds under control so can dip back into my ebooks.

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MySharonaK
The Discomfort of Evening | Marieke Lucas Rijneveld
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Panpan

Finally finished this book. I could barely stomach it, literally it made me feel queasy and nauseous. Not only is it an uncomfortable read it‘s also disgusting and has everything in the world that is triggering and upsetting. The author is talented, because her ability to tell a story in a fresh and believable way, however, I won‘t recommend this book to anybody. when I finished I was so glad to return the book to the library and be off with it

Texreader Thanks for the warnings! I‘ll have to steer clear and of this one! 4y
lazydaizee This book sounds like it could be upsetting for the reader. I like to read to escape , so I will not be reading this . 4y
MySharonaK @Carolyn60 that‘s exactly that! , not only is there no escapism but it has cruelty and abuse 4y
See All 6 Comments
charl08 I've yet to hear a positive review of this one! 4y
Soul What is it exactly about? 4y
MySharonaK @Soul it‘s the story of a family living in rural Netherlands and how they deal with grief over the death of the son 4y
93 likes1 stack add6 comments
review
Jari-chan
The Discomfort of Evening | Marieke Lucas Rijneveld
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Pickpick

This book is uncomfortable, disturbing and intense. Onr where you want to shake and slap the characters, so they finally wake up. A book that grabs you by the throat and enjoyes seeing you suffering. That these things are happening in the world makes it even more unsettling.

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WellReadCatLady
The Discomfort of Evening | Marieke Lucas Rijneveld
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The effects of trauma on a family who ignores what happened. Sometimes uncomfortable, but it makes sense why these uncomfortable moments happen.

20 likes1 stack add
review
Heideschrampf
The Discomfort of Evening | Marieke Lucas Rijneveld
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Pickpick

Discomfort is right. This is full of trauma, repressed issues and unvoiced needs, all wrapped up into a painfully innocent narrative. There‘s also a good deal of preteen sexuality in there, so in general: stay away if you‘re feeling queasy easily! For the rest of you: this is a unflinchingly honest perspective of loss at an early age, with no tools to cope, support or guidance by your equally lost parents. This one‘s a bummer, promise! #bookspin

batsy I'm all for grim, but this one was too much of a bummer for me to the point of numbness. 4y
Heideschrampf @batsy i hear you. i had to take breaks inbetween and was afraid to start up again each time, but I‘m glad I did. I mean that it leaves such an impactful impression just goes to show how well they craft their writing. It‘s supposed to hurt to numbness i think, since the topic is THAT heavy. I only feel able to appreciate it with a little hindsight now, but while reading the oppressive atmosphere really had me struggle (edited) 4y
TheAromaofBooks Doesn't sound like it's for me, but I'm glad you were able to gain from it!! 4y
45 likes1 stack add3 comments
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ImperfectCJ
The Discomfort of Evening | Marieke Lucas Rijneveld
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Mehso-so

I've heard that crisis is an amplifier. Sometimes crisis reveals and amplifies strength; other times, weakness. This novel is a brutal, claustrophobic example of the latter as a family disintegrates in the wake of tragedy. The story envelopes the reader, which is both a testament to the skill of the author and a very unpleasant experience. I just wanted to yell at the adults to pay attention.

This is my #bookspin for September. @TheAromaofBooks

TheAromaofBooks Great review!! 4y
Gissy This novel won the international prize but I heard that it is not the best and it has low reviews in GR. Some critics were surprised that this novel won the prize instead of other nominated. What do you think about that after you read it? 4y
ImperfectCJ @Gissy The only other title on the shortlist that I've read is The Memory Police. This one is well written, but I prefer the subtlety and fantasy/surrealism in The Memory Police. It seems like in the past year or so awards committees (at least this one and National Book Award) are showing a preference for provocative stories regardless of other factors. It's probably a reflection of our time. 4y
BarbaraBB I was surprised when it won the International Booker Prize. It was a so-so for me too but my 16-year old daughter read it and really loved it so it may be targeted at a younger generation. The author is young herself too. So in that case it may be a reflection of our time as well. 4y
44 likes4 comments
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ReadingEnvy
The Discomfort of Evening | Marieke Lucas Rijneveld
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Reading Envy Podcast Episode 199: Awkward Melacholy with Karen.

