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Most Helpful Reviews
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Liked It “Absolutely stunning and chock full of interesting artifacts to dig up. A generous novel with pleasurable characteristics and frollicking plot and story line. Imaginative and lovely.” see full review » see other reviews » |
Didn’t Like It “I can't get through it. It's boring, whiny, and self indulgent. I am just not interested. I can't figure it out. I've managed to shovel my way through half of it, and I simply don't care. I'm done.” see full review » see other reviews » |
Newest Reviews
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“Great murder mystery set in turn of the century Chicago involving an Eastern European immigrant and the chief of police.”
ivana n wrote this review Monday, November 23 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No“I liked it but it didn't really come to a conclusion in the end”
Hester H wrote this review Sunday, October 25 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“I wish that I knew more of the back-drop of which his character Brik, and undoubtly himself, was a part of. I felt he left out information on being Jewish, being Bosnian, the war, and so on, as not to be heavy handed, but unfortunately if you don't know the history here, it's a little more difficult to fully appreciate the book. His perspective was also very masculine, so I felt a little distant due to this too. These critiques are not to be negative about the book whatsoever. It really was beautifully written and I think that it really would speak to males, especially immigrant males in America. In short, I won't recommend it someone like me with no knowledge of the pogroms of Eastern Europe, or if a very masculine perspective will further distance you from this book. I laughed quite a bit; and sice have been educating myself, always a good sign if a book sparks you to learn more.”
Christine D wrote this review Tuesday, October 20 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No“I can't get through it. It's boring, whiny, and self indulgent. I am just not interested. I can't figure it out. I've managed to shovel my way through half of it, and I simply don't care. I'm done. ”
preye p wrote this review Wednesday, August 12 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“Outstanding writing; very original story, but very dark.”
Suzanne F wrote this review Monday, August 10 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“The first half of the book is really good. Both the story of Lazarus the jew who is shot by Chicago police and the story of Bosnian writer Brik are well written. Hemon however loses focuses during the end of the book, some pages are exceptionally boring.
xroldx e wrote this review Tuesday, June 16 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
In the end it is a great book if you want to know more about the war in former Yugoslavia and or the fate of poor eastern european jews who went to the USA in 1900.
”“Absolutely stunning and chock full of interesting artifacts to dig up. A generous novel with pleasurable characteristics and frollicking plot and story line. Imaginative and lovely.”
Elki Armagh wrote this review Wednesday, May 13 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No“I loved the way in which this was written -- telling the fictional writer's story over against the story he is researching of Lazarus, who was killed in Chicago in the early 1900's. There was much to learn about our day and age in this story. Terrific!”
Mike Mather wrote this review Tuesday, May 5 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“Wonderfully written novel detail a struggling writing married to a surgeon who researching the senseless murder of a young Eastern European Jew in Chicago in 1908. A great exploration of racism in the early 20th Century and an interesting story of the writer's visit to Eastern Europe to research the book.
Lou L wrote this review Friday, March 20 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
I particularly like his use of language - the fact that he isn't a native speaker gives his prose a wonderful edge.”“I liked this book better than I thought I would from the reviews but also did not find it particularly compelling. Their are two parallel storylines: the main character is a Bosnian immigrant living in the US working on a book about Lazarus, a Jewish immigrant himself who was murdered by the police in the 19th century for being an anarchist. The main character journeys to Europe to follow Lazarus's trail, taking with him an old Bosnian friend who's main role is tell stories. In his journey, he reveals his own character flaws and his struggle to leave behind his past while also unveiling the truth behind Lazarus's death and the impact on Lazarus's sister of that death.
Mary v wrote this review Thursday, February 12 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
No one comes out looking particularly good except Lazarus. While both stories were somewhat interesting it was difficult to understand how they were linked.”
