The Tiger's Wife in Ultimate Popsugar Reading Challenge

Nov 20, 2011 Jane rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: my-own-books, family-story, fiction, magic-realism, reading-for-a-second-time, folktale

Very challenging book, especially in the crazy mindset I was in as I read. But I did find the writing wonderful, fairy tale-like, upsetting, beautiful. The book shifts from place to place and time to time, back and forth between past and present. Hard to hold onto at times. But the story about an eastern European country, seemingly the former Yugoslavia, told as a love story of sorts--between a tiger and a mute, abused Muslim wife; as well as a love story between a young girl and her grandfather Very challenging book, especially in the crazy mindset I was in as I read. But I did find the writing wonderful, fairy tale-like, upsetting, beautiful. The book shifts from place to place and time to time, back and forth between past and present. Hard to hold onto at times. But the story about an eastern European country, seemingly the former Yugoslavia, told as a love story of sorts--between a tiger and a mute, abused Muslim wife; as well as a love story between a young girl and her grandfather who is a doctor and a witness and accessory to the first love story, is so extraordinary.

I had no idea I would describe the book this way. It is far more than I am saying. But wonderful. It is a fairytale and a fiercely anti-war book. Very amazing, both of the books.

Two passages I marked during this most recent reading: The Deathless Man is talking with Natalia's grandfather: "When men die, they die in fear," he said. "They take everything they need from you, and as a doctor it is your job to give it, to comfort them, to hold their hand. But children die how they have been living--in hope. They don't know what's happening, so they expect nothing, they don't ask you to hold their hand--but you end up needing them to hold yours. With children, you're on your own. Do you understand?" When my own sister died in the hospital of leukemia at five years old, my mother said that she seemed to understand that she was really sick, that she might die. I don't know. I do know that my sister was afraid of the pain. I slept in the bed next to hers and was supposed to wake my mother who was also waking to feed and change twin babies during the night. I knew she was exhausted. I tried to ignore Kathy, my sister. I didn't know how to help her without hurting her. I had just turned thirteen. Eventually I'd go upstairs and wake her. "Mom, Kathy is hurting," and she'd go downstairs. This undoes me every time I think of it...and the passage brought up that this may not be the truth.

All Through the war, my grandfather had been living in hope. The year before the bombing, Zora had managed to threaten and plead him into addressing the National Council of doctors about recasting past relationships, resuming hospital collaboration across the new borders. But now, in the country's last hour, it was clear to him, as it was to me, that the cease-fire had provided the delusion of normalcy, but never peace. When your fight has purpose---to free you from something, to interfere on behalf of an innocent--it has a hope of finality. When the fight is about unraveling--when it is about your name, the places to which your blood is anchored, the attachment of your name to some landmark or event--there is nothing but hate and the long slow progression of people who feed on it and are fed it ,meticulously, by the ones who come before them. Then the fight is endless and comes in waves and waves, but always retains its capacity to surprise those who hope against it. ...more

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Jun 27, 2011 Jeff Scott rated it it was amazing

Shelves: fiction, overdrive-library, e-book, war, magical-realism, favorites

This is one of the best books I have read in a while. It brings to mind some of my favorite books of all time. It has aspects of magical realism combined with folk tales, (which reminds me of Marquez), but also deals with the prominence of death in this war torn region (which reminds me of Bolano). The technique is also similar to Bolano as it seems the author has melded many short stories into one narrative, allowing her to jump around in many stories to make her overall point. I loved how Obre This is one of the best books I have read in a while. It brings to mind some of my favorite books of all time. It has aspects of magical realism combined with folk tales, (which reminds me of Marquez), but also deals with the prominence of death in this war torn region (which reminds me of Bolano). The technique is also similar to Bolano as it seems the author has melded many short stories into one narrative, allowing her to jump around in many stories to make her overall point. I loved how Obreht combined these stories into a cohesive narrative making the overall message that much more powerful. She takes these folktales and myths and makes them universal, the need for storytelling and mythmaking when dealing with death is palpable. We need to know if there is something greater than the reality that is around us. It compels us to believe even when logic tells us otherwise.

