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A Thousand Paper Birds
'A masterful exploration of love, loss and the healing power of the natural world. Heartbreaking and uplifting in equal measure' ObserverLONGLISTED FOR THE AUTHORS' CLUB BEST FIRST NOVEL AWARD 2018Jonah roams Kew Gardens trying to reassemble the shattered pieces of his life after the death of his wife, Audrey. Weathering the seasons and learning to love again, he meets Chloe, an enigmatic origami artist who is hesitant to let down her own walls.In the gardens he also meets ten-year-old Milly, and Harry, a gardener, both of whom have secrets of their own to keep – and mysteries to solve.
337 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 29, 2017
54 people are currently reading
1263 people want to read
About the author
Tor Udall
2 books36 followersAfter studying theatre and film, Tor co-founded a dance-theatre company and spent most of her twenties directing, writing and performing. She taught drama for several years and choreographed an opera for The Royal College of Music. A Thousand Paper Birds is her first novel. She lives in London with her husband and two young children.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 148 reviews
June 5, 2017
I love botanical gardens. I have visited plenty of them in different countries all over the world and I just adore them. Some of my earliest - and happiest - childhood memories involve my mum, my baby brother, and me visiting the botanical garden in my then hometown. As such I was pretty pleased to find a novel where the Royal Botanical Garden is very much one of the main characters. I love how vivid the picture of this place is that the author painted and I could have spent forever just reading about it. However, the rest of the novel did not completely wow me.
This book tells the story of five people, Jonah, his late wife Audrey (who may have died accidently or may have killed herself following three miscarriages), Harry, Chloe (an artist obsessed with origami), and Milly. Those stories are connected in various ways and all revolve around Audrey's death. A death that has devastated Jonah who has been trying to just survive in the aftermath. He finds solace in Chloe's arms but might not be ready to move on. I don't want to say any more about the plot because while this is not a plot heavy story there are still some twists that work better if the reader is unprepared for them.
As I said, this is not plot heavy but more of an meditation what it means to live and to create and to built roots. Tor Udall writes about the importance of human connection and art and music and just living. As such the book is in places unfocussed and meandering; and I cannot believe I am saying this but I think I would have enjoyed this more without the reliance on magical realism to move the plot along. There were also some parts of the story that I wasn't happy with - but that is usually the case when it comes to stories with a focus on romance. The characters, however, were brilliant and here Tor Udall shows a brilliant knack of creating believable characters with believable relationships and reactions.
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I received an arc of this book curtesy of NetGalley and Bloomsbury Publishing in exchange for an honest review. Thanks for that!
This book tells the story of five people, Jonah, his late wife Audrey (who may have died accidently or may have killed herself following three miscarriages), Harry, Chloe (an artist obsessed with origami), and Milly. Those stories are connected in various ways and all revolve around Audrey's death. A death that has devastated Jonah who has been trying to just survive in the aftermath. He finds solace in Chloe's arms but might not be ready to move on. I don't want to say any more about the plot because while this is not a plot heavy story there are still some twists that work better if the reader is unprepared for them.
As I said, this is not plot heavy but more of an meditation what it means to live and to create and to built roots. Tor Udall writes about the importance of human connection and art and music and just living. As such the book is in places unfocussed and meandering; and I cannot believe I am saying this but I think I would have enjoyed this more without the reliance on magical realism to move the plot along. There were also some parts of the story that I wasn't happy with - but that is usually the case when it comes to stories with a focus on romance. The characters, however, were brilliant and here Tor Udall shows a brilliant knack of creating believable characters with believable relationships and reactions.
____
I received an arc of this book curtesy of NetGalley and Bloomsbury Publishing in exchange for an honest review. Thanks for that!
February 27, 2019
I think I was about six years old the first time I saw the Pagoda at Kew Gardens. It is a magnificent sight and the gardens are every bit as beautiful as they are described by Tor Udall in this book. Her prose is perfectly beautiful throughout the whole of A Thousand Paper Birds.
There is a quietly told but intriguingly mysterious story line too. For the first part of the book I was asking myself "who is this Harry person and how does he know Audrey?" We find out eventually how he knew her, but have to wait nearly to the end to discover exactly who he is.
It is rather a sad book and hyper emotional. All the main characters are broken in some way and there is a lot of angst. However the last part gathers all the loose ends together and brings resolutions. Hopefully they are all happy ones.
There is a quietly told but intriguingly mysterious story line too. For the first part of the book I was asking myself "who is this Harry person and how does he know Audrey?" We find out eventually how he knew her, but have to wait nearly to the end to discover exactly who he is.
It is rather a sad book and hyper emotional. All the main characters are broken in some way and there is a lot of angst. However the last part gathers all the loose ends together and brings resolutions. Hopefully they are all happy ones.
April 26, 2017
**Thank you to Bloomsbury Publishing Plc and Netgalley for sending me an ARC in return for an honest review.
4.5 stars!!!
I'm really surprised that this book has received such poor ratings. It has got to be one of the most underrated books of this year. I have to admit maybe this book is not to everyone's tastes, but I was pleasantly blown away when I started reading it. So, what exactly did I like about this book? Let me elaborate.
One, the cover is just beautiful. Just look at it!!! I love the colour scheme and the illustration on it. It's utterly whimsical. And I'm a sucker for those kind of things. Second and most importantly is the writing, Tor Udall has a beautiful way of weaving a yarn. The writing has almost a dream-like quality to it. It's fleeting, luscious and descriptive. I was just sucked in with the words and the fact that the story was set in the Kew Gardens just elevated it to a whole new level. The descriptions and worldbuilding was breathtaking. Even the love making scenes were described so well. It wasn't erotic. I just loved it. There's no other word for it.
Now for the content of the book. I think this is where people get lost a bit. The book is essentially about life, family, love, grief and lost things. There's a hint of magical realism in it and it's literary fiction. So, once you wrap your head around this, you should be fine. The story is about a guy named Jonah who loses his wife Audrey. It's about how he deals with her loss and her story is told through a series of characters. With each character, we learn their backstory and the part they play in the life of Audrey. So everything is in reality connected with one another. Through each character's perspective, as a reader we finally learn how Audrey passed away and the reasons behind it. The only negative that I had with the book, albeit a minor one was that sometimes there are character shifts within a chapter which did rattle me a bit but they were subtle enough not to cause much of a detraction from the overall storyline.
Thirdly, the book also deals with a lot of things like art, music and reading. I especially loved reading about how the MCs especially are passionate about creative things and how these elements were integrated into their daily lives. There's a lot of descriptive elements regarding origami and the movement of music and how it relates to life. As a creative person myself and someone who loves visualisations, I found this utterly captivating and lyrical.
I personally think the author has done a wonderful job of dealing with the issues of loss and love in the book. The lesson I learnt was that hope transcends everything and that's what got to me. I think in order to really appreciate this story, you have to be in the right frame of mind. However, I would really recommend reading it to enjoy the full gist of it. Please don't go by what the other reviewers have said about it, try reading it and judge it for yourselves. For me, this was a gem of a book.
4.5 stars!!!
I'm really surprised that this book has received such poor ratings. It has got to be one of the most underrated books of this year. I have to admit maybe this book is not to everyone's tastes, but I was pleasantly blown away when I started reading it. So, what exactly did I like about this book? Let me elaborate.
One, the cover is just beautiful. Just look at it!!! I love the colour scheme and the illustration on it. It's utterly whimsical. And I'm a sucker for those kind of things. Second and most importantly is the writing, Tor Udall has a beautiful way of weaving a yarn. The writing has almost a dream-like quality to it. It's fleeting, luscious and descriptive. I was just sucked in with the words and the fact that the story was set in the Kew Gardens just elevated it to a whole new level. The descriptions and worldbuilding was breathtaking. Even the love making scenes were described so well. It wasn't erotic. I just loved it. There's no other word for it.
