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Do Not Feed the Bear
'Beguiling and astute' Sarah Winman 'Astoundingly good' Deborah Moggach'Wonderfully redemptive' Sarah Haywood 'I was delighted and surprised by this textured, fascinating and most moving book' Chris WareA life-affirming novel about broken but loving families, people making mistakes but doing their best, grief and getting stuck - for readers of ELEANOR OLIPHANT and THE TROUBLE WITH GOATS AND SHEEP On her forty-seventh birthday, Sydney Smith stands on a rooftop and prepares to jump...Sydney is a cartoonist and freerunner. Feet constantly twitching, always teetering on the edge of life, she's never come to terms with the event that ripped her family apart when she was ten years old. And so, on a birthday that she doesn't want to celebrate, she returns alone to St Ives to face up to her guilt and grief. It's a trip that turns out to be life-changing - and not only for herself.DO NOT FEED THE BEAR is a book about lives not yet lived, about the kindness of others and about how, when our worlds stop, we find a way to keep on moving.Readers love Do Not Feed the 'I loved each and every moment of this book and feel bereft it has come to an end''Obsessed with how beautiful this book is! Keep flicking back to reread some passages as love them so much! What a treat of a book''Wow, what a joyous and hope-inducing read''I can't put it down - it's funny and tender and clever and I love it''It might break your heart a little bit first, but eventually it will put it back together and wrap it in a comforting snuggly blanket''Rich in poignant emotion and a truly mesmerising and addictive read''Swept me up into its pages; a book that I wanted to hug and cherish all the time I was reading''It's not just a book I read and reviewed. It's a book that read and reviewed me''If you're looking for a story that will make you smile by turns, be heart-lifting and heart-wrenching in a variety of ways but remain entirely beautiful for its honest look at life, then this is the book for you''Surprising, authentic and powerful, this book defies categorisation''Rachel Elliott has achieved something remarkable in this story of loss, regret and she has created a tender, hopeful and uplifting novel, which I feel certain many readers will fall in love with'
278 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 8, 2019
23 people are currently reading
582 people want to read
About the author
Rachel Elliott
3 books20 followersRachel Elliott is a writer and psychotherapist. She has worked in arts and technology journalism and her writing has featured in a variety of publications, from digital arts magazines to the French Literary Review. She has also been shortlisted for a number of short story and novel competitions in the UK and the US. Rachel was born in Suffolk, and now lives in Bath. Whispers Through a Megaphone is her first novel. It was longlisted for the 2016 Baileys Women's Prize for Fiction.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 103 reviews
August 15, 2019
Unfortunately this book just really wasn't for me. I got about 100 pages in and I was still finding myself confused as to who all the different characters were and didn't find that I was invested in particularly finding out what happens to any of them. The book jumps around a bit to much for my personal liking and I didn't find it flowed like a story should.
Lots of other people seem to really have enjoyed this book so I'm sure I'm probably just missing out on something but for me if I get a third of a way into a book and I'm still not 'feeling it' then it's time to move on to something else.
Lots of other people seem to really have enjoyed this book so I'm sure I'm probably just missing out on something but for me if I get a third of a way into a book and I'm still not 'feeling it' then it's time to move on to something else.
January 23, 2022
***Bären füttern verboten***
Rachel Elliott
"Wollten sie nie vor Freude tanzen, Ihrem Körper freien Lauf lassen, umhertoben, springen."
Wenn ich mich für ein Wort entscheiden müsste, um Rachel Elliotts Roman "Bären füttern verboten" zu beschreiben, dann wäre es wohl Lebendigkeit.
Das Leben in all seinen Facetten und die Menschen mit ihren Fehlern und Sorgen sind das Herzstück dieses Romans, der trotz aller Traurigkeit tröstlich ist.
Menschen, die große Verluste erlebt haben und mit ihren individuellen Verletzungen versuchen ihr Leben zu führen, kommen ebenso zu Wort, wie der Wolfshund Stuart, dessen Innenschau mich oft schmunzeln ließ.
Sydney, die zunächst im Fokus steht, ist 10 Jahre alt, als ihre Mutter im Urlaub tödlich verunglückt und den Rest ihrer Kindheit durch ein diffusen Schuldgefühl prägt. Erst mit 40 wagt sie eine Reise an den Ort, der ihr Leben so nachhaltig prägte, St. Ives, an der Küste Südenglands.
Dort treffen die Leser*innen auf viele liebenswerte Charaktere, die ebenso melancholisch wie liebevoll gezeichnet sind und mir beim Lesen das Gefühl gaben, in einen warmen Wortmantel gehüllt zu sein.
Die Schwere des Lebens in einer solch herzerwärmenden Leichtigkeit zu transportieren, dazu gehört schon einiges schriftstellerisches Können.
Eine ganz klare Leseempfehlung.
5 von 5 🌟
Rachel Elliott
"Wollten sie nie vor Freude tanzen, Ihrem Körper freien Lauf lassen, umhertoben, springen."
Wenn ich mich für ein Wort entscheiden müsste, um Rachel Elliotts Roman "Bären füttern verboten" zu beschreiben, dann wäre es wohl Lebendigkeit.
Das Leben in all seinen Facetten und die Menschen mit ihren Fehlern und Sorgen sind das Herzstück dieses Romans, der trotz aller Traurigkeit tröstlich ist.
Menschen, die große Verluste erlebt haben und mit ihren individuellen Verletzungen versuchen ihr Leben zu führen, kommen ebenso zu Wort, wie der Wolfshund Stuart, dessen Innenschau mich oft schmunzeln ließ.
Sydney, die zunächst im Fokus steht, ist 10 Jahre alt, als ihre Mutter im Urlaub tödlich verunglückt und den Rest ihrer Kindheit durch ein diffusen Schuldgefühl prägt. Erst mit 40 wagt sie eine Reise an den Ort, der ihr Leben so nachhaltig prägte, St. Ives, an der Küste Südenglands.
Dort treffen die Leser*innen auf viele liebenswerte Charaktere, die ebenso melancholisch wie liebevoll gezeichnet sind und mir beim Lesen das Gefühl gaben, in einen warmen Wortmantel gehüllt zu sein.
Die Schwere des Lebens in einer solch herzerwärmenden Leichtigkeit zu transportieren, dazu gehört schon einiges schriftstellerisches Können.
Eine ganz klare Leseempfehlung.
5 von 5 🌟
June 17, 2019
A lovely read, although not always easy to read it rewards you for your effort. A wonderful tale about self acceptance, finding yourself and the courage to accept this and being able to move on. Well written, with lovely relatable characters, both heartwarming and sad at times. A thoroughly enjoyable read.
Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion
Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion
July 13, 2024
Ein schöner & gefühlvoller Roman, der mich zwischenzeitlich leider etwas verloren hat.
January 14, 2025
Tiefgründig, ohne aufdringlich zu sein. Liebenswerte Charaktere und eine Geschichte, die mich so sehr berührt hat, dass ich am Ende geweint habe, weil ich mich in dieser Geschichte und mit diesen Protagonisten so wohl gefühlt habe, trotz oder gerade wegen den ernsten Themen!
Gelesen wie im Rausch in einem Rutsch ❤️
Gelesen wie im Rausch in einem Rutsch ❤️
September 7, 2022
4,5*
Ii‘s a lovely read, full with interesting characters and wisdom to underline. I was just missing a little bit more of an ending/showdown in some of the storylines. But almost 5* from me :)
Ii‘s a lovely read, full with interesting characters and wisdom to underline. I was just missing a little bit more of an ending/showdown in some of the storylines. But almost 5* from me :)
August 11, 2019
3.5 stars
What a difficult book to review. The story centres on two families, each with secrets and problems. The themes it deals with are deception, guilt, love and the things that block it, and the fossilisation of lives by keeping things in the past. It dips about in time and also sometimes from head to head in a disconcerting manner. That, combined with the absence of quotation marks and the frequent disregard for the question mark and sometimes you don’t know where you are or whose thoughts you’re overhearing. Occasionally they are those of a dog, and once even a toy hare. The event which blighted one family’s life is skirted around until almost the end, though by then you can guess fairly accurately what happened, if not in detail. In spite of this, there are moments, interactions between characters, little bits of conversation and scenes that sparkle and make it worth the read. I just wish it had been written less experimentally and more accessibly.
