Questions About The Tiger's Wife

by Téa Obreht (Goodreads Author)

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Answered Questions (11)

Currently knee deep into this book, and it took me a while to really understand it and get into it. Not very interesting at first, didn't capture my attention. After giving it several chances I'm finally trying to finish just to get it over with. Not a book i recommend,but it has good writing and lots of hype. All in all, i still dont understand the point of the book?

Janet Carroll I believe that the book revolves around the two stories that linger here and there throughout the book: the deathless man who argues that sudden death…moreI believe that the book revolves around the two stories that linger here and there throughout the book: the deathless man who argues that sudden death is preferable to a slow dying which is what Natalia's grandfather experiences and the story of the tiger's wife which is about fear and myth. I have to agree with you, though. At first, my expectations were very high, but by the end I trudged (if one can trudge reading) until the end.(less)

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I listened to an Audiobook and it was pretty good although I found my mind wandering at times. What actually happened to the Tiger's Wife in the end?

Rachel Irvine

This answer contains spoilers… (view spoiler)

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How does a book with so many awards end up being so boring, according to the reviewers below?

Andrew Garvin It's a challenging book. There are two separate serialized fables held together by thin frame stories. There are 4 core threads (the grandfather, the …moreIt's a challenging book. There are two separate serialized fables held together by thin frame stories. There are 4 core threads (the grandfather, the daughter/narrator, the deathless man, and the tiger's wife) for the reader to follow. Boring is the wrong word - the deathless man scenes especially are super engaging, funny, moving. For a general audience though, it's hard to find the plot and how everything weaves together. It's more for the literati - that's not Goodreads.(less)

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Catherine That was my understanding, yes.

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Was anyone as confused as I was about the non mention of the dates and years? Who was the deathless man's uncle?

Allisonfloyd It was confusing. I lived in Europe during the 1990's and then went to college with Bosnian and Serbian kids in the US so that is how I knew that this…moreIt was confusing. I lived in Europe during the 1990's and then went to college with Bosnian and Serbian kids in the US so that is how I knew that this was the time of Natalia's teenage life. Her grandfather was a child of WWW I & II.

The deathless man's uncle was Death himself.

This is a story of fables and fantasy. Not my favorite fiction. I also have a hard time with magical stories by Spanish writers. I am such a stick in the mud.

I had to force myself to keep reading this book to the end. Then I had to read the interview by Jennifer Egan and then read the questions at the end of the book in order to gain some understanding. (less)

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Unanswered Questions (3)

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This book is not for those who want a simple, without-complexity tale. If you are hungry for a beautifully written and well spun story of a people living through tragedy and war, of a family and their love for one another, and of a young woman loving her grandfather as a little girl and understanding him finally as a young woman, this is for you. It's brilliant. Perhaps you have to read at the right moment in life?

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I really enjoyed this book. Mostly because I love genealogy and wonder about previous generations and how we are more interconnected than we know. Sometimes this book is difficult to follow and I am not completely sure of all that the author is trying to convey but because it is open ended, I was able to put my own thoughts into the reading. Is this book pure fiction?

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