Karen returns to chat books, and we talk about how we met the Reading Envy Summer Reading challenge, the awkward melancholy of books we are drawn to in dark times, and the translated standalone graphic memoirs that seem to call to each of us.

Listen and subscribe:
https://tinyurl.com/ReadingEnvy199

rachelm Oh yay, translated graphic novels are one of my favorite genres 4y
ReadingEnvy @rachelm can you think of any favorites? 4y
rachelm Oo, most of mine are at my office (which I haven‘t gotten to go to in months) but first to mind is 4y
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Centique It‘s always lovely to listen to Karen. I‘ve just started the Dublin Murder Squad series and she made me excited to read the next one. Great episode! 4y
Centique Also - time travel - true to brand! 😂😂 4y
ReadingEnvy @Centique ha great! 4y
37 likes6 comments
review
ReadingEnvy
The Discomfort of Evening | Marieke Lucas Rijneveld
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Pickpick

This book won the International Booker Prize a day ago or so and at that point I was at the halfway point. It is about Jas, a girl of around 10, trying to make sense of the world around her after the death of her brother. It takes place in the rural Netherlands, where her family runs a farm with cows. ⤵️

ReadingEnvy The voice of Jas is vibrant, combining the limited understanding of that age with what she can observe and with what she's understood from what others have taught her - religion, science, manners, etc. Along with her siblings, their understanding of the world almost creates its own mythology.

Her parents check out in their grief, and she has to navigate quite a bit on her own, arguably to the point of neglect. She struggles with digestion, safety, and hygiene, and she's never going to take off her coat.
4y
ReadingEnvy I don't think this book will be for everyone. Topics that may be troubling include sexual exploration/abuse (the line is a bit blurry I must say, at least from Jas's perspective), animal cruelty and animal death, death of a child, suicidal ideation, and, well, poo. There is a lot about bodily functions here, so much that I started wondering if I was supposed to insert Freud into my understanding here. I didn't but ....
4y
ReadingEnvy I kept thinking back to a book I read a couple of years ago - Kassandra and the Wolf by Margarita Karapanou, with the unforgettable voice of a young child and her Frank somewhat disturbing world viewpoint. I think readers that like one will like the other. 4y
ReadingEnvy I haven't read more than one other International Booker Prize shortlist title, but I would have chosen this book over that one. I'd like to eventually read all of them, but I still have my eye on some of the long list titles 4y
37 likes4 comments
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charl08
The Discomfort of Evening | Marieke Lucas Rijneveld
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Winner!

49 likes1 stack add
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rockpools
The Discomfort of Evening | Marieke Lucas Rijneveld
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The Discomfort of Evening just won the #BookerInternational2020 . It may not be what I would have chosen, but it was certainly memorable and beautifully written- congratulations to Marieke Lucas Rijneveld.

In random other news, I started a blog. It‘s very much a work in progress, but my first post is about attempting to read the longlist for the prize this year.

https://bit.ly/2QtAZ0Y

TrishB I shall try and remember to look 😁 4y
squirrelbrain Loved that! You have such a great writing style - I shall keep an eye out for more.... 4y
Cathythoughts Just had a look ... lovely writing ❤️ 4y
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sprainedbrain Woohoo! Following your blog. Great post. ✨ 4y
rockpools @TrishB 😬 Thought I‘d post it quick before I chickened out! 4y
rockpools @squirrelbrain Thanks Helen - it‘ll likely be highly erratic... 4y
rockpools @Cathythoughts Ah - thank you Cathy 😘 4y
rockpools @sprainedbrain Yay! Thank you 😊. I‘m diving in and bumbling through - I‘ll work out follows and things eventually! 4y
TrishB Great and entertaining writing Rachel. I need to read some of these now 👍🏻 let us know when you put anymore up. Don‘t know where you find the time or the motivation. 4y
61 likes9 comments
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erzascarletbookgasm
The Discomfort of Evening | Marieke Lucas Rijneveld
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“The 29-year-old Dutch author Marieke Lucas Rijneveld has become the youngest author ever to win the International Booker prize, taking the award for their “visceral and virtuosic” debut novel, The Discomfort of Evening.”

https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.theguardian.com/books/2020/aug/26/marieke-lucas...