What a difficult book to review. The story centres on two families, each with secrets and problems. The themes it deals with are deception, guilt, love and the things that block it, and the fossilisation of lives by keeping things in the past. It dips about in time and also sometimes from head to head in a disconcerting manner. That, combined with the absence of quotation marks and the frequent disregard for the question mark and sometimes you don’t know where you are or whose thoughts you’re overhearing. Occasionally they are those of a dog, and once even a toy hare. The event which blighted one family’s life is skirted around until almost the end, though by then you can guess fairly accurately what happened, if not in detail. In spite of this, there are moments, interactions between characters, little bits of conversation and scenes that sparkle and make it worth the read. I just wish it had been written less experimentally and more accessibly.
December 20, 2023
Herzig, ich hab irgendwie Vibes a la Mariana Leky und ein bisschen Elizabeth Strout bekommen, würde aber sagen, dass ich die oben genannten Autorinnen nach wie vor bevorzugen würde.
Es ist eine liebe Story über alle möglichen Facetten der menschlichen Erfahrung, sehr lebensnah, aber durch die vielen Sprünge und die meiner Meinung nach nicht so echt wirkenden Figuren des Ensembles hat es mich nicht so sehr berührt.
Es ist eine liebe Story über alle möglichen Facetten der menschlichen Erfahrung, sehr lebensnah, aber durch die vielen Sprünge und die meiner Meinung nach nicht so echt wirkenden Figuren des Ensembles hat es mich nicht so sehr berührt.
December 20, 2020
3,5 ⭐️
July 4, 2019
Sydney Smith is a freerunner. She only truly feels in control of things when she is focused on the next jump, roll, spring.
She is also a cartoonist and her current project is to document her own story, but she's struggling. When she was a child, a terrible event on a summer holiday ripped her family apart and none of them have ever recovered. So on her 47th birthday she returns to St Ives to face her demons.
Maria, a dental hygienist, lives in St Ives. She's unhappily married to painter Jon, while their daughter Belle still lives with them and seems content to let her life drift on without any direction.
The story bounces around between past and present and the different characters (including Maria's dog) - leaping between them in much the same way as Sydney leaps between buildings.
It's about grief and guilt, about moving on and letting the past go, about the kindness of strangers and love and loss. An absolute winner.
She is also a cartoonist and her current project is to document her own story, but she's struggling. When she was a child, a terrible event on a summer holiday ripped her family apart and none of them have ever recovered. So on her 47th birthday she returns to St Ives to face her demons.
Maria, a dental hygienist, lives in St Ives. She's unhappily married to painter Jon, while their daughter Belle still lives with them and seems content to let her life drift on without any direction.
The story bounces around between past and present and the different characters (including Maria's dog) - leaping between them in much the same way as Sydney leaps between buildings.
It's about grief and guilt, about moving on and letting the past go, about the kindness of strangers and love and loss. An absolute winner.
September 2, 2019
This is a book of people with their own agendas. People who have experienced a moment when everything changed; either years before or during the book itself. Sydney is perhaps the point around which others exist, a person who cannot keep still, who discovers things. The other people are her immediate family, dominated by her mother Ila who is full of ideas, plans, wisdom. Howard, her father, has spent years trying to come to terms with life. Her brother Jason, her partner Ruth, are all affected by a woman who can leap from buildings and onto roofs, freerunning, reveling in freedom. Then another family, another group of people are featured, as Maria, Belle, Jon and Dexter are also affected by her appearance. Discoveries, acceptance and realisations all make an appearance in this curious book with its multiple viewpoints, as most characters get a chance to express their deeply held feelings. Even a dog explains how emotions and different activities all have their own distinctive scent. Just as real life is interconnected, this life affirming and ultimately hopeful book is not tidy, not well ordered, but moves through lives as thought does, going away from the centre then returning. Surprising, authentic and powerful, this book defies categorisation, but draws the reader in, enthralled by the thoughts and actions of this seemingly odd juxtaposition of people. I really appreciated its blend of humour, self depreciation and inclusion of tragedy, as the vivid nature of family life and relationships are revealed. Perhaps summed up by Ruth, who ruefully considers Sydney’s obsession with freerunning “Normality: it’s in the eye of the beholder, obviously. One person’s normality is another person’s strange.”, this book is a carefully controlled story with many views, and all of them carefully worked out and developed. I found it an unexpectedly cheerful and fascinating novel, and was pleased to have the opportunity to read and review it.
The book begins with a shopping trip, as Sydney and her mother go present hunting, Ila characteristically thoughtful, Sydney bouncing along in a shop. A startling discovery brings forth a touching piece from an unusual viewpoint. As Ruth considers the adult Sydney, she wonders what it is that spur her on to greater efforts in Parkour. Then there are the memories of family life, holidays of family rituals, television and games. This is a world of comfort, of happiness. The adult Sydney becomes a source of interest to Maria, infuriating her husband as Stuart the enormous dog did at his adoption. Belle, meanwhile, is almost abnormal in her normality, her lack of ambition in any element of life, her varied tendencies to generosity alongside illegal acquisitions. One of my favourite characters is Dexter, surprising in his revelations even if annoying in the short term.
Elliott’s writing style describes the clothes that each character wears, as they give clues not only to personality but also what is going on for every person. Similarly, she gives the pictures of the beach, swimming pools and rooms so successfully that they are easy to visualise and become rooted in. The Plot is perhaps the least important thing in this book; rather the pains and pleasures of life, the small things of families, the experiences described are the real focus, the real power of the writing. Not that this is a formless and aimless book in any sense; it has twists and turns which add to the format and deepen the reading experience. An enjoyable and unusual book, it is difficult to quantify but always enjoyable, and I recommend it as a really good read.
The book begins with a shopping trip, as Sydney and her mother go present hunting, Ila characteristically thoughtful, Sydney bouncing along in a shop. A startling discovery brings forth a touching piece from an unusual viewpoint. As Ruth considers the adult Sydney, she wonders what it is that spur her on to greater efforts in Parkour. Then there are the memories of family life, holidays of family rituals, television and games. This is a world of comfort, of happiness. The adult Sydney becomes a source of interest to Maria, infuriating her husband as Stuart the enormous dog did at his adoption. Belle, meanwhile, is almost abnormal in her normality, her lack of ambition in any element of life, her varied tendencies to generosity alongside illegal acquisitions. One of my favourite characters is Dexter, surprising in his revelations even if annoying in the short term.
Elliott’s writing style describes the clothes that each character wears, as they give clues not only to personality but also what is going on for every person. Similarly, she gives the pictures of the beach, swimming pools and rooms so successfully that they are easy to visualise and become rooted in. The Plot is perhaps the least important thing in this book; rather the pains and pleasures of life, the small things of families, the experiences described are the real focus, the real power of the writing. Not that this is a formless and aimless book in any sense; it has twists and turns which add to the format and deepen the reading experience. An enjoyable and unusual book, it is difficult to quantify but always enjoyable, and I recommend it as a really good read.
August 12, 2019
This is one of those books that I was a little bereft to finish because I loved reading it so much. I was hooked from the first two chapters, and the last book I enjoyed the start of this much was Hotel World by Ali Smith. I found ‘Do Not Feed the Bear’ an easy read because I adored the characters in the book and quickly became invested them. (There’s only character I loathed but the author intends this and writes him with almost forensic precision!) There are passages in this book that are utterly gorgeous that I found myself immediately re-reading them. Within the book there are characters who deal with bereavement and guilt, and the author holds those issues really well. There is also a lot of warm humour throughout this book, with some joyously funny scenes. People have a capacity to be funny and compassionate and that’s well described here. It’s a hopeful book and one I know I’m going to return to. I’m recommending to all my friends who love a good book!
