Kate Ekberg betreibt in Stockholm einen Nachtclub, den sie selbst gegründet hat. In der Geschäftswelt hat es die 27-Jährige weit gebracht. Doch jetzt wird sie erpresst. Um das Geld aufzutreiben, besucht sie eine Bank und lernt dort Jakob Grim kennen, der mit seiner introvertierten Art kaum gegensätzlicher sein könnte…

 

„The Things we left unsaid - Unsere Herzen auf dem Spiel“ ist ein Liebesroman von Simona Ahrnstedt.

 

Meine Meinung:
Der Roman besteht aus 50 Kapiteln. Erzählt wird im Wechsel aus der Perspektive von Kate und Jacob. Der Aufbau ist einfach, aber sinnvoll.

 

Sprachlich bietet der Roman, was das Genre erwarten lässt: anschauliche und unkomplizierte Beschreibungen sowie viele Dialoge. Die Wortwahl ist weder unangemessen noch vulgär. Über die ein oder andere Floskel sehe ich bei Liebesromanen gerne hinweg.

 

An den früheren Romanen der Autorin habe ich geschätzt, dass die Protagonisten klischeefrei und realitätsnah gezeichnet sind. In diesem Fall wurde ich leider enttäuscht. Sowohl bei Kate als auch bei Jacob greift die Geschichte auf Stereotype zurück. Zwar ließen sich die Gedanken und Gefühle der Hauptfiguren nachvollziehen. Die psychologische Ausgestaltung weist jedoch Schwächen auf.

 

Auch inhaltlich hebt sich der Roman nicht sonderlich ab. Zwar werden vielerlei Themen angesprochen, sodass die rund 400 Seiten an nur wenigen Stellen langatmig geraten sind. Allerdings wirkt die Geschichte in mehreren Punkten abgedroschen und mich hat das Gefühl begleitet, eine solche Story schon x-fach gelesen zu haben.

 

Der schwedische Originaltitel („Nattens Drottning“) gefällt mir besser als die unnötige Übertragung ins Englische. Das Cover ist nichtssagend und unauffällig, aber hübsch.

 

Mein Fazit:
Mit ihrem neuen Roman hat mich Simona Ahrnstedt eher enttäuscht. „The Things we left unsaid - Unsere Herzen auf dem Spiel“ ist wohl nur für ihre treuesten Fans ein Muss. Allen anderen empfehle ich jedoch die Vorgängerromane gerne.

by Seni Glaister

 

My first impression of this one was that the language was cheerful and flowery, like you might expect from a story that promises to stretch the bounds of imagination. It then settled into a sort of Victorian feel. The use of language was really pleasant, but around the fourth chapter I was still wondering who the main character was and where the plot was going.

 

Eventually I caught on that Sergio, the president, was our hero and that the story was more about the political situation than about a museum. The museum does make an appearance, but in a fairly minor way.

 

The book made for pleasant reading, but seemed to lack a point. Characterization was strong, but plotting was weak. There were some amusing bits, like when the president deals with a protestor outside his home, but I would be hard pressed to explain a main conflict.

 

Some very nice writing though. I would try this writer again.

Set in a tiny picturesque country between Austria and Italy with lots of quirky characters, The Museum of Things Left Behind sounded just like something I would love. However it turned out to be extremely slow-going and quite boring. It's supposed to be a parody on bureaucracy and people's narrowmindedness and pomposity. Parody and satire are very difficult genres and I can see how some people will enjoy this book. I wasn't one of them however. I would have enjoyed this more if it had been a lot shorter and not so very detailed in many of its descriptions.

(I received a free digital copy via Netgalley/ the publisher. Thanks for the opportunity!)

 

Back in February I wrote this blog post about Go Set a Watchman. Now that the book is out, I think I've made my decision. I don't want to read the book. 

 

Anyone here read it? What are your thoughts? I have not heard very good things about the book and some of what I've heard really supports the notion that this book was not really publication ready (it was originally denied by publishers) and I just feel like some very greedy folks forced a situation that shouldn't have been forced.

 

It doesn't really matter what I think or feel, but for now, that's why I'm not buying it or even picking it up at the library for that matter. I honestly have no desire to read it any longer.

Well, it doesn't have anything for me. Well written? Yes; but are all things which are important for a reader, the styles only?! I think I don't like to read the well-written diaries of a mother-wife-housekeeper woman who is sacrificing all her time for such things and then after 17 years she finally, because of a new neighbor – a forty years old man who lives with his mother and daughter- feels she is tired of this living and then what she does?! Nothing! Continues living in such way.

And another point is, this novel has nothing to do with Iran, Iranian culture and people of the years this novel refers to (1960s). The woman, Clarisse is a Christian Armenian, a minority in Iran, living in Abadan with her husband and children and mother and sister in a specific part in this southern city which is separated for engineers working in Gas and Oil companies.

I can't call this even a historical fiction novel about Armenian people. It was more like a chick lit ; single women look for husbands and mothers worry about dust on furniture and parties they have and their lipstick and hair and…

At least she could have written more about women right issues but she's just pointing to another Iranian (not Armenian) activist and that Armenian women are in better situation than Iranian women. She disappointingly and disturbingly separates herself from Iranian culture and politics (even has some arguments with her husband's political activities (that it's not their business and…)), the country in which she is living and his husband has job there and … although she in some ways tries to show her concerns toward other native people in Abadan, I think it wasn't enough. She's more like a western writer looking from above to Iran who drinks coffee – not tea (Iranian public drink) where men kiss women's hands for greetings and other western luxuries. Well, these things are good, but I prefer to read an Atwood instead.