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Dead Europe is a book that is both interesting and yet somehow unfulfilling at the same time. The book began strongly and Isaac's character came across well. I also enjoyed the interspersions of the second narrative. Tsiolkas is aiming for a kind of magical realism and that worked in the second narrative, but felt a little forced and unbelievable when it bled into Isaac's storyline.
This book has some interesting things to say about religion and persecution, but it paints a bleak picture and the ...more
This book has some interesting things to say about religion and persecution, but it paints a bleak picture and the ...more
Some parts were horrifically disturbing and weird – I did have a little difficulty with all the gay male sex (real and imagined) but mostly because of its violence and the hate behind it. Confused my idea of Issac as the good guy, but didn’t necessarily make me any less interested in his story.
Liked the interwoven fable, but kind of lost me with the curse for a bit. Amazing scenes of Greece, both in the creepy, eerie old mountain country town and the harsh unfeeling modern chaotic city.
Some craz ...more
Liked the interwoven fable, but kind of lost me with the curse for a bit. Amazing scenes of Greece, both in the creepy, eerie old mountain country town and the harsh unfeeling modern chaotic city.
Some craz ...more
I think I just didn't get this book. It's about an Australian man taking a holiday to Europe. Mainly he goes to his mother's village in Greece but he also stops in Prague and London.
Everywhere he goes he finds pretty awful people, is disappointed and disgusted, misses his lover and home, drinks too much, does too many drugs and generally has a miserable time.
The story of his travels is woven in with an older story of a rich Greek man and his beautiful wife. They shelter a Jewish boy which has so ...more
Everywhere he goes he finds pretty awful people, is disappointed and disgusted, misses his lover and home, drinks too much, does too many drugs and generally has a miserable time.
The story of his travels is woven in with an older story of a rich Greek man and his beautiful wife. They shelter a Jewish boy which has so ...more
I did not enjoy this book at all, I am not sure why I kept reading it, probably because I hoped it would it improve, but it did not. I found it confusing jumping between different stories and timelines, I was never sure where I was except when it was Isaac on his tour of Europe, and how all these stories and people were connected. I found the gay promiscuity and drug taking all a but much, maybe I am a but of a prude, but I found it was not really relevant to the story. Not one of his best.
Apr 18, 2011
Rod
marked it as to-read
Mar 29, 2013
Judy
marked it as to-read
Dec 03, 2013
Brooner
marked it as to-read