March 14, 2021
Bitte lest dieses Buch! Ich habe lange keine Geschichte mehr gelesen, die so gut tut, Mut macht, zum Lächeln bringt und das Herz erwärmt. Und das in allerbestem Sinne. Wer „Was man von hier aus sehen kann“ von Mariana Leky mochte, wird dieses Buch ebenfalls lieben. Es gab unendlich viele Sätze, die ich gern angestrichen hätte - leider habe ich ein Exemplar der örtlichen Stadtbücherei gelesen, da geht das natürlich nicht.
Im Kern der Geschichte geht es um die die 47 jährige Sydney, eine Freerunnerin, die nach über dreißig Jahren an den Urlaubsort ihrer Kindheit zurückkehrt. Einen Ort, mit dem sie ein traumatisches Ereignis verbindet. Dort kreuzen sich Sydneys Wege mit denen einiger Menschen in St. Ives, zum Beispiel mit Belle, die mit Ende 20 noch daheim wohnt, der Zahntechnikerin Maria oder dem Buchhändler Dexter, der mit der Liebe durch ist .
Jeder von ihnen hat so seine eigenen Probleme mit der Welt, in der er lebt. Aber gerade die (neuen, unvermuteten) Begegnungen und Gespräche eröffnen Perspektiven, wo sie wohl keiner mehr vermutet hätte. Und schenken dem ein oder anderen auch endlich den nötigen Mut.
Ein Buch über Trauer, Verlust und Trennung und auch über neue Hoffnung, neue Wege, neue Erkenntnisse. So tröstlich , Mut machend und wunderbar! Und wenn man sich morgens schon darauf freut, es abends weiterlesen zu können, traurig ist, wenn nur noch wenige Seiten übrig sind und doch nicht aufhören kann- dann ist das immer ein eindeutiges Zeichen! Ganz große Empfehlung!
Im Kern der Geschichte geht es um die die 47 jährige Sydney, eine Freerunnerin, die nach über dreißig Jahren an den Urlaubsort ihrer Kindheit zurückkehrt. Einen Ort, mit dem sie ein traumatisches Ereignis verbindet. Dort kreuzen sich Sydneys Wege mit denen einiger Menschen in St. Ives, zum Beispiel mit Belle, die mit Ende 20 noch daheim wohnt, der Zahntechnikerin Maria oder dem Buchhändler Dexter, der mit der Liebe durch ist .
Jeder von ihnen hat so seine eigenen Probleme mit der Welt, in der er lebt. Aber gerade die (neuen, unvermuteten) Begegnungen und Gespräche eröffnen Perspektiven, wo sie wohl keiner mehr vermutet hätte. Und schenken dem ein oder anderen auch endlich den nötigen Mut.
Ein Buch über Trauer, Verlust und Trennung und auch über neue Hoffnung, neue Wege, neue Erkenntnisse. So tröstlich , Mut machend und wunderbar! Und wenn man sich morgens schon darauf freut, es abends weiterlesen zu können, traurig ist, wenn nur noch wenige Seiten übrig sind und doch nicht aufhören kann- dann ist das immer ein eindeutiges Zeichen! Ganz große Empfehlung!
November 16, 2020
Rachel Elliott hat eine Geschichte geschrieben, die mit eigenwilligen und doch sehr realistischen Charakteren ausgestattet ist. Die Charaktere sind stark und schwach zugleich. Sie verzweifeln und rappeln sich wieder auf. Sie schleppen alle ein Paket an Sorgen, unverarbeiteter Vergangenheit und innere Trauer mit sich und doch versuchen sie ihrem Leben etwas abzuringen – einen Sinn, etwas Glück und Liebe. Die Schicksale dieser wunderbaren Charaktere werden im Laufe der Geschichte miteinander verbunden, aber der Weg dahin ist nicht so einfach.
Der Schreibstil von der Autorin ist nicht so einfach zu lesen. Anfangs habe ich nicht wirklich durchschauen können, wer mit wem und warum. Dazu kam, dass auch mal ein Hund aus seiner Sicht etwas erzählte und so die Verwirrung noch etwas größer wurde. Bei diesem Buch muss man sich die Zeit nehmen und einiges am Stück lesen. Für zwischendurch ein paar Seiten (in der Bahn oder Mittagspause) ist dieses Buch weniger geeignet, denn man benötigt einige Zeit bis man in die Geschichte eintauchen kann. Während des Lesens stellte sich bei mir immer wieder eine Art von Traurigkeit ein, denn die Charaktere sind so realistisch und nah, dass man mit ihnen mitleidet und vor allem hofft man, dass es ihnen zum Ende zu besser gehen wird.
Ich mochte die Geschichte, obwohl sie schwerer zu lesen war als andere Bücher. Dafür hatte sie spannende Charaktere, die Tiefgang und starke Emotionen hatten. Es ist, aus meiner Sicht, eine Geschichte, die danach ruft, zweimal gelesen zu werden, um wirklich alles wahr- und aufnehmen zu können, was die Geschichte zu bieten hat.
Der Schreibstil von der Autorin ist nicht so einfach zu lesen. Anfangs habe ich nicht wirklich durchschauen können, wer mit wem und warum. Dazu kam, dass auch mal ein Hund aus seiner Sicht etwas erzählte und so die Verwirrung noch etwas größer wurde. Bei diesem Buch muss man sich die Zeit nehmen und einiges am Stück lesen. Für zwischendurch ein paar Seiten (in der Bahn oder Mittagspause) ist dieses Buch weniger geeignet, denn man benötigt einige Zeit bis man in die Geschichte eintauchen kann. Während des Lesens stellte sich bei mir immer wieder eine Art von Traurigkeit ein, denn die Charaktere sind so realistisch und nah, dass man mit ihnen mitleidet und vor allem hofft man, dass es ihnen zum Ende zu besser gehen wird.
Ich mochte die Geschichte, obwohl sie schwerer zu lesen war als andere Bücher. Dafür hatte sie spannende Charaktere, die Tiefgang und starke Emotionen hatten. Es ist, aus meiner Sicht, eine Geschichte, die danach ruft, zweimal gelesen zu werden, um wirklich alles wahr- und aufnehmen zu können, was die Geschichte zu bieten hat.
September 11, 2022
The title of the novel appears to refer to an illustration drawn early on by the character of Sydney to represent her partner Ruth's unhappiness.And to illustrate that most of the characters at the start of the novel appear to be symbolically trapped and unhappy.The linking factor appears to be bereavement.The loss of a loved one /the death of a relationship.
The Novel has a distinctive and deliberately eccentric narrative tone.Left field and elegiac.This includes not only the prose style but is accentuated by its structure.Almost every character in the novel has a first person set piece.Not only to introduce themselves but also to give voice to the author's preference for philosophical discourse.This even goes so far as giving voice to a corpse,a dog and a toy .Some of this is humorous in tone but has the effect of illuminating key Characters thoughts and motivations.Whether you like this approach or not would probably depend on if you like a novel to create an internal monologue for its characters.I was impressed by the atmosphere the novel conjured.The sense of people's feelings being interconnected and the optimistic outcomes that are possible even after a long period of emotional stagnation.Refreshing to read a novel with a hopeful outcome.This is a novel that I would advise to be read in as few sittings as possible.The amount of characters,the different perspectives and time structures make this a difficult novel to dip in and out of.I enjoyed reading this though and would recommend it without reservation.
I will be on the lookout for anything else by Rachel Elliott as this was a distinctive read.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 3, 2020
This didn't really do anything for me as it jumped around too much in time and between the characters. The characters didn't come to life for me at all and I really didn't care what happened to any of them.
I believe the author is a therapist and every character had gone through some kind of emotional trauma and was looking for some sort of closure or healing.
In truth despite the different characters' issues -one woman whose Mum died, is struggling with feelings of guilt, another lost her fiancéjust before their wedding but then married the first person who appeared to show any sympathy who turns out to be a selfish self-centered, abusive man. Next, we have her daughter who can't leave home and her mother in her situation. Finally, a man who cannot get over the loss of his wife and his two children who also have issues.
It is trying to cover too many issues and jumps around too much to be an interesting or engaging story as nothing much seems to happen anyway.
This is not my kind of book and I don't think the book summary really gives any idea of the book either.