Natalia’s grandfather has just died after a long illness. According to local Balkan custom, nothing must be changed for 40 days so that the soul can return home after it visits the most prominent memories of a life. We take this journey with his soul as Natalia spins his tales of the Tiger’s Wife and Deathless man, as well as stories from her childhood with him. The return to the present may determine how much truth there are to these stories, in some cases more truth than tale. Each story underscores hardship and strife in the area, in one case, it is inflicted on a peasant who is different from the rest of the town, and in the other, the unwillingness to accept death when it comes to us. Everyone must find a way, a ritual to accept death, and The Tiger’s Wife delve into these issues.

What I loved best about this book was the back and forth between Natalia’s analytical no-nonsense mind, with irrefutable myth. In the end she comes to grips with the need for these stories and by knowing more of the story, she can make it her own.

Favorite Passages:

"Look around. Think for a moment. It's the middle of the night, not a soul anywhere. In this city, at this time. Not a dog in the gutter. Empty. Except for this elephant and you're going to tell your idiot friends about it? Why? Do you think they'll understand it? Do you think it will matter to them...this is yours. It belongs only to you. And me. Only to us." p. 47

When your fight has purpose--to free you from something, to interfere on the behalf of an innocent-- it has a hope of finality. When the fight is about unraveling--when it is about your name, the places to which your blood is anchored, the attachment of your name to some landmark or event--there is nothing but hate, and the long, slow progression of people who feed on it and are fed it, meticulously, by the ones who come before them. Then the fight is endless, and comes in waves and waves, but always retains its capacity to surprise those who hope against it. p. 215

In the end, all you want is someone to long for you when it comes time to put you in the ground. p. 216

Suddenness he says, You do not prepare, you do not explain, you do not apologize. Suddenly, you go. And with you, you take all contemplation, all consideration of your own departure. All the suffering that would have come from knowing comes after you are gone, and you are not a part of it. p. 228 ...more

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Sep 16, 2011 Judy rated it really liked it

Shelves: fiction, bookgroup, good-for-book-group

I have been going back and forth about this book. It has gotten a lot of buzz, and there is a quote from Colum McCann on the cover: "Tea Obreht is the most thrilling literary discovery in years." I liked it from the beginning, but I didn't find it amazing. Then, about 3/4 of the way through, I fell under its spell. Why then - was it me, or was it the writing? Maybe it took a while to get used to the style - which is a kind of Slavic magic realism, to coin a phrase. The only way I will know, I th ...more

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Nov 14, 2011 Sarah rated it it was ok

Shelves: fiction

There were stories I really enjoyed within this novel, and there were sections where the writing was well done and the storytelling strong. I liked the story of Luka, the journey to the orphanage in the small village and the roaming tiger. But all of these stories together seemed messy - unnecessarily complicated by both the time shifts and the magical realism (I get it - representative of the culture and setting but ug). The end result is that this was generally unpleasant to read.
This book has ...more

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Nov 24, 2011 Booktart rated it liked it

Shelves: european-history, contemporary-fiction

I did not feel very invested in any of the characters, or like I got to know them very well (both indicators of whether a book becomes one of my favorites) but I enjoyed the writing, the story, and the general uniqueness of this book. It stayed with me when I finished it and I'm still trying to work out the intertwining of the folklore with the present day story in my head. ...more

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Aug 15, 2011 Anastasia rated it liked it

Shelves: fiction, 2011

This was well-written and very interesting. The writing style was strong, evocative of Gabriel Garcia-Marquez and other, older, male authors. I liked it a lot, but I felt something was missing. It didn't quite come together for me at the end. This is a book for which I need a book group to discuss and understand it. ...more

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