Now for the content of the book. I think this is where people get lost a bit. The book is essentially about life, family, love, grief and lost things. There's a hint of magical realism in it and it's literary fiction. So, once you wrap your head around this, you should be fine. The story is about a guy named Jonah who loses his wife Audrey. It's about how he deals with her loss and her story is told through a series of characters. With each character, we learn their backstory and the part they play in the life of Audrey. So everything is in reality connected with one another. Through each character's perspective, as a reader we finally learn how Audrey passed away and the reasons behind it. The only negative that I had with the book, albeit a minor one was that sometimes there are character shifts within a chapter which did rattle me a bit but they were subtle enough not to cause much of a detraction from the overall storyline.
Thirdly, the book also deals with a lot of things like art, music and reading. I especially loved reading about how the MCs especially are passionate about creative things and how these elements were integrated into their daily lives. There's a lot of descriptive elements regarding origami and the movement of music and how it relates to life. As a creative person myself and someone who loves visualisations, I found this utterly captivating and lyrical.
I personally think the author has done a wonderful job of dealing with the issues of loss and love in the book. The lesson I learnt was that hope transcends everything and that's what got to me. I think in order to really appreciate this story, you have to be in the right frame of mind. However, I would really recommend reading it to enjoy the full gist of it. Please don't go by what the other reviewers have said about it, try reading it and judge it for yourselves. For me, this was a gem of a book.
June 4, 2017
There are some times when I really wish I hadn't started this blog, and this is one of those times. Why? Because, I know that I'm not able to do this book justice with my words. The beauty of this book, from the exquisite cover, through the incredible writing, right up to the final paragraph is outstanding, the characters are lingering in my head, in my heart.
Usually when I begin a new book, I dive in and read as much as I can straight away. The first two pages of A Thousand Paper Birds, entitled 'Audrey's Smile' stopped me in my tracks. I read it, I read it again, I read it out loud to my husband. These are two short pages of pure beauty; poignant, emotional and so effective, and really are a taste of the joys to come from this story.
This is the story of four adults and one child, set against the exotic and astonishing backdrop of Kew Gardens in London. The garden itself becomes a character, as this talented author describes the flowers, the peace, the joy and the sorrow that are found there. Jonah's wife Audrey is dead, he is struggling to come to terms with the loss of his young, beautiful wife. His grief is all consuming and is an extension of his relationship with Audrey, for they grieved together over the years, for the children that didn't arrive.
Chloe is an artist, Harry is a gardener and child Milly is a precocious and effervescent girl who finds joy in everything. These three characters hold the clues to Audrey's death, and to the events that led up to that tragic day when she crashed her car, and didn't come home.
I truly felt as though these characters were written for me! As they spoke, I nodded in agreement, I felt them, I understood them completely. I am a page-corner-bender, when I find a phrase or a line in a book that touches me, I bend over the page. Sometimes I am criticised for it, when I came across this conversation between Harry and Audrey, I sighed in appreciation;
"I've never understood why people get angry when someone turns down a corner. I bet some authors love to have their books underlined, doodled on - to be lived in."
"The book I'm reading at the moment is crinkled with bathwater. There are coffee spills, a greasy stain - perhaps mayo - ."
"So your own life has become part of the story?"
I have lots of folded corners in my copy, this book is packed with phrases and dialogue that took away my breath, and occasionally brought tears to my eyes.
A Thousand Paper Birds is so so intricate, so very perfectly balanced. There's a touch of magical realism that fits so smoothly into the story and the author handles the delicate subjects of death and grief so very well. Whilst some of the characters may be ethereal, their stories and feelings are human and authentic.
Tor Udall takes the process of grieving and handles it with delicacy and ease. These relationships are rich and crafted so very well.
A beautiful beautiful novel that should be savoured and treasured, and will be remembered for a long time. Stunning, Just stunning.
randomthingsthroughmyletterbox.blogspot.co.uk
Usually when I begin a new book, I dive in and read as much as I can straight away. The first two pages of A Thousand Paper Birds, entitled 'Audrey's Smile' stopped me in my tracks. I read it, I read it again, I read it out loud to my husband. These are two short pages of pure beauty; poignant, emotional and so effective, and really are a taste of the joys to come from this story.
This is the story of four adults and one child, set against the exotic and astonishing backdrop of Kew Gardens in London. The garden itself becomes a character, as this talented author describes the flowers, the peace, the joy and the sorrow that are found there. Jonah's wife Audrey is dead, he is struggling to come to terms with the loss of his young, beautiful wife. His grief is all consuming and is an extension of his relationship with Audrey, for they grieved together over the years, for the children that didn't arrive.
Chloe is an artist, Harry is a gardener and child Milly is a precocious and effervescent girl who finds joy in everything. These three characters hold the clues to Audrey's death, and to the events that led up to that tragic day when she crashed her car, and didn't come home.
I truly felt as though these characters were written for me! As they spoke, I nodded in agreement, I felt them, I understood them completely. I am a page-corner-bender, when I find a phrase or a line in a book that touches me, I bend over the page. Sometimes I am criticised for it, when I came across this conversation between Harry and Audrey, I sighed in appreciation;
"I've never understood why people get angry when someone turns down a corner. I bet some authors love to have their books underlined, doodled on - to be lived in."
"The book I'm reading at the moment is crinkled with bathwater. There are coffee spills, a greasy stain - perhaps mayo - ."
"So your own life has become part of the story?"
I have lots of folded corners in my copy, this book is packed with phrases and dialogue that took away my breath, and occasionally brought tears to my eyes.
A Thousand Paper Birds is so so intricate, so very perfectly balanced. There's a touch of magical realism that fits so smoothly into the story and the author handles the delicate subjects of death and grief so very well. Whilst some of the characters may be ethereal, their stories and feelings are human and authentic.
Tor Udall takes the process of grieving and handles it with delicacy and ease. These relationships are rich and crafted so very well.
A beautiful beautiful novel that should be savoured and treasured, and will be remembered for a long time. Stunning, Just stunning.
randomthingsthroughmyletterbox.blogspot.co.uk
August 2, 2017
“For the last few years he has dabbled with descriptive writing, surprised by what he can create with only lead and paper. He is slightly embarrassed by how much he enjoys weeding words, or pruning back an ellipsis; a poet trapped inside a gardener’s body. Plant one word, watch it grow – but first, turn over the soil, start with the basics”
A Thousand Paper Birds is the first novel by British theatre director, choreographer, editor and author, Tor Udall. Among the many people who frequent the Botanic Gardens at Kew in the late spring of 2004 are four whose lives will be inextricably entwined. Harry Barclay has devoted his life to looking after the gardens. He watches as musician Jonah Wilson grieves for his wife, Audrey. Jonah first met Audrey in these gardens and before her untimely (and inexplicable) death in a car crash, she had visited regularly and often. Now Jonah seeks answers and connection.
Eight-year-old Milly is a quirky child who roams the gardens at will. Jonah registers some concern for this unaccompanied youngster, but is too swamped by grief to act. Harry keeps a watchful eye over her, involving her in his daily chores. A tragic incident in the gardens haunts visual artist Chloe Adams, who finds respite in the origami figures she creates. Jonah is eventually rather captivated: “Her physicality is fluid one moment, self-conscious the next; a constant changing that pulls his eye, makes him want to describe it. It’s a run of quavers, unexpected rests, a shift in time signature; but then she returns to the cool of the house and Jonah is left staring at some trampled daisies.”