I believe the author is a therapist and every character had gone through some kind of emotional trauma and was looking for some sort of closure or healing.
In truth despite the different characters' issues -one woman whose Mum died, is struggling with feelings of guilt, another lost her fiancéjust before their wedding but then married the first person who appeared to show any sympathy who turns out to be a selfish self-centered, abusive man. Next, we have her daughter who can't leave home and her mother in her situation. Finally, a man who cannot get over the loss of his wife and his two children who also have issues.
It is trying to cover too many issues and jumps around too much to be an interesting or engaging story as nothing much seems to happen anyway.
This is not my kind of book and I don't think the book summary really gives any idea of the book either.
February 9, 2020
I bought this book because a family member said it was the best book they had read.
I also looked at reviews in Goodreads and saw a lot of great reviews.
For those reasons I couldn't understand why i struggled with the first 90% of it.
I made myself finish this book even though I really wanted to move on.
It was narrated in both the present and the past tense and switched often.
There was limited punctuation and zero speech marks.
It spanned several decades and never indicated when it was changing from past to present.
There were multiple characters that didnt appear to be connected in any way until the very end.
The narrator was constantly changing and sometimes was a dog or even a toy felt hare.
At the end the story did come together but it was too late for me by then!
I also looked at reviews in Goodreads and saw a lot of great reviews.
For those reasons I couldn't understand why i struggled with the first 90% of it.
I made myself finish this book even though I really wanted to move on.
It was narrated in both the present and the past tense and switched often.
There was limited punctuation and zero speech marks.
It spanned several decades and never indicated when it was changing from past to present.
There were multiple characters that didnt appear to be connected in any way until the very end.
The narrator was constantly changing and sometimes was a dog or even a toy felt hare.
At the end the story did come together but it was too late for me by then!
March 30, 2021
I found this book EXHAUSTING.
So many characters introduced throughout, with tenuous connections between them all. There's so much jumping around that I honestly had to read the first few paragraphs of each chapter more than once to understand both whose perspective it was being told from, and the timeframe it covered. There was even a chapter told from the perspective of a notebook. A NOTEBOOK!
The lack of speech marks (is this a trendy thing to be doing these days?) added nothing to my experience and naming pets like Stuart and Helen really didn't help with trying to keep track of who everyone was. And was Sydney the lead character? She wasn't even in half of the book!
Everyone had some sort of drama going on and really, by the end, I didn't give a sh*t. AT ALL.
So many characters introduced throughout, with tenuous connections between them all. There's so much jumping around that I honestly had to read the first few paragraphs of each chapter more than once to understand both whose perspective it was being told from, and the timeframe it covered. There was even a chapter told from the perspective of a notebook. A NOTEBOOK!
The lack of speech marks (is this a trendy thing to be doing these days?) added nothing to my experience and naming pets like Stuart and Helen really didn't help with trying to keep track of who everyone was. And was Sydney the lead character? She wasn't even in half of the book!
Everyone had some sort of drama going on and really, by the end, I didn't give a sh*t. AT ALL.
August 16, 2019
I would like to thank the author, the publisher and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this book. Unfortunately it was not my kind of book, it was well written but I didn't really enjoy it.
November 10, 2019
I read 200 pages before giving up.
At that point I still couldn’t keep track of who the various characters were, or how they related to each other.
I really wanted to like it... I enjoyed some of the fragments.... but not enough to spend another evening’s reading on 🤷♀️
At that point I still couldn’t keep track of who the various characters were, or how they related to each other.
I really wanted to like it... I enjoyed some of the fragments.... but not enough to spend another evening’s reading on 🤷♀️
September 10, 2020
So traurig wie tröstlich - ein großartiger Roman über menschliche Beziehungen
„Ich fühle mich überhaupt nicht wie ein Mensch (....)Die Welt um einen herum wird intensiv und langsam, und der Körper bewegt sich mit animalischer Präzision. Je größer das Risiko, desto stiller der Kopf. Es gibt keine Angst, keine Sorgen, keine Vergangenheit und keine Zukunft. Nur dieses Anheben des Beins. Nur dieses Ausstrecken des Arms. Es ist die reinste Form von Freiheit, die Sydney je erlebt hat“.
Die 47-jährige Sydney ist leidenschaftliche Freerunnerin, findet in der Sportart Ausgleich und Ablenkung, vergisst dabei ihre Sorgen. Sie kehrt nach dreißig Jahren nach St.Ives zurück, um sich dort ihrer Vergangenheit zu stellen, den Erinnerungen an einen Sommer, der alles veränderte. Als sie in einem kurzen Moment die Kontrolle verliert, setzt das eine Kette von Ereignissen in Gang, die viel mehr Menschen betrifft als vermutet.
Einfach macht es Autorin Rachel Elliot ihren Lesern nicht. Sie schreibt angenehm, treffend, präzise und direkt, oft humorvoll und scharfsinnig. Ihr multiperspektivischer Stil bezieht sich sowohl auf die Sichtweise verschiedener Personen als auch auf verschiedene Zeitpunkte. Da habe ich als Leserin -wie auch so manche Hauptfigur- schon mal die Orientierung verloren. Aber im Laufe der Geschichte lernt der Leser die Charaktere besser kennen und unterscheiden, alles wird klarer. Wie ein Puzzle fügen sich die einzelnen Kapitel zu einem stimmigen Gesamtbild zusammen.
Eine ganze Reihe ungewöhnlicher Persönlichkeiten versammeln sich rund um Rachel und St. Ives. Da ist zunächst Rachel, die seit einem tragischen Erlebnis in der Kindheit nur noch glücklich ist, wenn sie Freerunning betreibt. Richtige Nähe lässt sich auch von Freundin Ruth selten zu. Besonders problematisch ist ihr Verhältnis zu Vater Howard: „Und wenn er die Hand ausstreckt, werde ich nie wissen, ob er damit sagt, komm her oder bleib weg“, erzählt Sydney. Howard schafft es einfach nicht, den frühen Tod seiner Frau Ila zu akzeptieren. Er hat Ila auf ein Podest gestellt, spricht in seiner Vorstellung immer noch mit ihr und lässt nicht zu, dass irgendjemand auch nur annähernd ihren Platz einnimmt. Zur Ruth, der Lebensgefährtin seiner Tochter Sydney hat er das Verhältnis, das er eigentlich mit seiner eigenen Tochter haben sollte. Ruth hält mit ihrer grenzenlosen Geduld so vieles zusammen, was eigentlich versehrt ist. Auch Dentalhygienikerin Maria, die Sydney in St. Ives kennenlernt, lebt in einer nicht intakten Beziehung mit Jon, mit dem sie wenig verbindet. Als Maria in Sydneys Leben tritt, ändert sich einiges im Leben aller Beteiligten.
Rachel Elliot hat von Berufs wegen als Psychotherapeutin viel mit Mensch zu tun. Das merkt man ihrem Werk an, sie beobachtet und kennt die Eigenarten, Schwächen, Stärken und Träume der Menschen ganz genau. Selten habe ich einen Roman gelesen, in dem so viel Treffendes über menschliche Beziehungen geschrieben wird: „Du machst ein Riesentheater darum, dass du kein Theater willst“ oder „Du tust es schon wieder. (..) Mich für etwas anmachen, was ich gar nicht gesagt habe“.
In „Bären füttern verboten“ geht es um allerlei komplizierte Beziehungen, aber auch um Trauer, Traumata und die Unfähigkeit, Dinge zu akzeptieren und sich und sein Leben zu ändern. So traurig die Situation und der Roman anfänglich ist, so tröstlich endet das Buch. Die Figuren lernen neue Menschen kennen, die sie trotz eigener Probleme stärken. Da fühlen sich Gespräche schließlich an „wie eine Reise, auf der man die falsche Abzweigung nimmt und sich verläuft und an einem Ort landet, den man von allein nie gefunden hätte“. Manchmal braucht es etwas länger, bis wir wieder Hoffnung finden. Rachel Elliots Roman zeigt aber eindrücklich, sie ist eigentlich immer da, manchmal allerdings ganz schön versteckt. Irgendwann wird sich die Zuversicht schon durchsetzen. Ein großartiger Roman über Trauer, Verlust, Verarbeitung, Vergebung und Neubeginn, vielfältig, so traurig wie tröstlich, absolut lesenswert.
