Around the World in 80 Books discussion
Group Reads Discussions
>
Discussion for Catherine the Great and the Small
date
newest »
newest »
message 1:
by
Diane , Armchair Tour Guide
(new)
Nov 20, 2021 05:16PM
Start discussion here for Catherine the Great and the Small by Olja Knezevic.
reply
|
flag
I finished this today after struggling through the book for almost two weeks. I was so bored. I couldn't relate to the main character, Katarina, or anyone else. Consequently I didn't care what happened to any of them. I also found it odd that the first half is set in the 70s, 80s, and early 90s so clearly leading up to the Bosnian War. Milosevic and other key figures/groups are mentioned but the war is skipped altogether which I found very odd. I know the book is about a woman and not the war, but omitting such a huge event seemed an unusual choice. This book has high ratings, so clearly other readers do not share my dislike of the book.
I am reading this now. I like it so far, but I haven't come to the part where they skip the Bosnian War.
hey; so i'm new to the group, but i'm wondering if anyone knew what genre(s) they would say this book is?? i'm trying to decide if i should read it
hey; so i'm new to the group, but i'm wondering if anyone knew what genre(s) they would say this book is?? i'm trying to decide if i should read it
Goodreads users call it Literary Fiction or just plain Fiction.
well yeah, but fiction is a really broad genre is all. do you think it's contemporary? magical realism? historical? something like that?
koiketto ☆ wrote: "well yeah, but fiction is a really broad genre is all. do you think it's contemporary? magical realism? historical? something like that?"It's more contemporary but it is primarily set in the 1980s in the first half and then around the late 2010s in the second half. It might be considered women's fiction.
Laurie wrote: "koiketto ☆ wrote: "well yeah, but fiction is a really broad genre is all. do you think it's contemporary? magical realism? historical? something like that?"It's more contemporary but it is primar..."
ahh okay; that's pretty helpful
I read this book in the original version, and how I am quite familiar with the situation in the Balkans I have probably a more subjective view of the book, anyway I liked the book, it is a story of a girl growing up in Podgorica, Montenegro in the '80s, and her struggles later in life, in Belgrade and London, including her close friends and her family.