@batsy @JennyM This grim book that you‘re both not in favour of, has won!

BarbaraBB You were watching the livestream as well? I am proud of her even though I didn‘t like the book that much too. It was very well written but unpleasant too. 4y
erzascarletbookgasm @BarbaraBB Yes I was! 😊 I haven‘t read the book.. you should rightly be! Well done to her. It‘s also a bestseller in 🇳🇱, right? 4y
BarbaraBB It was, it was published here in 2018. 4y
batsy Good for Rijneveld, as their writing is incredibly strong. The novel's style, particularly its depiction of trauma, didn't work for me. 4y
JennyM @BarbaraBB @batsy well there you go! Good on her - even though it was unpleasant, I recognise that only a very talented writer could make me feel like that. 4y
55 likes5 comments
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BarbaraBB
The Discomfort of Evening | Marieke Lucas Rijneveld
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She did it, Marieke Lucas Rijneveld just won the #internationalbookerprize2020. Not my favorite but I feel proud of this young Dutch girl for winning such an important prize. “Be relentless”, she said in het speech. Well, she certainly is in her book.

erzascarletbookgasm Ha! I just posted this too :) 4y
Megabooks That‘s fantastic that a woman from the Netherlands won. I didn‘t read any of the books this year, but pleased my friend‘s country took it home! 😊 (it‘s been an off year as far as award nominees.) 4y
BarbaraBB @Megabooks I haven‘t as read as many as I usually do either. Lots of easy reads this year for me but I do feel I am getting a bit fed up with them. 4y
Megabooks I feel like I‘m kind of in a holding pattern waiting for my dad to come home. I just don‘t know what life will be like in October and after, so I‘m trying to be gentle with myself. I guess I‘m giving myself a bit of a pass on reading anything that doesn‘t feel right. 🤷🏻‍♀️ 4y
BarbaraBB @Megabooks You are right to do so. Be gentle with yourself indeed. Lots of things are going on in your life right now. 💚🍀 4y
62 likes5 comments
review
JennyM
The Discomfort of Evening | Marieke Lucas Rijneveld
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Mehso-so

For various reasons - and as I was warned - I found this quite disturbing to read. It‘s full of death and trauma, with some violence and abuse thrown in. A pretty unpleasant read overall and, other than the writing managing to make me feel very depressed, I‘m not sure why it was shortlisted for the Booker International.

Read for #ReadingEurope2020 #Netherlands but should have listened to you Barbara and skipped it!

Librarybelle Great review! 4y
JennyM @Librarybelle I hope I‘ve sufficiently put you off! 4y
Librarybelle Haha...I think I may skip this one! 4y
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batsy Pretty much how I felt! 4y
TrishB I‘ll leave this one. 4y
Kalalalatja Yeah, I‘m giving it a pass, too 😅 4y
BarbaraBB It is a great review. So depressing indeed. Not what we need! 4y
JennyM @TrishB this is definitely a hard pass for you, Trish as there is animal cruelty 👎🏼 4y
JennyM @Kalalalatja wise decision! 4y
JennyM @BarbaraBB @batsy exactly. A very grim and disturbing book 😞 4y
TrishB Definitely not be looking at ☹️ 4y
52 likes11 comments
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JennyM
The Discomfort of Evening | Marieke Lucas Rijneveld
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I wanted to read one translated book per month for #ReadingEurope2020. I‘m a little behind, which makes me sad. However, for this month I‘m excited to start ☝️
Have you read it @BarbaraBB ? I hear it was a bestseller in The Netherlands