„Ich fühle mich überhaupt nicht wie ein Mensch (....)Die Welt um einen herum wird intensiv und langsam, und der Körper bewegt sich mit animalischer Präzision. Je größer das Risiko, desto stiller der Kopf. Es gibt keine Angst, keine Sorgen, keine Vergangenheit und keine Zukunft. Nur dieses Anheben des Beins. Nur dieses Ausstrecken des Arms. Es ist die reinste Form von Freiheit, die Sydney je erlebt hat“.
Die 47-jährige Sydney ist leidenschaftliche Freerunnerin, findet in der Sportart Ausgleich und Ablenkung, vergisst dabei ihre Sorgen. Sie kehrt nach dreißig Jahren nach St.Ives zurück, um sich dort ihrer Vergangenheit zu stellen, den Erinnerungen an einen Sommer, der alles veränderte. Als sie in einem kurzen Moment die Kontrolle verliert, setzt das eine Kette von Ereignissen in Gang, die viel mehr Menschen betrifft als vermutet.
Einfach macht es Autorin Rachel Elliot ihren Lesern nicht. Sie schreibt angenehm, treffend, präzise und direkt, oft humorvoll und scharfsinnig. Ihr multiperspektivischer Stil bezieht sich sowohl auf die Sichtweise verschiedener Personen als auch auf verschiedene Zeitpunkte. Da habe ich als Leserin -wie auch so manche Hauptfigur- schon mal die Orientierung verloren. Aber im Laufe der Geschichte lernt der Leser die Charaktere besser kennen und unterscheiden, alles wird klarer. Wie ein Puzzle fügen sich die einzelnen Kapitel zu einem stimmigen Gesamtbild zusammen.
Eine ganze Reihe ungewöhnlicher Persönlichkeiten versammeln sich rund um Rachel und St. Ives. Da ist zunächst Rachel, die seit einem tragischen Erlebnis in der Kindheit nur noch glücklich ist, wenn sie Freerunning betreibt. Richtige Nähe lässt sich auch von Freundin Ruth selten zu. Besonders problematisch ist ihr Verhältnis zu Vater Howard: „Und wenn er die Hand ausstreckt, werde ich nie wissen, ob er damit sagt, komm her oder bleib weg“, erzählt Sydney. Howard schafft es einfach nicht, den frühen Tod seiner Frau Ila zu akzeptieren. Er hat Ila auf ein Podest gestellt, spricht in seiner Vorstellung immer noch mit ihr und lässt nicht zu, dass irgendjemand auch nur annähernd ihren Platz einnimmt. Zur Ruth, der Lebensgefährtin seiner Tochter Sydney hat er das Verhältnis, das er eigentlich mit seiner eigenen Tochter haben sollte. Ruth hält mit ihrer grenzenlosen Geduld so vieles zusammen, was eigentlich versehrt ist. Auch Dentalhygienikerin Maria, die Sydney in St. Ives kennenlernt, lebt in einer nicht intakten Beziehung mit Jon, mit dem sie wenig verbindet. Als Maria in Sydneys Leben tritt, ändert sich einiges im Leben aller Beteiligten.
Rachel Elliot hat von Berufs wegen als Psychotherapeutin viel mit Mensch zu tun. Das merkt man ihrem Werk an, sie beobachtet und kennt die Eigenarten, Schwächen, Stärken und Träume der Menschen ganz genau. Selten habe ich einen Roman gelesen, in dem so viel Treffendes über menschliche Beziehungen geschrieben wird: „Du machst ein Riesentheater darum, dass du kein Theater willst“ oder „Du tust es schon wieder. (..) Mich für etwas anmachen, was ich gar nicht gesagt habe“.
In „Bären füttern verboten“ geht es um allerlei komplizierte Beziehungen, aber auch um Trauer, Traumata und die Unfähigkeit, Dinge zu akzeptieren und sich und sein Leben zu ändern. So traurig die Situation und der Roman anfänglich ist, so tröstlich endet das Buch. Die Figuren lernen neue Menschen kennen, die sie trotz eigener Probleme stärken. Da fühlen sich Gespräche schließlich an „wie eine Reise, auf der man die falsche Abzweigung nimmt und sich verläuft und an einem Ort landet, den man von allein nie gefunden hätte“. Manchmal braucht es etwas länger, bis wir wieder Hoffnung finden. Rachel Elliots Roman zeigt aber eindrücklich, sie ist eigentlich immer da, manchmal allerdings ganz schön versteckt. Irgendwann wird sich die Zuversicht schon durchsetzen. Ein großartiger Roman über Trauer, Verlust, Verarbeitung, Vergebung und Neubeginn, vielfältig, so traurig wie tröstlich, absolut lesenswert.
August 30, 2019
In today's modern world where social media is an important thread connecting many of us, it's easy to convince yourself that everyone else is living their best life: Do Not Feed The Bear is a refreshing and honest story about people who are definitely not. It is also a book which is hopeful and uplifting, and certain to appeal to fans of Joanna Cannon, Rachel Joyce and Ruth Hogan. And of course there's an endorsement on the cover by Sarah Winman!
So what's it all about?
This is a novel about how it's never too late to start leading your life.
Set predominantly in St Ives, Cornwall, this novel is populated by a host of (mostly) wonderful characters who also happen to have pain and sadness at their core, preventing them from feeling happy and fulfilled. It is full of people who are not honest with themselves, who are shut inside themselves with an internal monologue of regret and uncertainty, and who are keeping busy while ignoring the elephant (or bear) in the room! It is beautifully written and contains wonderfully insightful observations on human behaviour which made me smile and laugh out loud on a number of occasions.
Do not be surprised when sections of the novel are narrated by dogs or ghosts! Packed full of characters, the main protagonists in the story are Sydney Smith, Howard Smith, Maria Norton and Belle Schaefer.
Sydney is a cartoonist and freerunner. She lives with her partner, Ruth, and their dog. Sydney is a restless individual who needs to run and expend her high energy levels. Parkour allows her this freedom, but Ruth worries about Sydney, and feels shut out. Sydney's happiness is restricted by a tragedy which ripped the heart out of her family when she was ten years old. Now 47, she takes herself off on her own to St Ives to mark her birthday, to revisit her past, to draw and to freerun. Syndey is about to have her second life changing moment in Cornwall.
Howard is Sydney's father. In his late sixties, he is retired and lives alone. He enjoys drinking tea and listening to the radio. He too is cloaked in his own unhappiness and unwilling to move on with his life.
Unhappily married Maria Norton is a dental hygienist and an inhabitant of St Ives who has never quite recovered from the tragic loss of her fiancee when she was in her twenties.
Maria's twenty year old daughter Belle Schaefer hasn't yet started to live her life, but takes steps to do so as the changes unfold in the lives of Howard, Maria and Sydney.
The narrative in the novel bounces between the past and present, filling in the spaces in this story which enable the reader to understand why Sydney, Howard, Maria and Belle are so unhappy, and what it is that is preventing them from moving forward. There is a nostalgic, dreamy quality to the sections in the past, and a sadness to the sections in the present. The essence of the novel, however, is that it is never too late to start living. I love the honesty and vulnerability of this following admission by Maria:
I'm so lost, I don't know who I am or what I'm doing, and I'm completely certain that no one else feels this way. And also, here's another: I feel like I've wasted so much time, and it's too late now for anything real or substantial or brilliantly new. I wish I could just stop this life and start another, do it better this time, make more of time this time.
Rachel Elliott has achieved something remarkable in this story of loss, regret and disappointment: she has created a tender, hopeful and uplifting novel, which I feel certain many readers will fall in love with. If you are a fan of beautifully observed, character-driven novels, you're sure to enjoy this tale.
So what's it all about?
This is a novel about how it's never too late to start leading your life.