Udall gives the reader a plot which sounds somewhat predictable in summary but then does not go quite where expected. It’s a love story or, more correctly, several of them. Udall’s characters are complex, flawed and full of emotion. They are keeping secrets, not telling everything, although some of them just don’t remember. The gardens themselves are as much a character as their vsitors: Udall’s research into the gardens at Kew is apparent on every page and her love for them shines through in her descriptive prose, which is luminous and evocative.
Udall’s story is carefully crafted, slowly developing, taking twists and turns, and patience is rewarded with little reveals before the mysteries are solved. The narrative is carried by the four main characters, but Audrey is given a voice in a diary that is eventually discovered. Describing Harry: “He was perhaps in his early fifties. The sparkle in his eyes, his grey stubble, reminded me of that guy in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. But on closer inspection, his jacket had lost several buttons. He looked like a painting in need of restoration – that at some point in his life he had been beautiful.”
With prose like this:“… her family and friends, overheating in their Sunday best. The afternoon reeks of honeysuckle and sweat. Men, sutured up in suits, are restless. The headstones seem to be the only ones relaxed, leaning into the sunshine like drunkards”, A Thousand Paper Birds is a joy to read. A sparkling debut that will have fans keen for more from this talented author.
A Thousand Paper Birds is the first novel by British theatre director, choreographer, editor and author, Tor Udall. Among the many people who frequent the Botanic Gardens at Kew in the late spring of 2004 are four whose lives will be inextricably entwined. Harry Barclay has devoted his life to looking after the gardens. He watches as musician Jonah Wilson grieves for his wife, Audrey. Jonah first met Audrey in these gardens and before her untimely (and inexplicable) death in a car crash, she had visited regularly and often. Now Jonah seeks answers and connection.
Eight-year-old Milly is a quirky child who roams the gardens at will. Jonah registers some concern for this unaccompanied youngster, but is too swamped by grief to act. Harry keeps a watchful eye over her, involving her in his daily chores. A tragic incident in the gardens haunts visual artist Chloe Adams, who finds respite in the origami figures she creates. Jonah is eventually rather captivated: “Her physicality is fluid one moment, self-conscious the next; a constant changing that pulls his eye, makes him want to describe it. It’s a run of quavers, unexpected rests, a shift in time signature; but then she returns to the cool of the house and Jonah is left staring at some trampled daisies.”
Udall gives the reader a plot which sounds somewhat predictable in summary but then does not go quite where expected. It’s a love story or, more correctly, several of them. Udall’s characters are complex, flawed and full of emotion. They are keeping secrets, not telling everything, although some of them just don’t remember. The gardens themselves are as much a character as their vsitors: Udall’s research into the gardens at Kew is apparent on every page and her love for them shines through in her descriptive prose, which is luminous and evocative.
Udall’s story is carefully crafted, slowly developing, taking twists and turns, and patience is rewarded with little reveals before the mysteries are solved. The narrative is carried by the four main characters, but Audrey is given a voice in a diary that is eventually discovered. Describing Harry: “He was perhaps in his early fifties. The sparkle in his eyes, his grey stubble, reminded me of that guy in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. But on closer inspection, his jacket had lost several buttons. He looked like a painting in need of restoration – that at some point in his life he had been beautiful.”
With prose like this:“… her family and friends, overheating in their Sunday best. The afternoon reeks of honeysuckle and sweat. Men, sutured up in suits, are restless. The headstones seem to be the only ones relaxed, leaning into the sunshine like drunkards”, A Thousand Paper Birds is a joy to read. A sparkling debut that will have fans keen for more from this talented author.
September 25, 2017
I was provided a copy via the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
2.5/5 stars
This was just okay for me. This is one of my favorite covers I think I have ever seen. The premise and writing is absolutely stunning with great imagery. The problem I had was the pacing, it was just so incredibly slow. I felt like I was trudging through and had to force myself through the first half of the book. I loved the mystery that is Audrey. Some of the characters were fine but then others I could not connect with at all and mad it hard to enjoy the passages with them. The plot was well developed and had a wonderful array of grief stages making them believable. Not my favorite book, but good book none the less. Some of the best quotes I've come across in some time.
2.5/5 stars
This was just okay for me. This is one of my favorite covers I think I have ever seen. The premise and writing is absolutely stunning with great imagery. The problem I had was the pacing, it was just so incredibly slow. I felt like I was trudging through and had to force myself through the first half of the book. I loved the mystery that is Audrey. Some of the characters were fine but then others I could not connect with at all and mad it hard to enjoy the passages with them. The plot was well developed and had a wonderful array of grief stages making them believable. Not my favorite book, but good book none the less. Some of the best quotes I've come across in some time.
July 6, 2020
This year I have been slowly warming to the contemporary genre. I live in reality, so I usually don't like to read about it, but every now and then I stumble across some great little gems.
A Thousand Paper Birds by Tor Udall brings readers along on the journey with four characters, Jonah, Chloe, Harry and Milly. All of them are connected by one woman, the recently deceased Audrey, the wife of Jonah.
I really liked how this book was set out. The continuous setting and theme of the Kew Gardens, along with Chloe's origami, made for some gorgeous imagery. Each character stood on their own very well, and their stories and thoughts were complex and interesting.
It's hard to explain the intricacies of this book without giving things away, so the best way I can describe it is by using the title. This book is like (and I suspect this was intentional by the author) an origami bird. Multiple folds, looks simple on the outside but once you unfold it you realise that there is so much more going on.
Mysterious, beautifully written, captivating.
A Thousand Paper Birds by Tor Udall brings readers along on the journey with four characters, Jonah, Chloe, Harry and Milly. All of them are connected by one woman, the recently deceased Audrey, the wife of Jonah.
I really liked how this book was set out. The continuous setting and theme of the Kew Gardens, along with Chloe's origami, made for some gorgeous imagery. Each character stood on their own very well, and their stories and thoughts were complex and interesting.
It's hard to explain the intricacies of this book without giving things away, so the best way I can describe it is by using the title. This book is like (and I suspect this was intentional by the author) an origami bird. Multiple folds, looks simple on the outside but once you unfold it you realise that there is so much more going on.
Mysterious, beautifully written, captivating.
December 20, 2018
Beautiful and poignant
April 8, 2017
I would like to thank Netgalley for my ARC copy of this book for an honest review.
Audrey is the link that holds this story together, she is the linchpin. One problem though, she died in a mysterious car crash, leaving behind her husband and what seems to be other random strangers.
It is set in Kew Gardens, London, and spans a year. During that year we discover and meet Jonah, who is Audrey’s husband, Milly a little girl who seems to wander round Kew by herself, Harry the botanist and Chloe the art student and maker of origami birds. They are all linked in their own way to Audrey.
I really wanted to enjoy this story, the characters are well written, the general feel of the book was only okay for me though. It would be a lazy afternoon read, if I was asked my opinion of it. It rather feels like i was merely meandering through it, rather than wanting to keep turning the pages to find out what happened next.
I have marked this book as a 3*, but with an addition on my personal notes , to come back to this book and try it again, as I didn’t dislike it.
Audrey is the link that holds this story together, she is the linchpin. One problem though, she died in a mysterious car crash, leaving behind her husband and what seems to be other random strangers.
It is set in Kew Gardens, London, and spans a year. During that year we discover and meet Jonah, who is Audrey’s husband, Milly a little girl who seems to wander round Kew by herself, Harry the botanist and Chloe the art student and maker of origami birds. They are all linked in their own way to Audrey.
I really wanted to enjoy this story, the characters are well written, the general feel of the book was only okay for me though. It would be a lazy afternoon read, if I was asked my opinion of it. It rather feels like i was merely meandering through it, rather than wanting to keep turning the pages to find out what happened next.