BarbaraBB It has got a lot of publicity because it is shortlisted for the International Booker Prize. I have mixed feelings though. It‘s very well written (in Dutch at least) but extremely unpleasant to read. When you read it you‘ll soon know what I mean. I wouldn‘t really recommend it. Looking forward to your thoughts 😀😘 4y
Librarybelle I‘ve seen the reviews for this one. It sounds like it is well written but not an easy read. I am interested in your review. 4y
JennyM @Librarybelle @barbarabb now I‘ve seen some of the reviews, and your thoughts, I‘m a little scared! I‘m not sure I‘m in the right headspace to deal with grim and unpleasant. But I will give it a go 😘 4y
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BarbaraBB I could give you lots of other suggestions if you are looking for a translated Dutch book! 4y
erzascarletbookgasm I think @batsy has read it. 4y
Tanisha_A @BarbaraBB Yesss! Suggestions for translated Dutch books sound good. Please do! 🤗 4y
JennyM @Tanisha_A @barbarabb - ooo, that would be fab. Thanks Barbara 😘😘😘 🇳🇱 4y
JennyM @erzascarletbookgasm I had a belated scroll through the reviews and see it‘s pretty much a pan or a so-so. @batsy wasn‘t a fan either. I‘m kind of regretting picking it up now 😬 4y
BarbaraBB @JennyM @Tanisha_A I tagged you both in an earlier post of mine 🇳🇱 4y
JennyM @BarbaraBB thankyou 👍 4y
batsy @JennyM @erzascarletbookgasm Yes, I thought the writing was brilliant but it was way too grim for me! And that's not something that's usually a problem... In this novel I found it overwhelmingly abject. 4y
Kalalalatja Lovely photo, though! 😅 4y
43 likes1 stack add12 comments
review
reneelyons
The Discomfort of Evening | Marieke Lucas Rijneveld
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Mehso-so

This is a nearly impossible book to review. If you‘ve read this book, please share your thoughts! A study of grief in some ways, grotesquely exploitative in others. Deeply conflicting and controversial. I‘ll give it 3/5 stars, but with the potential to have been 5/5 stars for me.

Full review: https://reneereadsbooks.wordpress.com/2020/05/08/book-review-the-discomfort-of-e...

review
batsy
The Discomfort of Evening | Marieke Lucas Rijneveld
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Mehso-so

A difficult book to review. Objectively speaking I can appreciate the writing & the stark beauty that occasionally graces the pages; the depth of despair & grief revolving around the death of a son/brother is profound. There were sudden moments or glimmers of mood that evoke this despair that crushed me. But otherwise I was also crushed by the unremitting grimness, the ugliness, the brutality. Longer review in Goodreads https://bit.ly/2yrwcYa

erzascarletbookgasm Excellent review on GR. Sounds brutal and grim, and all those triggers. 😟 5y
batsy @erzascarletbookgasm Thanks, J. It is indeed an unrelentingly tough book. 5y
Suet624 Wow. Your GR review makes me appreciate what you just experienced in reading this book! 5y
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batsy @Suet624 It is quite *a lot*! So I think maybe people might have deeply personal and differing reactions to it :) 5y
BarbaraBB Great review. I felt about the same. So much misery and gory details that didn‘t add much to the story imo. 5y
BookwormM I was disappointed with all the unnecessary abusive details for me they detracted from the grief 5y
batsy @BarbaraBB Thank you! Yes I actually felt quite hostile towards the book at one point for how violent it was, and considered bailing @BookwormM 5y
rubyslippersreads I‘m glad you read it for me so I don‘t have to. 😏 5y
85 likes9 comments
review
BookishTrish
The Discomfort of Evening | Marieke Lucas Rijneveld
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Pickpick

Traumatizing and grim but beautifully written.

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Mitch
The Discomfort of Evening | Marieke Lucas Rijneveld
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Love these articles behind book cover design ... in another lifetime it‘s on my dream job shortlist!

https://www.faber.co.uk/blog/cover-design-the-discomfort-of-evening/?utm_source=...