Set predominantly in St Ives, Cornwall, this novel is populated by a host of (mostly) wonderful characters who also happen to have pain and sadness at their core, preventing them from feeling happy and fulfilled. It is full of people who are not honest with themselves, who are shut inside themselves with an internal monologue of regret and uncertainty, and who are keeping busy while ignoring the elephant (or bear) in the room! It is beautifully written and contains wonderfully insightful observations on human behaviour which made me smile and laugh out loud on a number of occasions.
Do not be surprised when sections of the novel are narrated by dogs or ghosts! Packed full of characters, the main protagonists in the story are Sydney Smith, Howard Smith, Maria Norton and Belle Schaefer.
Sydney is a cartoonist and freerunner. She lives with her partner, Ruth, and their dog. Sydney is a restless individual who needs to run and expend her high energy levels. Parkour allows her this freedom, but Ruth worries about Sydney, and feels shut out. Sydney's happiness is restricted by a tragedy which ripped the heart out of her family when she was ten years old. Now 47, she takes herself off on her own to St Ives to mark her birthday, to revisit her past, to draw and to freerun. Syndey is about to have her second life changing moment in Cornwall.
Howard is Sydney's father. In his late sixties, he is retired and lives alone. He enjoys drinking tea and listening to the radio. He too is cloaked in his own unhappiness and unwilling to move on with his life.
Unhappily married Maria Norton is a dental hygienist and an inhabitant of St Ives who has never quite recovered from the tragic loss of her fiancee when she was in her twenties.
Maria's twenty year old daughter Belle Schaefer hasn't yet started to live her life, but takes steps to do so as the changes unfold in the lives of Howard, Maria and Sydney.
The narrative in the novel bounces between the past and present, filling in the spaces in this story which enable the reader to understand why Sydney, Howard, Maria and Belle are so unhappy, and what it is that is preventing them from moving forward. There is a nostalgic, dreamy quality to the sections in the past, and a sadness to the sections in the present. The essence of the novel, however, is that it is never too late to start living. I love the honesty and vulnerability of this following admission by Maria:
I'm so lost, I don't know who I am or what I'm doing, and I'm completely certain that no one else feels this way. And also, here's another: I feel like I've wasted so much time, and it's too late now for anything real or substantial or brilliantly new. I wish I could just stop this life and start another, do it better this time, make more of time this time.
Rachel Elliott has achieved something remarkable in this story of loss, regret and disappointment: she has created a tender, hopeful and uplifting novel, which I feel certain many readers will fall in love with. If you are a fan of beautifully observed, character-driven novels, you're sure to enjoy this tale.
August 8, 2019
With its rather unusual title and an eye-catching cover, this is one of those books that begs to be picked up and read.
Told from varying points of view – even that of adored dog Stuart – this is a poignant story about loneliness, loss, melancholy, and a reminder that those who have left us are never really gone if we keep their memory alive.
It’s Sydney’s birthday. She’s 47, and not very happy about it. So she decides to take a solo holiday to the small town of St. Ives where her family’s life veered off its axis when she was just 10 years old. Her partner Ruth cannot understand Sydney’s desperate need for solitude, her obsession for freerunning (I didn’t know what that was, by the way!), and her constant distance from everything and everyone in her life. In fact, Ruth finds that she has a much closer relationship with Sydney’s father Howard, who himself is a damaged, desolate soul.
In St. Ives Maria, a dental hygienist, lives with her ghastly husband Jon. He calls himself an artist, but his biggest hobby is making his wife miserable. Maria knows this probably isn’t the life she’s meant to live. She rebels against Jon’s cruelty in her head, and on paper in the copious diaries she writes (the books must only have blue covers – any shade of blue, as long as they’re blue). Their 29-year-old daughter Belle lives with them. She works at the local book shop with Dexter and they’re both similar in that they’re a bit quirky and quite frankly … well, most people would probably refer to them as oddities! As they say though: familiarity breeds contempt and these two spend their days arguing very deliberately and specifically with each other, about everything! Belle is quite content to still be living at home, not doing much with her life, remaining single. She’s never been interested in what others her age are doing, i.e. getting married and having kids. She’s never considered any kind of future other than the life she’s living now.
When circumstances bring the two families (and Dexter) together, both groups experience a shift in what they thought was to be their fixed reality. Could change really be possible? Could there truly be something else that the universe has in store for each of them, other than what they expected?
Rachel Elliot has created a beautiful, touching story about ‘others’. Those individuals who tend to be overlooked, who are seen as a bit different and who live outside the norm; people who are often perceived as invisible because they are atypical. How sad that by doing so, we miss out on the warmth that lies behind the shields they have put up to protect themselves from the unkindness they have come to expect from the outside world. Yes, her characters are a bit strange, possibly even prickly, and they’re not easily likable. But if you take the time to delve beneath the surface (both of the characters and the book itself), you will discover true gems.
This is a 4-star heart-warming read. It might break your heart a little bit first, but eventually it will put it back together and wrap it in a comforting snuggly blanket.
Told from varying points of view – even that of adored dog Stuart – this is a poignant story about loneliness, loss, melancholy, and a reminder that those who have left us are never really gone if we keep their memory alive.
It’s Sydney’s birthday. She’s 47, and not very happy about it. So she decides to take a solo holiday to the small town of St. Ives where her family’s life veered off its axis when she was just 10 years old. Her partner Ruth cannot understand Sydney’s desperate need for solitude, her obsession for freerunning (I didn’t know what that was, by the way!), and her constant distance from everything and everyone in her life. In fact, Ruth finds that she has a much closer relationship with Sydney’s father Howard, who himself is a damaged, desolate soul.
In St. Ives Maria, a dental hygienist, lives with her ghastly husband Jon. He calls himself an artist, but his biggest hobby is making his wife miserable. Maria knows this probably isn’t the life she’s meant to live. She rebels against Jon’s cruelty in her head, and on paper in the copious diaries she writes (the books must only have blue covers – any shade of blue, as long as they’re blue). Their 29-year-old daughter Belle lives with them. She works at the local book shop with Dexter and they’re both similar in that they’re a bit quirky and quite frankly … well, most people would probably refer to them as oddities! As they say though: familiarity breeds contempt and these two spend their days arguing very deliberately and specifically with each other, about everything! Belle is quite content to still be living at home, not doing much with her life, remaining single. She’s never been interested in what others her age are doing, i.e. getting married and having kids. She’s never considered any kind of future other than the life she’s living now.
When circumstances bring the two families (and Dexter) together, both groups experience a shift in what they thought was to be their fixed reality. Could change really be possible? Could there truly be something else that the universe has in store for each of them, other than what they expected?
Rachel Elliot has created a beautiful, touching story about ‘others’. Those individuals who tend to be overlooked, who are seen as a bit different and who live outside the norm; people who are often perceived as invisible because they are atypical. How sad that by doing so, we miss out on the warmth that lies behind the shields they have put up to protect themselves from the unkindness they have come to expect from the outside world. Yes, her characters are a bit strange, possibly even prickly, and they’re not easily likable. But if you take the time to delve beneath the surface (both of the characters and the book itself), you will discover true gems.
This is a 4-star heart-warming read. It might break your heart a little bit first, but eventually it will put it back together and wrap it in a comforting snuggly blanket.
December 8, 2020
Trauer und Verlust
Sidney war noch jung als sie in einem Urlaub in St. Ives ihre Mutter verlor. Über diesen Verlust ist sie nie wirklich hinweggekommen, von ihrem Vater trennt sie eine unsichtbare Barriere und auch vor ihrer Lebensgefaährtin Ruth scheint sie immer davon zu laufen. Viele Jahre später ist sie zurück in St. Ives, sie möchte sich ihrer Vergangenheit stellen. Durch den Besuch in St.Ives werden ihre Gedanken aufgewühlt und so verliert die erfahrene Freerunnerin den Fokus und stürzt von einem Hausdach. Doch zum Glück wird sie von Maria und ihrem Hund Stuart gefunden. Maria fühlt sich für diese Frau verantwortlich und so quartiert sie kurzerhand Ruth und Sidneys Vater bei sich ein.
