In 1969, a young girl makes a trip from Coney Island to the swampy coastland on the rural outskirts of Helsinki, Finland. There, her death will im...
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Aug 24, 2011
P
rated it: 
I don't know if something gets lost in the translation here, but I'm not sure I really know what happened in this book. I found it a difficult read, and there are a couple of reasons for this. First, the action goes backward and forward constantly which, to me, is very confusing. There is a lot of repetition as the events are revealed through the jumping around. Secondly, and I don't know if this is a Swedish thing, the style bothered me. At points I found the imagery striking, and I felt the
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Aug 30, 2011
Brittany
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It isn't very often you encounter a book with dedications and acknowledgments from a translator. Perhaps on some classical works when Ovid or Virgil didn't opt to thank their publicists, you get a fill-the-space dedication from a contemporary scholar. But really, the emphasis on translator should have been the first sign. The translator thanking the author for answering her questions should have been the second.
Not to say that The American Girl was a bad book. There was certainly no lack o More...
Not to say that The American Girl was a bad book. There was certainly no lack o More...
Aug 05, 2011
Cher
rated it: 
I'll start by saying I picked this book up after reading a positive review. What I should have paid attention to was the fact that the "review" was in fact from the American publisher of "The American Girl," a Swedish novel by Monika Fagerholm. I read quickly, so when a book is a bit slow to get into, it is disappointing, but I perservere... However, when I had reached page 230 of this 507-page novel (which I learned is novel 1 of 2 in a series) and was still having trouble
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Jun 28, 2010
Maya
rated it: 
It has a million flaws but some great lines. Sort of reminded me of Haruki Murakami but with better structure. I kind of thought it was turning into a murder mystery, but the real, more banal truth I think was telegraphed way too early.
I enjoyed this a lot though. There is something fresh, new, and original that made up for the meandering. It gave me a lot to think about, and Sandra, Doris, the Islander, Lorelei and Bengt were really fascinating characters. I guess there was alm More...
I enjoyed this a lot though. There is something fresh, new, and original that made up for the meandering. It gave me a lot to think about, and Sandra, Doris, the Islander, Lorelei and Bengt were really fascinating characters. I guess there was alm More...
Jan 27, 2011
Nina
rated it: 
A few reviews on the back of the book said this novel was "light, playful...a delightful experience". But instead I thought this was a very dark, moody, and heavy coming of age tale. It takes place outside of Helsinki in the early 70's. It was a difficult read because of the style of writing (and perhaps the translation?), but once I got into it (after about 250 pages of the 500) I was engaged by the characters. It had mystical tones, as well as a murder mystery plot line, but it wa
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Dec 29, 2011
Amanda
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I really think something must have gotten lost in the translation of this book. The storytelling is incredibly disjointed, and it doesn't feel as though it's a stylistic decision- it feels sloppy and confused. The title of the book doesn't really match up with the story, because we never really learn anything about "The American Girl" - instead we follow a bunch of half-baked characters around as they try to find out how and why she died. The author never explores the characters' inner
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Feb 17, 2011
Laura
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Zur Autorin
Monika Fagerholm ist eine finnische Autorin, die 1961 in Helsingfors geboren wurde. Zuerste veröffentlichte sie einige Kurzgeschichten. Ihren literarischen Durchbruch erreichte sie 1994 mit dem Roman Underbara kvinnor vid vatten (deutsch: Wunderbare Frauen am Wasser). Im selben Jahr wurde sie für den wichtigsten finnischen Literatur-Preis, den Finlandia-Preis, nominiert.
Den amerikanska flickan (deutsch: Das amerikanische Mädchen) wurde 2005 erstmals veröffentlicht und stand More...
Monika Fagerholm ist eine finnische Autorin, die 1961 in Helsingfors geboren wurde. Zuerste veröffentlichte sie einige Kurzgeschichten. Ihren literarischen Durchbruch erreichte sie 1994 mit dem Roman Underbara kvinnor vid vatten (deutsch: Wunderbare Frauen am Wasser). Im selben Jahr wurde sie für den wichtigsten finnischen Literatur-Preis, den Finlandia-Preis, nominiert.
Den amerikanska flickan (deutsch: Das amerikanische Mädchen) wurde 2005 erstmals veröffentlicht und stand More...
May 09, 2011
Erik
rated it:
[Dutch]
Het leven is geen spel. De meesten onder ons weten dat ook. Sommige mensen komen daar echter pas na een harde leerschool achter. In Het Amerikaanse meisje wordt pijnlijk duidelijk hoe het mis kan lopen als je deze basisregel van het leven vergeet. Tenminste, als je je door het taalgebruik van de auteur weet te slepen.
Lees meer op 8WEEKLY
Het leven is geen spel. De meesten onder ons weten dat ook. Sommige mensen komen daar echter pas na een harde leerschool achter. In Het Amerikaanse meisje wordt pijnlijk duidelijk hoe het mis kan lopen als je deze basisregel van het leven vergeet. Tenminste, als je je door het taalgebruik van de auteur weet te slepen.
Lees meer op 8WEEKLY
Mar 19, 2011
Insomnica
rated it:
Wow. This was quite hard to read, as the language is really versatile and has lot of personality in it. But after the beginning the book starts to tempt the reader to continue to keep on turning the pages to know what happened. The plot is thrilling and narration is just beautiful. However, the novel isn't perfect, as sometimes it comes too near being fake. A little less effort would have made it perfect.
