Marina Lewycka
Autore di A short history of tractors in Ukrainian
Sull'Autore
Marina Lewycka teaches at Sheffield Hallam University.
Nota di disambiguazione:
(eng) Marina Lewycka writes both fiction and books about the carers of elderly people.
Opere di Marina Lewycka
Bard: The Short Story Collection: 6 Original Contemporary Fiction Short Stories (2018) — Collaboratore — 7 copie
The Importance of Warm Feet 1 copia
The Secrets 1 copia
Opere correlate
Freedom: Stories Celebrating the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (2009) — Collaboratore — 73 copie
The Penguin Book of Migration Literature: Departures, Arrivals, Generations, Returns (2019) — Collaboratore — 72 copie
Etichette
Informazioni generali
- Data di nascita
- 1946-10-12
- Sesso
- female
- Nazionalità
- Ukraine
UK (naturalised) - Nazione (per mappa)
- UK
- Luogo di nascita
- Kiel, Germany
- Luogo di residenza
- Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England, UK
- Istruzione
- Keele University (B.A.) (English and Philosophy) (1968)
University of York (B.Phil.) (English Literature) (1969)
King's College, London (did not graduate) - Attività lavorative
- Lecturer in Media Studies
author - Organizzazioni
- Sheffield Hallam University
- Premi e riconoscimenti
- Waterstones 25 Authors for the Future (2007)
- Agente
- Bill Hamilton (AM Heath)
- Nota di disambiguazione
- Marina Lewycka writes both fiction and books about the carers of elderly people.
Utenti
Discussioni
Strawberry Fields, Marina Lewycka in World Reading Circle (Agosto 2013)
Recensioni
We Are All Made of Glue di Marina Lewycka
Two stars seemed unnecessarily harsh, so I've gone for three. This is quite an odd book. On the face of it, quite a cheery romp through the end of a marriage, and an unlikely friendship with an eccentric old woman. However, there are sub-themes of Middle Eastern history and politics and religious cults all bound together with the metaphor of glue. I read it willingly enough, but at the same time, I rather wanted to get it over with so I could get on with something more worthwhile.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. This did not affect my opinion of the book in any way.
It's not often you find a nice, satirical novel dealing with the complexities of modern life. This book provides just that. Ms Lewycka gives us insight on what life in modern London is like when you're just a normal person struggling between unemployment, health issues, an overly-complex love life... and of course, your everyday benefit fraud. When Berthold's mother dies, he is forced to take Inna, a complete stranger met at the hospital, home with him to impersonate his mother until he can transfer the tenancy of the small council house in his name. But Inna, with her eccentricites, Ukranian food and broken English might be just what Berthold needed to jump start his life again.
This book was really interesting in many respects. I enjoyed taking a look at Berthold's life and that of the people who shared his same situation. This book can boast an impressive cast of colourful characters, each more bizarre than the last, and they were truly a joy to read about. Inna in particular was a favourite of mine, with her weird view of the world and her adorably funny way of speaking. And while I have to admit I wasn't a big fan of Berthold's at the beginning (and throughout most of the book), he did kind of grow on me by the end, and I was happy to see him change so radically throughout. I also enjoyed Violet's storyline - the young, Kenyan girl who tries to make it and the big city, but soon has to decide between her integrity and her job. She is a tough character, trying hard to find herself and her path in the midst of chaos and definitely very admirable.
On the whole, this was a very enjoyable read. The only thing that disappointed me a little were actually my expectations of it: it was pitched as "hilarious", so I was expecting a lot more humor than I actually found in it. Sure, I smiled through most of it, but I never found it laugh-out-loud funny. Now this may totally be me not getting it, but it still left me slightly dissatisfied exactly because I was expecting a different thing. But if you like a good satire, it's definitely worth a read!… (altro)
It's not often you find a nice, satirical novel dealing with the complexities of modern life. This book provides just that. Ms Lewycka gives us insight on what life in modern London is like when you're just a normal person struggling between unemployment, health issues, an overly-complex love life... and of course, your everyday benefit fraud. When Berthold's mother dies, he is forced to take Inna, a complete stranger met at the hospital, home with him to impersonate his mother until he can transfer the tenancy of the small council house in his name. But Inna, with her eccentricites, Ukranian food and broken English might be just what Berthold needed to jump start his life again.
This book was really interesting in many respects. I enjoyed taking a look at Berthold's life and that of the people who shared his same situation. This book can boast an impressive cast of colourful characters, each more bizarre than the last, and they were truly a joy to read about. Inna in particular was a favourite of mine, with her weird view of the world and her adorably funny way of speaking. And while I have to admit I wasn't a big fan of Berthold's at the beginning (and throughout most of the book), he did kind of grow on me by the end, and I was happy to see him change so radically throughout. I also enjoyed Violet's storyline - the young, Kenyan girl who tries to make it and the big city, but soon has to decide between her integrity and her job. She is a tough character, trying hard to find herself and her path in the midst of chaos and definitely very admirable.
On the whole, this was a very enjoyable read. The only thing that disappointed me a little were actually my expectations of it: it was pitched as "hilarious", so I was expecting a lot more humor than I actually found in it. Sure, I smiled through most of it, but I never found it laugh-out-loud funny. Now this may totally be me not getting it, but it still left me slightly dissatisfied exactly because I was expecting a different thing. But if you like a good satire, it's definitely worth a read!… (altro)
I really enjoyed this story. I also found myself talking in a very bad Ukrainian accent to my husband and co-workers for no apparent reason.
THis was a surprisingly good read. While it is ostensibly the comic story of venal migrant's marriage of cconvenience, it actually tells us a lot about Ukraine's awful 20th century history and also portrays the largely hidden traumas of an apparently successful refugee migrant family's resettlement in the UK. You also get a good dose of tractor history for free!
Liste
Premi e riconoscimenti
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Statistiche
- Opere
- 15
- Opere correlate
- 6
- Utenti
- 8,231
- Popolarità
- #2,936
- Voto
- 3.4
- Recensioni
- 359
- ISBN
- 214
- Lingue
- 23
- Preferito da
- 8