Librariana I've always found that particular aspect fascinating, too! 5y
RowReads1 Thanks for posting! 5y
tracey38 So interesting 5y
63 likes3 comments
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BookishTrish
The Discomfort of Evening | Marieke Lucas Rijneveld
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1/3 done and things are grim and getting grimmer. On the plus side, I have some Dutch music on my phone to listen to as I read. The book keeps mentioning Boudewijn de Groot so that‘s my morning soundtrack.

BiblioLitten I listen to the music mentioned in books too. And I always google the food mentioned.😁 5y
BarbaraBB I could give you some other suggestions 😀 4y
BookishTrish @BarbaraBB Yes please! 4y
BarbaraBB This is my favorite Dutch band. It‘s a bit of rock and blues and their lyrics are awesome I think: https://open.spotify.com/user/spotify/playlist/37i9dQZF1DZ06evO2wA203?si=WrFdsX8... 4y
54 likes5 comments
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BookishTrish
The Discomfort of Evening | Marieke Lucas Rijneveld
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Oh the drama! I came back from re re heating my coffee to find my book housing a cat spa #EarlGrey

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BookishTrish
The Discomfort of Evening | Marieke Lucas Rijneveld
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Nowhere to go, nothing urgent needs done. I‘ve sent the kids downstairs to build a blanket fort and all is peaceful upstairs. I feel calm for the first time in weeks. It‘s a start.

BarbaraBB This book is not really good for calmness I think... take care 💚 5y
BookishTrish @BarbaraBB Thanks for the heads up. I‘m 70 pages in and think maybe the bad thing has already happened? 5y
BookishTrish @BarbaraBB I really chose it because it was originally written in Dutch and I‘m learning Dutch now. 5y
See All 6 Comments
BarbaraBB @BookishTrish It‘s just all these gory details even after the bad thing happens. I really found it a little disgusting at times, even though it‘s written beautiful. 5y
BookishTrish @BarbaraBB oh man! I‘d kinda thought it‘d be okay once I pushed past the bad thing. I may have to bail. So glad I have a cozy mystery on hand too 5y
BookishTrish @BarbaraBB The whole book was traumatizing and yet I couldn‘t stop reading 5y
74 likes6 comments
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BookishTrish
The Discomfort of Evening | Marieke Lucas Rijneveld
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I was ten and stopped taking off my coat. #firstlineFridays

review
BarbaraBB
The Discomfort of Evening | Marieke Lucas Rijneveld
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Mehso-so

A very conservative religious peasant family is affected by the death of a child. Through the eyes of the young Jas we see how each family member deals with this loss. The parents are completely paralyzed by sadness and fail to see how Jas and her siblings are derailing slowly. As @RachelO stated, it was ‘beyond unpleasant‘ to read, but very well written and it kept me reading on.

#bookerinternational2020 #Dutch

rockpools Great review. And I hadn‘t seen the Dutch cover - it‘s suitably dark - but I‘m loving your sunny home! 5y
BarbaraBB @RachelO Yes it‘s tempting to go outside but I‘ll stay in! 5y
BookishTrish Thank you for posting the Dutch cover! 5y
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BarbaraBB @BookishTrish You‘re welcome 😀. How is your Dutch going? If you need Dutch books, please let me know. I‘d be happy to send you one! 5y
BookishTrish @barbaraBb Great actually! I‘m about 190 days in at 15 minutes a day. I know about 1500 words and can read easy kids books - or could when I had access to a library. 5y
BookishTrish I‘d love if you send me one sometime. Very very much. 5y
BarbaraBB Send me an email with your address. I will find a good and easy one (middle grade or so) and send it to you. Or if you have a specific title in mind tell me. I can probably buy it cheaply here! (edited) 5y
BarbaraBB @BookishTrish I come across our conversation above and realize you did not send me an email, did you? Or did you and haven‘t I received it? 4y
BookishTrish I did! Ages ago! I‘ll bet I forgot the second a in Barbara! So sorry! 4y
BarbaraBB @BookishTrish I‘m happy I‘ve asked again, so you won‘t think I didn‘t react at all!! I will find you some nice book, if you are still interested in reading Dutch. ❤️🤍💙 4y
76 likes10 comments
review
rockpools
The Discomfort of Evening | Marieke Lucas Rijneveld
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Mehso-so

