simonator's reviews
159 reviews

Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe

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mysterious sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
Sexe et mensonges by Leïla Slimani

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informative inspiring sad fast-paced

4.0

Go Tell It on the Mountain by James Baldwin

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emotional sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Touching and sad. The blues woven through the writing moves the soul.
Under the Udala Trees by Chinelo Okparanta

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emotional sad fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.25

Touching, but the plot lacks some oomph to be truly impactful. Too light on historical information for my taste; I would've liked to learn more. A great plus are the allegories and folktales that are peppered throughout. The characters are mostly very real and humanly flawed, though the young protagonist was a bit too clearsighted to appear truly believable.
Global Inequality: A New Approach for the Age of Globalization by Branko Milanović

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informative fast-paced

4.0

Digestible and well-presented, so that you don't have to be 1000% switched on every time you read it. Incredible statistics and clear-sighted policy suggestions - mosty. Some are a bit strange and could benefit from some more pages. 
Eroberung by Laurent Binet

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adventurous funny inspiring lighthearted fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.25

Lustig und anregend. Manchmal sind einzelne Plotpunkte etwas unglaubwürdig. Nette Referenzen zu historischen Dokumenten. Leider lernt man am Emde aber doch mehr über Europa als über die Inka, was mehr Mehrwert gehabt hätte. 
Komplett Gänsehaut by Sophie Passmann

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funny reflective fast-paced

1.5

Sehr entlarvend für die neuen Bürgerlichen, aber auch wirklich nur für die.  Der Rest von uns runzelt die Stirn und fragt sich, ob die eigene Geldnot und Unterpriviligiertheit eigentlich niemanden interessiert. Das Bürgertum besteht in all seiner Scheissigkeit und Langweiligkeit auch in dem 2020ern fort, wer hätte das bloß ahnen können?
Stellenweise aber sehr lustig und klarsichtig, aber auch verbittert. Der Zynismus ist so ungebrochen, dass man ihn irgendwann nicht mehr ernstnimmt. Man möchte dem beschriebenen Milieu ein herzhaftes "Heul' doch" entgegenschreien. 
Tyll by Daniel Kehlmann

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adventurous dark funny mysterious slow-paced
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

Radikale Zärtlichkeit – Warum Liebe politisch ist by Şeyda Kurt

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informative reflective fast-paced

1.75

Richtiges und wichtiges Zeugs, aber beschränkt sich häufig aufs Aufwerfen von Fragen und Aufrufe zum 'Aushalten' von Graubereichen und Unwohlsein. Nett, aber reichte mir nicht immer. 
The Country of Others by Leïla Slimani

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adventurous emotional tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Beautiful and evocative. Real, believable characters who are tough to love. The plot could have been thicker.