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The book follows Istvan through various stages of his life. He says little more than “yeah” or “okay.” In one sense it‘s easy to read; very short blunt sentences, little in the way of dialogue. In another sense it‘s hard to read; who is Istvan, what is he thinking? Yet of course, this is the point. Definitely a book that benefits reading a review or two as you go along I think. In short - odd and intriguing, glad I read it, glad it‘s finished.

A good story about the five children who survived a cult, four of whom have spent 15 years trying to make sense of it. Chapters from the past and chapters from the present culminate in the discovery of what really happened all those years ago. I had to suspend my sense of disbelief to get to the end of this one. A soft pick as the characters didn‘t really resonate with me, yet the mystery kept my attention.

This is why I follow the Women's Prize each year more than any other.

The multiple POVs were a little much at times, and I found the miscommunication trope that drives the "heartbreak" part of the story a little ridiculous. Overall, though, I found the story engaging and readable. This was my October #Bookspin @TheAromaofBooks

I enjoyed this. As others have said the writing style is paired down and sparse. I think that reflects both the idea of the Eastern European and the Man. This is a character study and can be taken quite philosophically.
It is also a bit depressing! István goes along to get along and that leads to some really unfortunate situations. I really appreciate how Szalay portrayed mental health in aan we would assume avoids it.

I finished this just b4 the prize announcement. I see the merit in the life story of Istzan, a Hungarian immigrant, + found the book v absorbing but I dont know if I actually liked the book. Its a book abt modern masculinity, so he is monosyllabic drawn into sexual relationships and struggles to express his feelings, including significant losses. It certainly is a book to discuss in a time where toxicity of negative male influences is prevalent.

Finished this a few weeks ago and have been so busy going back to work after maternity leave that I forgot to post it! I love chewy family dramas and this was a good one. Yes, the characters are all horrible but I tend to enjoy that. It did take me forever to read, but I‘m a very slow reader these days!

Well. That was depressing.
Very effective writing style, but I have some reservations about the plot. Soft pick.
Can I see why it won the #Booker ? Yes, but I would still have gone with Audition 😂

https://youtu.be/QZkjTuw3Tvw?si=97d1Shc_4_tBKZbE

Thoughts on this year's Booker winner.

Still ill and droopy lol.