I have marked this book as a 3*, but with an addition on my personal notes , to come back to this book and try it again, as I didn’t dislike it.
July 28, 2022
Op bladzijde 25 gestopt. De schrijfstijl irriteert me enorm. Het lijkt erop dat de auteur haar simpele romannetje op krampachtige wijze probeert te upgraden naar een literair werk door in vrijwel elke zin gebruik te maken van vergezochte vergelijkingen. Merci voor de poging. Niet voor mij.
September 19, 2018
http://www.esmeraldaviaggielibri.it/i...
Recensione di Dannyella – Il destino ha ali di carta di Tor Udall pubblicato da Garzanti il 13 settembre.
Chi mi conosce sa che quando termino un libro, la recensione vien fuori nel giro dei dieci minuti successivi. Questo perché mi piace scrivere la mia opinione sull’onda dell’emozioni del momento, riesco a essere più convincente, più spontanea e i pensieri si mettono in ordine da soli. Del resto, per me non avrebbe senso fare altrimenti perché leggo per provare emozioni, ed è con quelle stesse sensazioni che la lettura ha provocato in me ancora addosso che cerco di dire la mia. Per questo libro, purtroppo, non è stato così. Quando l’ho terminato, e non vedevo l’ora di terminarlo, mi è rimasto sulla fronte un bel grosso punto interrogativo e mi sono presa del tempo prima di mettere qualcosa per iscritto.
Si tratta di un fenomeno editoriale: il libro che abbiamo tra le mani è stato il più conteso alla fiera di Francoforte e, di fatto, la versione italiana e quella tedesca sono uscite quasi in contemporanea questo settembre, di poco precedute dalla versione francese, per me quella dalla cover più riuscita. Definito commovente e pieno di speranza dall’Observer, per il The Sunday Express si tratta di un romanzo poetico.
Davanti a una tale pubblicità e una tale risonanza è ancora più difficile dire la propria, da semplice lettrice, soprattutto se si tratta di una voce fuori dal coro, ma la mia è la semplice opinione di una donna che ha passato gli ultimi quattro giorni tra le pagine di questo libro, non trovandosi mai completamente a proprio agio. Leggere per me è un gesto di estrema generosità ed è un omaggio alla penna dello scrittore. In quel momento io rinuncio, in un certo senso, alla mia vita: metto da parte i miei impegni quotidiani, le persone che mi circondano per dedicarmi alla storia che l’autore ha scritto, per essere trasportata nella vita, nella mente di qualcun altro e l’unica cosa che voglio in cambio è che ne valga la pena. Questa volta non credo che sia stato così, non ho chiuso il libro soddisfatta di averlo letto.
Ci sono tanti modi di portare avanti una storia e tanti modi di presentare i propri protagonisti, ci sono gli autori che ci presentano tutti i protagonisti all’inizio del romanzo, per esempio. Lo fanno come se ci mettessero davanti le loro carte d’identità, così sappiamo perfettamente chi abbiamo davanti, e poi continuiamo a leggere le loro storie. Ci sono altri autori, invece, che scoprono i loro protagonisti piano piano, come se fosse un gioco di magia: il loro trucco sta nel non farci vedere subito tutte le carte. È un modo di scrivere intrigante, che di solito ti porta a divorare il libro che hai davanti perché vuoi sapere cosa sta succedendo, chi è il protagonista e cosa gli succede. E poi c’è la scrittura di Tor Udall, l’autrice di questo libro che non posso fare a meno che definire confusa e se questo si intende per poeticità allora devo ammettere il mio limite di non aver saputo cogliere il lato poetico di questo romanzo. Non è facile da spiegare, ma ho dovuto attendere sino al settanta per cento del romanzo che quegli schizzi, quegli eventi gettati così alla rinfusa, mi venissero finalmente chiariti, ma il problema non è stata l’attesa, il problema principale è che questa attesa non è stata accompagnata dalla suspense, dalla voglia di arrivare a capire quello di cui stavo leggendo che è fondamentale per un tipo di scrittura del genere. Insomma, per dirla in maniera brutale: durante questa lettura mi sono annoiata e non posso farci niente. Credo che questo modo di scrivere sia stato motivato da una trama davvero molto esigua e, infatti, nel romanzo accade veramente poco. Mi piacerebbe molto leggere altre opinioni, anche diverse, al riguardo, per arrivare magari a capire qual è stato il mio limite durante questa lettura. Ma probabilmente, come spesso dico, non era semplicemente il libro giusto al momento giusto.
La protagonista più riuscita, forse, è Chloe, l’unica che è riuscita a smuovermi un po’ d’interesse, anche perché forse è l’unica un po’ più delineata e le pagine più interessanti sono indubbiamente quelle riguardanti il diario di Audrey, che avrei volentieri approfondito, perché era davvero interessante intrufolarsi nel subconscio di una donna con un passato come il suo e con la sua psicologia così delicata, peccato, però, che queste diario occupi un ruolo troppo marginale del libro. Poi, per quanto riguarda il resto, l’argomento trattato, l’essenza degli altri protagonisti: può essere un tema che può o meno piacere, può o meno interessare o convincere, ma non posso dirne di più in una recensione che non vuole in nessun modo fare dello spoiler.
Nulla da ridire, invece, sulla traduzione di Roberta Scarabelli. Devo dire la verità: durante la lettura del romanzo, soprattutto nei momenti più intricati, avevo creduto che la traduttrice non fosse stata in grado di rendere al meglio alcuni passaggi dando luogo a un po’ di confusione. Poi, dal momento che non sono solita dare giudizi senza una documentazione al riguardo, sono andata a leggere l’originale e mi sono resa conta che la scrittura di Tor Udall è proprio confusa (qualcuno la definirà poetica, ma tant’è…). Difficilmente, per esempio dimenticherò il passaggio che mi ha fatta fermare nella lettura, tornare indietro e rileggerlo per tre volte di seguito con le sopracciglia aggrottate: Ma di solito è lei quella sollecita, poi non chiama per giorni. Cerca di riconciliare gli estremi di lui, però solo i saggi sanno ballare guancia a guancia con il paradosso; e Chloe sa di non essere una santa. Qui pensavo davvero che ci fosse una fallimentare scelta traduttiva alla base della difficile scorrevolezza della frase e del suo dubbio significato, ma poi sono andata a leggere l’originale: But normally she is the one who is attentive, then doesn’t call for days. She tries to reconcile his extremes, but only sages can dance cheek to cheek with paradox; and Chloe knows she is not saint. Ecco, una cosa è la poeticità, ma essa non deve scontrarsi con la leggibilità e la scorrevolezza del libro, per quanto mi riguarda.
Un libro con una trama così esigua, infine, a mio parere, non dovrebbe superare le 200 pagine, mentre qui arriviamo alle 320. Pagine in cui alla fine non succede nulla, la trama è incentrata tutta su un evento e su l’identità di alcuni protagonisti ed entrambe ci vengono rivelate solo alla fine, dopo un’attesa davvero troppo lunga.
Quindi, no, è un libro che non consiglierei e che non rileggerei, ma spero vivamente che qualcuno, più abituato di me a cogliere un tale livello di poeticità, mi possa fortemente contraddire su tutti i fronti.
Recensione di Dannyella – Il destino ha ali di carta di Tor Udall pubblicato da Garzanti il 13 settembre.
Chi mi conosce sa che quando termino un libro, la recensione vien fuori nel giro dei dieci minuti successivi. Questo perché mi piace scrivere la mia opinione sull’onda dell’emozioni del momento, riesco a essere più convincente, più spontanea e i pensieri si mettono in ordine da soli. Del resto, per me non avrebbe senso fare altrimenti perché leggo per provare emozioni, ed è con quelle stesse sensazioni che la lettura ha provocato in me ancora addosso che cerco di dire la mia. Per questo libro, purtroppo, non è stato così. Quando l’ho terminato, e non vedevo l’ora di terminarlo, mi è rimasto sulla fronte un bel grosso punto interrogativo e mi sono presa del tempo prima di mettere qualcosa per iscritto.