Oct 13, 2011
LeeAnn
rated it:
If I had to read "this was reality" one more time.....sigh! I've read it on several reviews, but I must join in and say I think it was over translated. At least, I hope that is the problem. Otherwise, it was very poorly written in my opinion. I was determined to finsih the book, but I found myself constantly re-reading things just to be sure I understood the message.
The story of the two yound girls entertained me, but it was not worth the all the work!
The story of the two yound girls entertained me, but it was not worth the all the work!
Feb 02, 2012
Clover
rated it:
I had very high hopes for this book. The summary of the novel read like a wet dream for me; I love the 70's and mysteries involving girls my age. I was looking forward to a poetic day dream that would inspire both hope and sorrow in me. Well, I read it for about five days and just gave up on page eighty. So many things about this novel were wrong: the pace, the characters, the writing itself somehow managed to be choppy and sluggish simultaneously. The biggest blemish with this work is that it's
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Aug 27, 2010
Carol
rated it:
I FINALLY finished this book. I wanted so much to like it. I was excited to start reading it. But after the first 50 or so pages, I was lost. I put it down for awhile; until I had nothing else to read. And I wanted to muddle through it just so I could finish it. I had hoped it would all makes sense at the end. And I guess it did. I hated the way it was written, all of the repetition od=f certain phrases. It got on my nerves. And all of the incomplete sentences. What was that about. I
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Jan 24, 2009
Grizsdina
rated it:
A book about outsiders, friendship and growing up(don`t get me wrong: this doesn`t mean, that this is a book for children or teenagers). Has also many psychological elements in it.
Loved the book! It takes a while to get you excited and to understand what this is all about but it is worth it. Can´t wait for the second part!
Loved the book! It takes a while to get you excited and to understand what this is all about but it is worth it. Can´t wait for the second part!
Jul 20, 2010
Sam
rated it:
The review I read of this was very different from the book I actually encountered. The review led me to believe it was a mystery, when in fact it seemed to be a mess of magical realism with the foreboding of lesbian suicide. It was too annoying to finish.
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Sep 25, 2011
Suzanne
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This book is clearly not for everyone, but I found THE AMERICAN GIRL with its deliberately odd syntax, its moody vibe, and the incantatory repetition of phrases compelling. This is the kind of creepy novel that you might expect from people who live in the dark for half of the year.
Oct 21, 2011
I don't think I'm going to finish this. The writing style is very strange and in some ways alluring, but I just haven't been drawn in enough to commit to this fairly long book when I have so many other things on my reading list.
Sep 27, 2009
Liz
rated it:
The catalog copy saying that THE AMERICAN GIRL is "David Lynch meets Joyce Carol Oates," set in Sweden, are apt, though it took a bit of work to immerse myself in this world. The version I read is obviously not the finished book (the translation needs some cleaning up), but I think this story of two girls playing at discovering the darker secrets of their community will haunt me for a good while.
May 04, 2010
Rowe
rated it:
Although very difficult to get through, I enjoyed the book nonetheless. I didn't truly start appreciating the book, though, until about half way. Once I was able to get a better grasp on the characters and their stories, I started really caring for them. I appreciated the depth of this book and it has had me thinking for weeks after I finished reading it.
Jan 16, 2010
Yukari
rated it:
This is an impossible book to read. I wonder if it's the translation which is bad. Choppy and confusing writing style will put you off.
Mar 08, 2011
This one is proving to be very interesting. Very stream-of-consciousness, very surreal. It seems to take forever to get pages read, however. It's like a sandwich you can't ever seem to finish.
More to come.
Bogged down on this one eventually. Quit. Bad character on my part, but I just couldn't regain enthusiasm after foundering, and went to new books for fun.
More to come.
Bogged down on this one eventually. Quit. Bad character on my part, but I just couldn't regain enthusiasm after foundering, and went to new books for fun.
Apr 14, 2011
Rachel
rated it:
ETA: This book sucked. There is such a thing as fiction that is too abstract. Here you go.
I am moving this book back to my to-read pile because I think I'd rather get a root canal than pick it up. Describing this as David Lynch meets Joyce Carol Oates is a disservice to both of those artists...and I am not a fan of JCO's fiction.
I am moving this book back to my to-read pile because I think I'd rather get a root canal than pick it up. Describing this as David Lynch meets Joyce Carol Oates is a disservice to both of those artists...and I am not a fan of JCO's fiction.
Dec 23, 2010
Kathy
rated it:
Did not finish. I might have liked it better if I had taken the time to read it slowly and really get into it, but the shifts back and forth in time and perspective were confusing and I had other books on my nightstand that I was eager to get to, so I just gave up on this one.
Jul 10, 2011
Izzy
rated it:
It was weird. It took me weeks to finish and days to get into. It's not an easy read and sometimes very confusing. I felt sorry for most of the characters and it bothered me that most of the book wasn't about Eddie but about two girls who had some issues.
Oct 07, 2011
Sara
rated it:
Accidentally started reading The Glitter Scene, the follow up to this book. As I found that book horrendous, I can't bring myself to bother opening this one, even though I've been toting it around with me for weeks now.