Als ich den Klappentext gelesen habe, hätte ich niemals ein solches Buch erwartet. Elliott verknüpft zwei Erzählstränge, zwei Familien miteinander und schafft so eine Geschichte voller Traurigkeit die doch auch irgendwie ein wohliges Gefühl im Körper hinterlässt. Bei vielen Rezensionen habe ich gelesen, dass die Leser Schweirigkeiten mit dem Schreibsitl der Autorin hatten. Das kann ich überhaupt nicht bestätigen. Ich empfand die Sprache und den Schreibstil von Elliot als unglaublich intensiv und berührend, sie leitet den Leser über die verworrenen Wege des Lebens und lässt ihn teilhaben an der Trauer und der Freude ihrer Figuren. Auch empfand ich das Buch nicht als sonderlich skurril, wie es angepriesen wurde. Es gibt hier sicherlich die ein oder anderen Facetten, die man als skurril bezeichnen könnte (z.B. ein riesiger (zum Leser) sprechender Wolfshund), doch das hat sich wunderbar ins restliche Bild eingefügt und es gibt deutlich skurrilere Geschichten. Die Figuren selbst sind sicherlich nicht die üblichen Protagonisten, aber sie alle haben ihren Charme und sind mir sehr schnell ans Herz gewachsen. Im Laufe der Geschichte wachsen viele der Figuren über sich hinaus, sie haben endlich den Mut, zu sich selbst zu stehen und ihre Vergangenheit hinter sich zu lassen.
"Bären füttern verboten" ist ein Buch, das voll ist von Traurigkeit, die Leben sind geprägt von Verlust und Schuld, von Liebe und Freundschaft aber auch von der Angst, Nähe zuzulassen und sich (wieder) für andere Menschen zu öffnen. Das Buch hat mich zu Tränen gerührt, mir das Herz schwer werden lassen und mir ein paar Sätze später ein Lächeln ins Gesicht gezaubert und Hoffnung gegeben. Ein Buch, das mich sehr überrascht hat und bei dem ich ohne große Erwartungen ans Lesen gegangen bin, das mich dann aber sehr schnell überzeugt hat. Ein Buch, das ein Jahreshighlight werden könnte, da es viel stärker ist, als es zunächst scheint, genau wie seine Figuren.
Sidney war noch jung als sie in einem Urlaub in St. Ives ihre Mutter verlor. Über diesen Verlust ist sie nie wirklich hinweggekommen, von ihrem Vater trennt sie eine unsichtbare Barriere und auch vor ihrer Lebensgefaährtin Ruth scheint sie immer davon zu laufen. Viele Jahre später ist sie zurück in St. Ives, sie möchte sich ihrer Vergangenheit stellen. Durch den Besuch in St.Ives werden ihre Gedanken aufgewühlt und so verliert die erfahrene Freerunnerin den Fokus und stürzt von einem Hausdach. Doch zum Glück wird sie von Maria und ihrem Hund Stuart gefunden. Maria fühlt sich für diese Frau verantwortlich und so quartiert sie kurzerhand Ruth und Sidneys Vater bei sich ein.
Als ich den Klappentext gelesen habe, hätte ich niemals ein solches Buch erwartet. Elliott verknüpft zwei Erzählstränge, zwei Familien miteinander und schafft so eine Geschichte voller Traurigkeit die doch auch irgendwie ein wohliges Gefühl im Körper hinterlässt. Bei vielen Rezensionen habe ich gelesen, dass die Leser Schweirigkeiten mit dem Schreibsitl der Autorin hatten. Das kann ich überhaupt nicht bestätigen. Ich empfand die Sprache und den Schreibstil von Elliot als unglaublich intensiv und berührend, sie leitet den Leser über die verworrenen Wege des Lebens und lässt ihn teilhaben an der Trauer und der Freude ihrer Figuren. Auch empfand ich das Buch nicht als sonderlich skurril, wie es angepriesen wurde. Es gibt hier sicherlich die ein oder anderen Facetten, die man als skurril bezeichnen könnte (z.B. ein riesiger (zum Leser) sprechender Wolfshund), doch das hat sich wunderbar ins restliche Bild eingefügt und es gibt deutlich skurrilere Geschichten. Die Figuren selbst sind sicherlich nicht die üblichen Protagonisten, aber sie alle haben ihren Charme und sind mir sehr schnell ans Herz gewachsen. Im Laufe der Geschichte wachsen viele der Figuren über sich hinaus, sie haben endlich den Mut, zu sich selbst zu stehen und ihre Vergangenheit hinter sich zu lassen.
"Bären füttern verboten" ist ein Buch, das voll ist von Traurigkeit, die Leben sind geprägt von Verlust und Schuld, von Liebe und Freundschaft aber auch von der Angst, Nähe zuzulassen und sich (wieder) für andere Menschen zu öffnen. Das Buch hat mich zu Tränen gerührt, mir das Herz schwer werden lassen und mir ein paar Sätze später ein Lächeln ins Gesicht gezaubert und Hoffnung gegeben. Ein Buch, das mich sehr überrascht hat und bei dem ich ohne große Erwartungen ans Lesen gegangen bin, das mich dann aber sehr schnell überzeugt hat. Ein Buch, das ein Jahreshighlight werden könnte, da es viel stärker ist, als es zunächst scheint, genau wie seine Figuren.
August 14, 2019
There’s something intoxicating when you begin reading a book, within seconds you are absorbed into the author’s world. It’s brutal and engrossing to experience every single time. In Do Not Feed The Bear Elliott opens with a disturbing memory of a child seeing a dead body for the first time. She tentatively captures the innocence and curiosity that surrounds 8 year old Sydney. It’s so pure and intriguing that you can’t help reading on.
I loved the narrative style of this book. The reader gets snippets of a memoir by a young child before flowing gracefully back in to third person. We even get to hear from Stuart the dog which is most amusing, it adds a dash of light-hearted humour. It’s an entertaining way of storytelling and done extremely well as it compliments the theme of feeling out of place and lost that stalks the characters like a little grey rain cloud.
I felt great sympathy and sadness for Sydney. Always on the move and running away from her problems instead of facing them, all the while blaming herself for her mother’s death. She has a broken relationship with her father Howard, barely talks to her brother Jason and doesn’t spend much time with her girlfriend Ruth. It’s heartbreaking to read at points as she is reminded of memories from their holiday and the empty void that has consumed their life since the tragedy. Elliott has captured the human condition in all it’s glory; the regret, guilt, happiness, innocence, all the emotions and strange habits that come with being only human.
There is a great deal of unhappiness and regret of lives not yet lived that follows the characters around like a big brown bear with his head hung low. Knowing that they are unhappy, unfulfilled yet refusing to take that much needed leap to see if the grass is indeed greener and fresher on the other side. It was fascinating to watch how each of the characters’ paths crossed and intertwined throughout the story. Each serving a purpose, giving each other a gentle push in a different direction.
I give Do Not Feed The Bear By Rachel Elliott a Four out of Five paw rating.
I admire Elliott’s attention to detail, it’s addictive to read. She wraps you up in her words and gives you an almightily bear hug that leaves you feeling content with the world. You can hear the waves and feel the sand beneath your feet as you dance for the sea’s amusement. A delightful read that shows you how the simple act of kindness can save a life.
I loved the narrative style of this book. The reader gets snippets of a memoir by a young child before flowing gracefully back in to third person. We even get to hear from Stuart the dog which is most amusing, it adds a dash of light-hearted humour. It’s an entertaining way of storytelling and done extremely well as it compliments the theme of feeling out of place and lost that stalks the characters like a little grey rain cloud.
I felt great sympathy and sadness for Sydney. Always on the move and running away from her problems instead of facing them, all the while blaming herself for her mother’s death. She has a broken relationship with her father Howard, barely talks to her brother Jason and doesn’t spend much time with her girlfriend Ruth. It’s heartbreaking to read at points as she is reminded of memories from their holiday and the empty void that has consumed their life since the tragedy. Elliott has captured the human condition in all it’s glory; the regret, guilt, happiness, innocence, all the emotions and strange habits that come with being only human.
