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Strangely enough most reviews I've read said that this book was about WWII. True the events in the book do occur during that war but to me WWII was more like a prop than the subject of the work. Basically we see the the drama through the eyes of two children, a French blind girl (in her case of course it's more "we feel") and a German boy. But in fact it's much more about their respective internal worlds than about the war as such and if only to read how a young 15 years old blind girl first discovers the ocean, it's gigantic might and incredible mildness for the first time by sounds, smells and feelings on her skin is worth the effort (or in my case pleasure).

Well written story of a British soldier a bit before and during the war.

Well written with interesting insights into the inner workings of that unique war which was the first one done with modern mechanized instruments of destruction.

In my opinion worth the read just for that.

A novel written as a long poem or a long poem written as a novel, not sure which. The main story is that of an Italian mountaineer helping refugees cross to the other side over the mountains, more or less expelled from his village by his peers, long time friends, because he always returned the money he had taken as a fee once the refugees had arrived on he other side. Going to another bigger town he's asked by the parish priest to undertake the restoration of a statue, originally the naked body of Christ on the cross, later covered by modesty with a layer of marble shaped into a mantel and now adhering to the main work.

As said written as a long sober, curt poem this same sobriety comes dangerously close to pedantism and got on my nerves after not too long.

Interesting nevertheless.

I haven't given 4 stars to many books in my collection (maybe 4 or 5 at most). While at face value this is a thriller, the search for the killer in 1960 Havana of a popular bolero singer, this novel is a long and superb description of the unseen and unsung Havana, with passing elaborate discussions on the value of friendship and honesty, the meaning of life and many other considerations. For those who are looking for another face of the romantic and seductive Havana this is the book.

The style is good, dry, to the point terse writing. Not very believable that 2 old ex cons can hold their own against several gangs and corrupt members of high society but enjoyable nevertheless.

It's not aa short work so the reader needs a lot of patience to hang in for more than a hundred pages where absolutely nothing is happening. But after that the pace really picks up and keeps you turning the pages until the end. German translation of an Icelandic author.

Written as by an average student in fifth grade language class. Maybe a bad translation from Icelandic?

Written with the style of a fifth grade student in language class, every sentence painfully assembled.

Maybe a bad translation from Icelandic?