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Adina (way behind)'s Reviews > Held
Held
by
by
Shortlisted for the Booker prize 2024.
It is so hard to review this book because I am not sure what to say about it. It’s not like I understood much, anyway. Ok, only half joking.
Held might be quite tiny, but it is not an easy read. It requires quite a bit of concentration due to its structure. Also, patience. It took me a while to fully appreciate the writing and feel the atmosphere. I almost gave up at some point, thinking this is not for me.
I might say that the novel is a collection of vignettes about the members of a family (and some well-known people such as Marie Curie). The novel starts in 1917, on a battlefield, where John lies after a blast. The beginning is full of musing such as : ”We know life is finite. Why should we believe death lasts forever” or “We can only think about the unknown in terms of the known”. The latter idea is also found in Thinking, Fast and Slow, a non-fiction book I recommend. I think the author started as a poet and it shows. So, we jump back and forth in time and we get to know some of what happened to John and his kin. All, enveloped in a poetic, semi-translucent haze.
It seems to be a novel about death, loss, hope and …afterlife? Confusing at times but worth reading.
I received this novel from Netgalley and Bloomsbury Publishing Plc in exchange to an honest review.
It is so hard to review this book because I am not sure what to say about it. It’s not like I understood much, anyway. Ok, only half joking.
Held might be quite tiny, but it is not an easy read. It requires quite a bit of concentration due to its structure. Also, patience. It took me a while to fully appreciate the writing and feel the atmosphere. I almost gave up at some point, thinking this is not for me.
I might say that the novel is a collection of vignettes about the members of a family (and some well-known people such as Marie Curie). The novel starts in 1917, on a battlefield, where John lies after a blast. The beginning is full of musing such as : ”We know life is finite. Why should we believe death lasts forever” or “We can only think about the unknown in terms of the known”. The latter idea is also found in Thinking, Fast and Slow, a non-fiction book I recommend. I think the author started as a poet and it shows. So, we jump back and forth in time and we get to know some of what happened to John and his kin. All, enveloped in a poetic, semi-translucent haze.
It seems to be a novel about death, loss, hope and …afterlife? Confusing at times but worth reading.
I received this novel from Netgalley and Bloomsbury Publishing Plc in exchange to an honest review.
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Held.
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Reading Progress
August 13, 2024
– Shelved as:
to-read
August 13, 2024
– Shelved
August 13, 2024
– Shelved as:
booker-2024
August 13, 2024
– Shelved as:
netgalley
August 24, 2024
–
Started Reading
August 24, 2024
– Shelved as:
canada
September 12, 2024
–
Finished Reading
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by
Henk
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rated it 4 stars
Sep 16, 2024 04:59AM
I hope so as well! Of the 12 long listed books I've read this is my favourite!
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It seems to be a beautiful story. Thanks for sharing.
Ten pages in Googled is Michaels a poet. Of course she is. The sentences scanned like a dream and the imagery was stupendous but while I understood the reason for the voids in the narrative, I found them frustrating tbh.