Si tratta di un fenomeno editoriale: il libro che abbiamo tra le mani è stato il più conteso alla fiera di Francoforte e, di fatto, la versione italiana e quella tedesca sono uscite quasi in contemporanea questo settembre, di poco precedute dalla versione francese, per me quella dalla cover più riuscita. Definito commovente e pieno di speranza dall’Observer, per il The Sunday Express si tratta di un romanzo poetico.
Davanti a una tale pubblicità e una tale risonanza è ancora più difficile dire la propria, da semplice lettrice, soprattutto se si tratta di una voce fuori dal coro, ma la mia è la semplice opinione di una donna che ha passato gli ultimi quattro giorni tra le pagine di questo libro, non trovandosi mai completamente a proprio agio. Leggere per me è un gesto di estrema generosità ed è un omaggio alla penna dello scrittore. In quel momento io rinuncio, in un certo senso, alla mia vita: metto da parte i miei impegni quotidiani, le persone che mi circondano per dedicarmi alla storia che l’autore ha scritto, per essere trasportata nella vita, nella mente di qualcun altro e l’unica cosa che voglio in cambio è che ne valga la pena. Questa volta non credo che sia stato così, non ho chiuso il libro soddisfatta di averlo letto.
Ci sono tanti modi di portare avanti una storia e tanti modi di presentare i propri protagonisti, ci sono gli autori che ci presentano tutti i protagonisti all’inizio del romanzo, per esempio. Lo fanno come se ci mettessero davanti le loro carte d’identità, così sappiamo perfettamente chi abbiamo davanti, e poi continuiamo a leggere le loro storie. Ci sono altri autori, invece, che scoprono i loro protagonisti piano piano, come se fosse un gioco di magia: il loro trucco sta nel non farci vedere subito tutte le carte. È un modo di scrivere intrigante, che di solito ti porta a divorare il libro che hai davanti perché vuoi sapere cosa sta succedendo, chi è il protagonista e cosa gli succede. E poi c’è la scrittura di Tor Udall, l’autrice di questo libro che non posso fare a meno che definire confusa e se questo si intende per poeticità allora devo ammettere il mio limite di non aver saputo cogliere il lato poetico di questo romanzo. Non è facile da spiegare, ma ho dovuto attendere sino al settanta per cento del romanzo che quegli schizzi, quegli eventi gettati così alla rinfusa, mi venissero finalmente chiariti, ma il problema non è stata l’attesa, il problema principale è che questa attesa non è stata accompagnata dalla suspense, dalla voglia di arrivare a capire quello di cui stavo leggendo che è fondamentale per un tipo di scrittura del genere. Insomma, per dirla in maniera brutale: durante questa lettura mi sono annoiata e non posso farci niente. Credo che questo modo di scrivere sia stato motivato da una trama davvero molto esigua e, infatti, nel romanzo accade veramente poco. Mi piacerebbe molto leggere altre opinioni, anche diverse, al riguardo, per arrivare magari a capire qual è stato il mio limite durante questa lettura. Ma probabilmente, come spesso dico, non era semplicemente il libro giusto al momento giusto.
La protagonista più riuscita, forse, è Chloe, l’unica che è riuscita a smuovermi un po’ d’interesse, anche perché forse è l’unica un po’ più delineata e le pagine più interessanti sono indubbiamente quelle riguardanti il diario di Audrey, che avrei volentieri approfondito, perché era davvero interessante intrufolarsi nel subconscio di una donna con un passato come il suo e con la sua psicologia così delicata, peccato, però, che queste diario occupi un ruolo troppo marginale del libro. Poi, per quanto riguarda il resto, l’argomento trattato, l’essenza degli altri protagonisti: può essere un tema che può o meno piacere, può o meno interessare o convincere, ma non posso dirne di più in una recensione che non vuole in nessun modo fare dello spoiler.
Nulla da ridire, invece, sulla traduzione di Roberta Scarabelli. Devo dire la verità: durante la lettura del romanzo, soprattutto nei momenti più intricati, avevo creduto che la traduttrice non fosse stata in grado di rendere al meglio alcuni passaggi dando luogo a un po’ di confusione. Poi, dal momento che non sono solita dare giudizi senza una documentazione al riguardo, sono andata a leggere l’originale e mi sono resa conta che la scrittura di Tor Udall è proprio confusa (qualcuno la definirà poetica, ma tant’è…). Difficilmente, per esempio dimenticherò il passaggio che mi ha fatta fermare nella lettura, tornare indietro e rileggerlo per tre volte di seguito con le sopracciglia aggrottate: Ma di solito è lei quella sollecita, poi non chiama per giorni. Cerca di riconciliare gli estremi di lui, però solo i saggi sanno ballare guancia a guancia con il paradosso; e Chloe sa di non essere una santa. Qui pensavo davvero che ci fosse una fallimentare scelta traduttiva alla base della difficile scorrevolezza della frase e del suo dubbio significato, ma poi sono andata a leggere l’originale: But normally she is the one who is attentive, then doesn’t call for days. She tries to reconcile his extremes, but only sages can dance cheek to cheek with paradox; and Chloe knows she is not saint. Ecco, una cosa è la poeticità, ma essa non deve scontrarsi con la leggibilità e la scorrevolezza del libro, per quanto mi riguarda.
Un libro con una trama così esigua, infine, a mio parere, non dovrebbe superare le 200 pagine, mentre qui arriviamo alle 320. Pagine in cui alla fine non succede nulla, la trama è incentrata tutta su un evento e su l’identità di alcuni protagonisti ed entrambe ci vengono rivelate solo alla fine, dopo un’attesa davvero troppo lunga.
Quindi, no, è un libro che non consiglierei e che non rileggerei, ma spero vivamente che qualcuno, più abituato di me a cogliere un tale livello di poeticità, mi possa fortemente contraddire su tutti i fronti.
September 5, 2017
What an incredibly beautiful and moving book. My words could never do it the justice it deserves.
It explores life and loss and it had me in tears more times than I can count. Tor Udall has a magnificent way of weaving a story together and creating characters that leave a lasting impression.
Aside from the loveliness of the story, it also brought me back to my love of David Bowie and I've been listening to his music non-stop since I finished reading this book.
Thank you so much to Bloomsbury Publishing for sending me a finished copy to review.
It explores life and loss and it had me in tears more times than I can count. Tor Udall has a magnificent way of weaving a story together and creating characters that leave a lasting impression.
Aside from the loveliness of the story, it also brought me back to my love of David Bowie and I've been listening to his music non-stop since I finished reading this book.
Thank you so much to Bloomsbury Publishing for sending me a finished copy to review.
September 12, 2021
I can't believe that this was a debut novel. The writing was lyrical and poetic. I was able to see Kew Gardens in my minds eye as i read. i have visited Kew a few times and also been to the orchid festival (which i highly recommend) and it was described so vividly. So you have Jonah who has lost his wife Audrey, Audrey as i've said is Jonah's wife who not only links them together but the other characters Milly the little girl that roams about Kew, Chloe the girl who folds and refolds the origami helping to shape her life. And then there's Harry who's purpose is to help Kew's plants from extinction and maybe also himself. He has dedicated his life to the Gardens until Audrey comes along. Things are said and unsaid note books left by two of the characters and as this book unfolded it took a turn i was not expecting and made me fall in love with it even more. An original concept that will want you willing the characters to see each other for what they are and to understand their failings and their love for each other. All I can say is remember the kisses you have already accepted and look forward the many you have to come, they are important. Read this you won't be disappointed and then you'll understand about the kisses!
