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A review by _askthebookbug
Bottled Goods by Sophie van Llewyn
4.0
Bottled Goods.
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Can't thank @fairlightbooks enough for sending this beautiful book.
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Considering how I haven't had the chance to read flash fiction novella much, this book came in quite handy. The cover is lovely yet it made me wonder the purpose of a cat on it. By the time I finished reading this book, I knew perfectly well why she chose a cat. @fairlightbooks has come up with these modern pocketbook series to promote quality writing by new authors and it's so convenient to carry them with you while you head out. If you're ever looking for a light read then you know where to look. This book is also Longlisted for the Women's Prize 2019.
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The story is set in the 1970s in communist Romania and focusses on the lives of Alina and Liviu. Alina, a young woman falls in love with her fellow tour guide Liviu and they get married. Their future does not seem bright like that of newlyweds when Alina's brother-in-law defects to the West. Things don't improve much when Alina's mother keeps her daughter at an arm's distance for marrying someone lower their class. Alina then becomes part of a serious crime when she fails to report the possession of an illegal comic in the hands of her student. She then gets regular visits by a perverted and ruthless secret service agent who makes her life a living hell.
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Alina has a caring Aunt who has connections in the secret service and also has a hand at practicing ancient rituals and beliefs. The very first chapter refers to the existence of magic realism in the book when they bury Alina's grandfather who was the size of a thumb. This is perhaps the very first time that I witnessed magic realism in a novel and I was stunned by the narration. The life of Alina is complicated as she struggles to love her husband, please her mother and get out of the country but what makes it interesting is the way the book has been segmented into 51 short stories, few in the form of letters. The language is excellent and very easy to comprehend. Though this book has a simple narration, it might not please everyone if they aren't open to experience flash novella and magic realism. But it's something worth giving a try :)
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Rating - 4/5.
~
Can't thank @fairlightbooks enough for sending this beautiful book.
~
Considering how I haven't had the chance to read flash fiction novella much, this book came in quite handy. The cover is lovely yet it made me wonder the purpose of a cat on it. By the time I finished reading this book, I knew perfectly well why she chose a cat. @fairlightbooks has come up with these modern pocketbook series to promote quality writing by new authors and it's so convenient to carry them with you while you head out. If you're ever looking for a light read then you know where to look. This book is also Longlisted for the Women's Prize 2019.
~
The story is set in the 1970s in communist Romania and focusses on the lives of Alina and Liviu. Alina, a young woman falls in love with her fellow tour guide Liviu and they get married. Their future does not seem bright like that of newlyweds when Alina's brother-in-law defects to the West. Things don't improve much when Alina's mother keeps her daughter at an arm's distance for marrying someone lower their class. Alina then becomes part of a serious crime when she fails to report the possession of an illegal comic in the hands of her student. She then gets regular visits by a perverted and ruthless secret service agent who makes her life a living hell.
~
Alina has a caring Aunt who has connections in the secret service and also has a hand at practicing ancient rituals and beliefs. The very first chapter refers to the existence of magic realism in the book when they bury Alina's grandfather who was the size of a thumb. This is perhaps the very first time that I witnessed magic realism in a novel and I was stunned by the narration. The life of Alina is complicated as she struggles to love her husband, please her mother and get out of the country but what makes it interesting is the way the book has been segmented into 51 short stories, few in the form of letters. The language is excellent and very easy to comprehend. Though this book has a simple narration, it might not please everyone if they aren't open to experience flash novella and magic realism. But it's something worth giving a try :)
~
Rating - 4/5.