#bookerinternational2020

This is such a hard book to review - I appreciated and disliked it in equal measure. 10-year-old Jas, the narrator, has a unique voice which grabbed me from the start. Growing up on a farm in the Netherlands, family life is guided by the conservative 'blackstocking' Reformist church. When her oldest brother dies, the family's grief is swallowed - and all-pervasive. 👇

rockpools Rijneveld is a poet, which is very clear through their writing - their observations are acute and striking. The atmosphere, indeed the family's whole world, is heavy with sadness and you long for someone to give these kids a hug. The 'earthiness' of farm life, however, is taken to another level, and incestuous acts and the children's obsession with death make this a very uncomfortable read.

#bookerinternational2020
5y
squirrelbrain Great review! 👍😁 5y
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rockpools @squirrelbrain Thank you 😊. Now I‘m off to find a book about sunshine, daffodils and chocolate cake, or something similar! 5y
squirrelbrain Exactly! That‘s what I feel that I need, I‘m not hating either book that I‘m reading (Wolf Hall and Illyrian Spring) but I need something happy-making right now! 5y
Librarybelle Great review! 5y
BarbaraBB Great review. I just finished this one too and am struggling with my review. I loved the writing but what she wrote was so often disgusting! 5y
rockpools @BarbaraBB Thanks Barbara! It really was beyond unpleasant- but at the same time, quite, I don‘t know, affecting maybe. With this and the last NF I read (and some sand dunes photos that have been popping up recently 😊) it‘s started a minor Netherlands obsession though. I‘m planning a trip, just as soon as ‘normal‘ kicks in! 5y
BarbaraBB Haha let me know if / when you come, I‘ll give you directions to those Sand dunes 😀. I so hope things will get to normal before too long. Today our media mentioned the amount of people infected as stabilizing in the Netherlands which, if true, would be such good news 🤞🏽😘 (edited) 5y
rockpools @BarbaraBB That would be such good news! 🤞. I think we‘re a long way from that here yet 😕, sort-of lockdown‘s only just kicking in now 🤷🏻‍♀️ 5y
58 likes10 comments
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rockpools
The Discomfort of Evening | Marieke Lucas Rijneveld
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Very tempted to add a worm sticker to this 😖

Why are so many prize-nominated books so relentlessly grim? There‘s a lot I like about this - the young main character has a unique voice, so many interesting thoughts and asides, the writing is great. But I do feel like I‘m reading the whole thing with my nose screwed up. Again. And I will be very glad to get out the other side of this one. Again!

#bookerinternational2020

Moray_Reads It is grim, but brilliant. I loved it even though I was very uncomfortable with some of it 5y
rockpools @Moray_Reads I like the quotes you‘ve been posting - I do think the writing‘s great. But I‘m only at the half-way point and it feels like a long way to the end! 5y
TheAromaofBooks I'm always confused by why, apparently, in order to be considered “literary,“ a book must relinquish any spark of hope or happiness within its pages! 5y
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rockpools @TheAromaofBooks Ha! I almost tagged you in my last review. The storyline was veering towards Stoner-but-gross. And without the wonderful writing. It was a real joy! I have, however, started Red Dog, which might be all sorts of wrong, and will probably turn miserable before the end, but it‘s really good fun. 5y
TheAromaofBooks It's true, at least Stoner had beautiful writing to somewhat rescue it (although still not over the not-even-the-daughter-can-have-a-kind-of-happy-ending). Keep me posted on Red Dog - it at least sounds like it has some epic adventuring! 5y
BookwormM How far have you got into this one? Nearly finished with Serotonin which is infinitely less gross 5y
rockpools @BookwormM Half way. Should be done by Saturday. I‘m not getting Happy Ever After vibes from this one!! 5y
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Occy
De avond is ongemak | Marieke Lucas Rijneveld
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Mehso-so