June 15, 2017
Wow!! Reading this book has been an unforgettable experience and one that is going to stay with me for quite sometime! Not sure I can do it any justice with a review but I'll try and put how I'm feeling into words - it won't be as beautiful as this book that is for sure. I think I may be a little in love with this book - and I knew it would be 'for me' when i first saw the cover! Absolutely stunning!!
This is the story of Audrey and her sudden, tragic death. Her death that doesn't make any sense to Jonah, her husband who she has left behind. But they shared a love for Kew Gardens and this landmark keeps them close together as Jonah tries to make sense of the world he's now living in without his wife. He retraces his steps, his words, his actions but none of this brings her back. And the author captures this grief in amazing detail and in such beautiful language that your heart just breaks with each description of the void.
As the book is centred around Kew so much it allows other characters who visit the gardens and are connected to Audrey and Jonah to be introduced to the reader, and each character is another piece of the jigsaw that runs throughout the book. There is Chloe who is an artist, and is haunted by an incident she witnesses at the park, Harry who is an obsessive Kew gardener and Milly a young girl who is often found at the garden but what is she looking for? Their paths all cross in one way or another and this is a fascinating aspect of the story.
It cleverly also introduces pages from Audreys' diary so we get to see her story, much of which Jonah was unaware of and this wonderfully adds depth to the story and lets you see life through the eyes of a lost loved one. The heartache she was hiding from him and the secrets she kept from him......
It is quite difficult to review this book too much without spoiling major parts of the book and would highly recommend picking it up to read without knowing too much about the story, as that is how I fell into the book so was unaware of the journey I was about to embark on.
It's a tale of love, loss, betrayal, hope, grief, lost souls, holding on and letting go and is definitely a reading experience not to be rushed.
One of my favourite books of the year so far!! A must read!!
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for my arc copy in return for a fair and honest review.
This is the story of Audrey and her sudden, tragic death. Her death that doesn't make any sense to Jonah, her husband who she has left behind. But they shared a love for Kew Gardens and this landmark keeps them close together as Jonah tries to make sense of the world he's now living in without his wife. He retraces his steps, his words, his actions but none of this brings her back. And the author captures this grief in amazing detail and in such beautiful language that your heart just breaks with each description of the void.
As the book is centred around Kew so much it allows other characters who visit the gardens and are connected to Audrey and Jonah to be introduced to the reader, and each character is another piece of the jigsaw that runs throughout the book. There is Chloe who is an artist, and is haunted by an incident she witnesses at the park, Harry who is an obsessive Kew gardener and Milly a young girl who is often found at the garden but what is she looking for? Their paths all cross in one way or another and this is a fascinating aspect of the story.
It cleverly also introduces pages from Audreys' diary so we get to see her story, much of which Jonah was unaware of and this wonderfully adds depth to the story and lets you see life through the eyes of a lost loved one. The heartache she was hiding from him and the secrets she kept from him......
It is quite difficult to review this book too much without spoiling major parts of the book and would highly recommend picking it up to read without knowing too much about the story, as that is how I fell into the book so was unaware of the journey I was about to embark on.
It's a tale of love, loss, betrayal, hope, grief, lost souls, holding on and letting go and is definitely a reading experience not to be rushed.
One of my favourite books of the year so far!! A must read!!
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for my arc copy in return for a fair and honest review.
June 13, 2020
I’m as confused as the characters and that’s a good thing. The writer achieved something nearly impossible - she let the reader feel the way their characters felt. Life and death have their mysterious ways of manifesting...no matter whose point of view you take, no matter how much you try to understand you won’t be able to find all answers...this book touches your heart not the intellect.
May 11, 2018
Le jardin des bonheurs égarés offre le portrait intime de cinq vies inextricablement liées, tout au long d'une année à Kew Gardens. Tor Udall signe un premier roman étrange et inclassable, que tous les inconditionnels d'Alice Sebold, Barbara Kingsolver ou Audrey Niffenegger vont adorer.
Après la mort subite de sa femme, Jonah trouve refuge dans les jardins luxuriants et paisibles de Kew Gardens. Jour après jour, il y entretient le souvenir d’Audrey et tente d’y reconstruire son existence. C’est là qu’il rencontre Chloe, une jeune artiste écorchée vive, passionnée d’origami, qui cherche elle aussi le réconfort dans les allées des jardins. Alors que tous deux luttent contre leurs démons, Chloe et Jonah finissent par se rapprocher. Les jardins de Kew Gardens auraient-il la faculté ou le pouvoir extraordinaire de panser les plaies de celles et ceux qui ont perdu l’amour, l’espoir et le goût de vivre ?
Mais alors qui est cet énigmatique jardinier, qui inlassablement revient sur le devant de la scène et semble attendre que quelque chose -ou quelqu’un- l’enracine plus fermement à la terre ? Et qui est Milly, cette petite fille de huit ans qui erre dans les jardins et promène sa bonne humeur partout derrière elle ?
Au fil de cet étrange et élégant ballet de personnages, l’auteure lève le voile sur les mystères des jardins royaux de Kew Gardens. Au moyen d’un exercice de style inédit, Tor Udall nous apprend que les histoires d’amour et les destins sont comme le papier, ils peuvent être manipulés, pliés, dépliés et reformés à l’infini… L’écriture est si poétique, si finement ciselée que l’on a vraiment envie de croire à cette histoire complètement folle, qui, tout en réconfortant le lecteur, fait aussi vaciller toutes ses croyances et ses certitudes… C’est étrange, déstabilisant mais pas inintéressant pour autant !
Le jardin des bonheurs égarés est une expérience de lecture dont vous vous souviendrez longtemps. Que vous soyez séduits -ou non- par le style pour le moins déconcertant de Tor Udall, vous ne pourrez pas rester de marbre face à ce roman insolite et déchirant. Un chef d’œuvre d’imagination et un hommage vibrant au pouvoir apaisant de la nature !
Après la mort subite de sa femme, Jonah trouve refuge dans les jardins luxuriants et paisibles de Kew Gardens. Jour après jour, il y entretient le souvenir d’Audrey et tente d’y reconstruire son existence. C’est là qu’il rencontre Chloe, une jeune artiste écorchée vive, passionnée d’origami, qui cherche elle aussi le réconfort dans les allées des jardins. Alors que tous deux luttent contre leurs démons, Chloe et Jonah finissent par se rapprocher. Les jardins de Kew Gardens auraient-il la faculté ou le pouvoir extraordinaire de panser les plaies de celles et ceux qui ont perdu l’amour, l’espoir et le goût de vivre ?
Mais alors qui est cet énigmatique jardinier, qui inlassablement revient sur le devant de la scène et semble attendre que quelque chose -ou quelqu’un- l’enracine plus fermement à la terre ? Et qui est Milly, cette petite fille de huit ans qui erre dans les jardins et promène sa bonne humeur partout derrière elle ?
Au fil de cet étrange et élégant ballet de personnages, l’auteure lève le voile sur les mystères des jardins royaux de Kew Gardens. Au moyen d’un exercice de style inédit, Tor Udall nous apprend que les histoires d’amour et les destins sont comme le papier, ils peuvent être manipulés, pliés, dépliés et reformés à l’infini… L’écriture est si poétique, si finement ciselée que l’on a vraiment envie de croire à cette histoire complètement folle, qui, tout en réconfortant le lecteur, fait aussi vaciller toutes ses croyances et ses certitudes… C’est étrange, déstabilisant mais pas inintéressant pour autant !
Le jardin des bonheurs égarés est une expérience de lecture dont vous vous souviendrez longtemps. Que vous soyez séduits -ou non- par le style pour le moins déconcertant de Tor Udall, vous ne pourrez pas rester de marbre face à ce roman insolite et déchirant. Un chef d’œuvre d’imagination et un hommage vibrant au pouvoir apaisant de la nature !
June 12, 2017
This book, oh this beautiful book. From the sublime cover right through to the final words, my heart just ached. I honestly don't know how I can do this book the justice that it truly deserves with my bumbling review, but I'll do my very best.
The novel revolves around Audrey, a woman who dies suddenly. I honestly don't think I have ever read such raw, heartfelt and pure emotion before in such a poetic way upon the page, words that are tightly connected to the imagery, sights and smells of Kew Gardens. It is these gardens that unite all of the characters in this moving story. Those of Jonah, Audrey's husband, Chloe who befriends Jonah, Harry a park keeper and Emily, a little girl who is always seen at the gardens alone. All of these characters have their own unique story to tell, that help us to learn more about Audrey and what happened to her. The way that these stories weave themselves together is breathtaking and incredibly clever.
Kew really is at the heart of this novel. I have only ever visited the gardens once, and that was over ten years ago. But I remember being absolutely blown over by its beauty and tranquility. The author has managed to capture the essence of Kew and I think that even if you have never been there, you really will get a vivid depiction of what it is like to slowly wander around the grounds.
I can't really say much more without giving any spoilers away. I just wanted to share how magical this book is and of how it deals so beautifully with loss and grief. From the book's blurb you may be fooled into thinking that the novel is a somewhat depressing read, but this book is so full of hope, beauty and tells us how we are as humans, dealing with love, loss and relationships.
I must also just mention the beginning of the novel. After reading the first few pages I knew that I would love this book. It quite literally took my breath away. I also had to put the book down for a little while before continuing to read. This was because the words were so powerful, so raw, the image that was created brought a tear to my eye. It is I feel, one of the most powerful openings to a book I have ever read.
A Thousand Paper Birds is a stunningly beautiful, poignant and compelling read. My heart ached while reading it. I just felt so privileged to be able to gain insight into these characters lives, it really was a most intimate read. This is a book that I just know I will read again and again. I absolutely adore this book.
With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an Advanced Review Copy.
The novel revolves around Audrey, a woman who dies suddenly. I honestly don't think I have ever read such raw, heartfelt and pure emotion before in such a poetic way upon the page, words that are tightly connected to the imagery, sights and smells of Kew Gardens. It is these gardens that unite all of the characters in this moving story. Those of Jonah, Audrey's husband, Chloe who befriends Jonah, Harry a park keeper and Emily, a little girl who is always seen at the gardens alone. All of these characters have their own unique story to tell, that help us to learn more about Audrey and what happened to her. The way that these stories weave themselves together is breathtaking and incredibly clever.
Kew really is at the heart of this novel. I have only ever visited the gardens once, and that was over ten years ago. But I remember being absolutely blown over by its beauty and tranquility. The author has managed to capture the essence of Kew and I think that even if you have never been there, you really will get a vivid depiction of what it is like to slowly wander around the grounds.
I can't really say much more without giving any spoilers away. I just wanted to share how magical this book is and of how it deals so beautifully with loss and grief. From the book's blurb you may be fooled into thinking that the novel is a somewhat depressing read, but this book is so full of hope, beauty and tells us how we are as humans, dealing with love, loss and relationships.
I must also just mention the beginning of the novel. After reading the first few pages I knew that I would love this book. It quite literally took my breath away. I also had to put the book down for a little while before continuing to read. This was because the words were so powerful, so raw, the image that was created brought a tear to my eye. It is I feel, one of the most powerful openings to a book I have ever read.
A Thousand Paper Birds is a stunningly beautiful, poignant and compelling read. My heart ached while reading it. I just felt so privileged to be able to gain insight into these characters lives, it really was a most intimate read. This is a book that I just know I will read again and again. I absolutely adore this book.
With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an Advanced Review Copy.
September 11, 2018
Questa storia mi ha molto colpita e adesso, non temete, vi spiegherò perché.
Leggendo la trama de "Il destino ha ali di carta" mi aspettavo quasi che Chloe fosse la protagonista indiscussa, mentre quando mi sono addentrata nella storia raccontata ho capito che non era così.
In realtà questo è un libro che parla di mancanze, almeno questo è ciò che ho percepito io. Credo che Harry sia uno di quei protagonisti capaci di farti capire quanto sia importante dar peso alle cose che abbiamo e alle persone che ci stanno accanto, almeno finché ci sono. Chloe mi ha insegnato il valore della pazienza, Jonah è stato capace di farmi provare tristezza per le sue perdite, Milly è stata semplicemente fantastica.
La trama che promette di farci emozionare e appassionare a vite diverse dalle nostre è accompagnata da uno stile di scrittura molto particolare. Devo dire che se non avessi letto che il libro è stato scritto da un'autrice britannica, probabilmente lo avrei collocato in mezzo a opere di autori con uno stile tipicamente giapponese. Avete presente Banana Yoshimoto? Oppure Maxence Fermine, che è francese? Me li ha ricordati moltissimo.
Quando riesco a trovare un po' di me stessa nei libri che leggo, allora lascio il mio cuore in mezzo alle pagine e insieme ai personaggi. Credo che "Il destino ha ali di carta" sia riuscito nell'intento di avvicinarsi ai lettori, almeno con me.
Leggendo la trama de "Il destino ha ali di carta" mi aspettavo quasi che Chloe fosse la protagonista indiscussa, mentre quando mi sono addentrata nella storia raccontata ho capito che non era così.
In realtà questo è un libro che parla di mancanze, almeno questo è ciò che ho percepito io. Credo che Harry sia uno di quei protagonisti capaci di farti capire quanto sia importante dar peso alle cose che abbiamo e alle persone che ci stanno accanto, almeno finché ci sono. Chloe mi ha insegnato il valore della pazienza, Jonah è stato capace di farmi provare tristezza per le sue perdite, Milly è stata semplicemente fantastica.
La trama che promette di farci emozionare e appassionare a vite diverse dalle nostre è accompagnata da uno stile di scrittura molto particolare. Devo dire che se non avessi letto che il libro è stato scritto da un'autrice britannica, probabilmente lo avrei collocato in mezzo a opere di autori con uno stile tipicamente giapponese. Avete presente Banana Yoshimoto? Oppure Maxence Fermine, che è francese? Me li ha ricordati moltissimo.
Quando riesco a trovare un po' di me stessa nei libri che leggo, allora lascio il mio cuore in mezzo alle pagine e insieme ai personaggi. Credo che "Il destino ha ali di carta" sia riuscito nell'intento di avvicinarsi ai lettori, almeno con me.
June 18, 2017
This was a Netgalley read - thanks to Netgalley, publisher and especially to the author. I put off reviewing this one for a little bit as I think it's one that I needed to ruminate on. A truly beautiful and creative read, dealing with themes of love and loss in a tender and poignant way.
Descent
I actually found the descent into this book the hardest part. It had lovely language and detail but there was a little bit of jarring with voice...the "I" used only twice, pedantic I know, took me out of the narrative. The rest is in the third person. Admittedly, once was when one of the characters was reading from his notebook so, fine, but the other wasn't. It is, no doubt, for impact, but it felt jarring. However, aside from that, the description was stunning throughout - opening with Jonah's grief as he is mourning the passing of his wife. We fall into his loss and are displaced as surely as he is.
Depth
The depth comes from the all-consuming sense that the characters have of being lost. Early on there is a sense that there is always a distance between individuals, that we can never know what they are truly thinking or feeling, even when you love them. Four characters converge throughout the narrative - Jonah (musician and teacher), Harry (gardener at Kew), Chloe (an artist) and Milly (a young girl) - all connected by the fifth character, Audrey and her death. The themes are summed up beautifully in the artwork created throughout the novel. I adored the creativity running through the novel - linking music, art, writing and all against the backdrop and art of nature in the setting of Kew Gardens.
Ascent
This one does stay with you - I know I will be revisiting it to muse over some the beautiful passages.
Published on: http://raeelse.co.uk
Descent
I actually found the descent into this book the hardest part. It had lovely language and detail but there was a little bit of jarring with voice...the "I" used only twice, pedantic I know, took me out of the narrative. The rest is in the third person. Admittedly, once was when one of the characters was reading from his notebook so, fine, but the other wasn't. It is, no doubt, for impact, but it felt jarring. However, aside from that, the description was stunning throughout - opening with Jonah's grief as he is mourning the passing of his wife. We fall into his loss and are displaced as surely as he is.
Depth
The depth comes from the all-consuming sense that the characters have of being lost. Early on there is a sense that there is always a distance between individuals, that we can never know what they are truly thinking or feeling, even when you love them. Four characters converge throughout the narrative - Jonah (musician and teacher), Harry (gardener at Kew), Chloe (an artist) and Milly (a young girl) - all connected by the fifth character, Audrey and her death. The themes are summed up beautifully in the artwork created throughout the novel. I adored the creativity running through the novel - linking music, art, writing and all against the backdrop and art of nature in the setting of Kew Gardens.
Ascent
This one does stay with you - I know I will be revisiting it to muse over some the beautiful passages.
Published on: http://raeelse.co.uk
November 8, 2018
Una fra le letture, inaspettatamente, più ardue mai affrontate: una struttura del testo a sé, molto particolare, un susseguirsi di rimandi ed echi non subito di facile comprensione; un romanzo, lo definirei, piuttosto "visionario", la cui essenza evocativa, per essere afferrata veramente, forse richiederebbe una comprensione più profonda attraverso una seconda lettura.. trama che lascia una sua impronta, senza dubbio.
March 6, 2019
Het boek volgt het mysterieuze verhaal van 4 personages na de dood van Audrey, die elkaar doorheen het boek ontmoeten in de mooie setting van Kew Gardens in Londen. Liefde en lust, pijn en verdriet, schuld, angst en onzekerheid geven kleur aan de hoofdpersonen, elk een eigen verhaal en een eigen waarheid.
"(...) er is ook de balsem: de aanvaarding dat iedereen op deze merkwaardige kleine planeet verneukt is." (p110)
"(...) er is ook de balsem: de aanvaarding dat iedereen op deze merkwaardige kleine planeet verneukt is." (p110)
May 4, 2018
I really enjoyed the writing and the story started off very strong for me. I could really feel Jonah’s pain while reading. As the novel progressed I lost a bit of interest and I’m not sure how I feel about the magical realism element. I did enjoy this though and I look forward to reading whatever Tor Udall publishes next!
January 26, 2019
Prachtig boek.
Je wordt meegenomen door het leven van de hoofdpersonen, wat zich voornamelijk in Kewgarden afspeelt.
Er wordt vaak van de een naar de ander persoon gewisseld, op een manier dat ik in het begin soms moest teruglezen.
Verwarrend vooral in het begin.
De verhaallijn en de beschrijvingen van de tuin zijn prachtig.
Je wordt meegenomen door het leven van de hoofdpersonen, wat zich voornamelijk in Kewgarden afspeelt.
Er wordt vaak van de een naar de ander persoon gewisseld, op een manier dat ik in het begin soms moest teruglezen.
Verwarrend vooral in het begin.
De verhaallijn en de beschrijvingen van de tuin zijn prachtig.
July 14, 2017
After the death of his wife, Audrey, Jonah is in consolable. He sits on a bench in Kew Gardens and reflects on their life together as the world passes him by. Chloe is an artist who focuses on origami but her personal life is chaotic and less focused. Milly wanders the gardens at will but seems to have no homeland no family. Harry is passionate about plants and committed to Kew. Audrey seems to be the link between them all but how is her life and death linked to Kew.
For the first half of this book I was entranced by the story of Audrey and Jonah, and the budding romance between Jonah and Chloe. However the story of Audrey, Harry and Milly just didn't seem to fit. Of course as the book went on it was revealed and unfortunately my enjoyment of the book went down. The premise felt a little too fey and forced, the supernatural pushed a little too much. Having said that there is some beautiful writing here, the emotional and sensitive way that loss and grief are dealt with is heartfelt.
For the first half of this book I was entranced by the story of Audrey and Jonah, and the budding romance between Jonah and Chloe. However the story of Audrey, Harry and Milly just didn't seem to fit. Of course as the book went on it was revealed and unfortunately my enjoyment of the book went down. The premise felt a little too fey and forced, the supernatural pushed a little too much. Having said that there is some beautiful writing here, the emotional and sensitive way that loss and grief are dealt with is heartfelt.
June 2, 2018
J'ai eu l'impression de lire à la fois mon histoire... et celle de millions de particules dans l'univers.
https://hedwidgeandelrond.blogspot.co...
https://hedwidgeandelrond.blogspot.co...
March 8, 2019
Nice twist
0319
0319
April 30, 2020
Noia e tedio mi hanno accompagnato durante la lettura di questo libro... devo aggiungere altro?
December 1, 2019
A beautiful, lyrical and ultimately very romantic book. At first I was interested only because it was set in Kew Gardens and recently having been there I enjoyed the sort of familiarity - but then the characters intrigued me and finally when I came to realise who was real and who wasn't I became insanely jealous that i cannot write with such precision and charm.
December 14, 2019
This is a book to savour. I have read it far too quickly, and need now to reread it to absorb more fully the wonderful and poignant writing about love and about loss. The setting of Kew Gardens contains the plot, in every sense. A quite lovely book. Recommended.
July 9, 2017
I can't quite explain why I downloaded this audiobook as it's just not the kind of thing I usually enjoy. Maybe it was the fact that it interweaves the stories of five different characters (a frame to which I'm partial), or maybe it was because it's set mainly in Kew Gardens, a place that I loved visiting. Had I paid more attention to comparisons to Audrey Nifffenegger and Curtis Sittenfield, I probably would have passed on it. Tor Udall's first novel focuses on the interrelated stories of five people, each of them drawn to Kew, and each of them suffering from some kind of loss. There's Jonah, a recently widowed musician/music teacher; Chloe, an emotionally damaged young artist and master of origami; Milly, a little girl who seems to wander aimlessly through Kew with no parents in sight; Harry, an introverted gardener who seems to trust no one; and Audrey, Jonah's wife, whose life has been blighted by a series of miscarriages. Audrey is the link that eventually brings them all together. Initially, I thought the book was relying a lot on flashbacks, but I came to realize that only some of the characters were on "this side"--or, perhaps more rightly, that some of them had not yet let go and passed over.
As stated, this isn't exactly my usual fare, but there were some things to admire. Udall did create empathy for each of the suffering characters, and there are glorious descriptions of Kew through the seasons and the effects of nature--particularly plants--on the human psyche. This line from Amazon's blurb may say it best: "This novel is a love letter to a garden and a hymn to lost things."
3.5 out of 5 stars.
As stated, this isn't exactly my usual fare, but there were some things to admire. Udall did create empathy for each of the suffering characters, and there are glorious descriptions of Kew through the seasons and the effects of nature--particularly plants--on the human psyche. This line from Amazon's blurb may say it best: "This novel is a love letter to a garden and a hymn to lost things."
3.5 out of 5 stars.
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