There is a great deal of unhappiness and regret of lives not yet lived that follows the characters around like a big brown bear with his head hung low. Knowing that they are unhappy, unfulfilled yet refusing to take that much needed leap to see if the grass is indeed greener and fresher on the other side. It was fascinating to watch how each of the characters’ paths crossed and intertwined throughout the story. Each serving a purpose, giving each other a gentle push in a different direction.
I give Do Not Feed The Bear By Rachel Elliott a Four out of Five paw rating.
I admire Elliott’s attention to detail, it’s addictive to read. She wraps you up in her words and gives you an almightily bear hug that leaves you feeling content with the world. You can hear the waves and feel the sand beneath your feet as you dance for the sea’s amusement. A delightful read that shows you how the simple act of kindness can save a life.
August 11, 2019
When I first read about this book, it sounded intriguing but I have to say I was a little wary. I wasn’t fully certain what to expect or what it would entail, but It sounded a bit different.
The Title is very cleverly chosen I felt, it’s just random enough to make you stop and think “wait, what?” And that’s brilliant, add in the gorgeously striking cover and I couldn’t resist seeing what would be in these pages!
The first thing I have to say, is the writing style is brilliant! The layout and tome are unique, I’ve not come across anything similar but it was absolutely wonderfully different. It flowed so easily, the tone was a bit bouncy and kept me reading line after line with a smile on my face. Some moments made me chuckle without even realising it, the descriptions are very cleverly done. They aren’t flowery, but they are beautifully honest. Im really not sure how to explain in order to do it justice, but it was wonderful to slide into.
I opened the book intending to read the first few pages, and then it was commented that, shouldn’t I be getting ready to pick up my daughter. Yup. Bad mummy moment, I was so glued to my book I didn’t realise how long I had been reading!
The story is absolutely wonderful, honest considerations of life with all it’s trials and triumphs, the uplifting and the heart wrenching, the moments of joy, the struggles and the joy that all make up life. The story follows Sydney who is a free-runner and a struggling cartoonist, and Maria who is a dental hygienist. We see the differences in their lives, how they overcome the challenges life gives them, how they are struggling in their own way.
Sydney struggles in very different ways to Maria, and those differences were interesting to see, and i think together raised a lot of areas for thought relating to how each person is struggling in their own way, and each has their own trials to overcome. The mixture of the two peoples points of view in both past and present was skilfully done to give a very round view of each persons life, coupled with the unique tone and style, this was a gorgeous story to engage with!
If you’re looking for a story that will make you smile by turns, be heart-lifting and heart-wrenching in a variety of ways but remain entirely beautiful for it’s honest look at life, then this is the book for you!
The Title is very cleverly chosen I felt, it’s just random enough to make you stop and think “wait, what?” And that’s brilliant, add in the gorgeously striking cover and I couldn’t resist seeing what would be in these pages!
The first thing I have to say, is the writing style is brilliant! The layout and tome are unique, I’ve not come across anything similar but it was absolutely wonderfully different. It flowed so easily, the tone was a bit bouncy and kept me reading line after line with a smile on my face. Some moments made me chuckle without even realising it, the descriptions are very cleverly done. They aren’t flowery, but they are beautifully honest. Im really not sure how to explain in order to do it justice, but it was wonderful to slide into.
I opened the book intending to read the first few pages, and then it was commented that, shouldn’t I be getting ready to pick up my daughter. Yup. Bad mummy moment, I was so glued to my book I didn’t realise how long I had been reading!
The story is absolutely wonderful, honest considerations of life with all it’s trials and triumphs, the uplifting and the heart wrenching, the moments of joy, the struggles and the joy that all make up life. The story follows Sydney who is a free-runner and a struggling cartoonist, and Maria who is a dental hygienist. We see the differences in their lives, how they overcome the challenges life gives them, how they are struggling in their own way.
Sydney struggles in very different ways to Maria, and those differences were interesting to see, and i think together raised a lot of areas for thought relating to how each person is struggling in their own way, and each has their own trials to overcome. The mixture of the two peoples points of view in both past and present was skilfully done to give a very round view of each persons life, coupled with the unique tone and style, this was a gorgeous story to engage with!
If you’re looking for a story that will make you smile by turns, be heart-lifting and heart-wrenching in a variety of ways but remain entirely beautiful for it’s honest look at life, then this is the book for you!
October 3, 2023
•Buchrezi• 😓
Zum Inhalt:
Sydney ist Freerunnerin und ständig unter Spannung. Sie hat vor vielen Jahren ihre geliebte Mutter Ila durch einen tragischen Unfall verloren und sie denkt, dass sie daran schuld ist… ihren Vater, ihren Bruder und ihre Freundin liebt sie, aber irgendwie hält sie jeden auf Distanz, ist schnell gereizt. Sie flüchtet an ihrem Geburtstag nach St. Ives, zu dem Küstenstädtchen, wo ihre Familie vor vielen Jahren zerbrochen ist.
Howard ist Sydneys Vater. Er liebt Ila immer noch sehr. Sie war und ist die Liebe seines Lebens. Warum verstehen das die Leute nicht?
Maria lebt in St. Ives und ist unglücklich verheiratet. Das lodernde Feuer, welches sie in ihrer Ehe so vermisst, kommt nur zum Vorschein, wenn bei ihrem Mann die Sicherungen durchbrennen. Er ist das Sinnbild eines toxischen Mannes. Alles was Maria macht ist falsch, sogar wenn sie ihm Blumen vom Markt mitbringt, die sie in all den Jahren nicht einmal von ihm bekommen hat. So kann es nicht weitergehen…
Bell, Marias Tochter ist 29 Jahre alt, ihre Schulfreunde haben den Küstenort verlassen, aber Bell wird hier dringend gebraucht, denkt sie. Von ihrem geliebten Hund Stuart, von ihren Eltern, von der Buchhandlung, in der sie arbeitet… alle Geschichten finden im Laufe der Story auf wundersame Weise zusammen und führen zu der Erkenntnis, dass Einsamkeit auf Dauer eben doch nicht glücklich macht.
Mein Fazit: Zu Beginn der Geschichte habe ich gedacht, wo will das Buch hin? Kurze Kapitel, ständiger Wechsel zwischen den einzelnen Protagonisten, doch irgendwann war ich drin. Mittendrin in einer Geschichte voller Trauer, Einsamkeit, falschen Entscheidungen und Selbstvorwürfen. Reden hilft, habe ich oft gedacht. Doch jeder Einzelne ist so gefangen in seinen eigenen Gedanken, dass es im ersten Moment so scheint, dass neben ihnen gar kein Platz ist. Doch der Platz ist da, man muss es nur zulassen. Alle beschriebenen Menschen in diesem Buch, haben mich berührt. Konnte ich ihr handeln nachvollziehen… ich weiß es nicht. Ein sehr melancholischer Roman, der mich tief berührt und traurig gemacht hat. Hier trifft man ganz bestimmt auf skurrile Charaktere, aber zum Schmunzeln gab es wenig, bis auf Stuart, dem Hund. Ich vergebe 🐶🐶🐶 1/2 von fünf 🐶en. Ich mochte das Buch, aber leider lastet es sehr schwer… wobei das Ende mich dann doch versöhnlich zurückgelassen hat.
Zum Inhalt:
Sydney ist Freerunnerin und ständig unter Spannung. Sie hat vor vielen Jahren ihre geliebte Mutter Ila durch einen tragischen Unfall verloren und sie denkt, dass sie daran schuld ist… ihren Vater, ihren Bruder und ihre Freundin liebt sie, aber irgendwie hält sie jeden auf Distanz, ist schnell gereizt. Sie flüchtet an ihrem Geburtstag nach St. Ives, zu dem Küstenstädtchen, wo ihre Familie vor vielen Jahren zerbrochen ist.
Howard ist Sydneys Vater. Er liebt Ila immer noch sehr. Sie war und ist die Liebe seines Lebens. Warum verstehen das die Leute nicht?
Maria lebt in St. Ives und ist unglücklich verheiratet. Das lodernde Feuer, welches sie in ihrer Ehe so vermisst, kommt nur zum Vorschein, wenn bei ihrem Mann die Sicherungen durchbrennen. Er ist das Sinnbild eines toxischen Mannes. Alles was Maria macht ist falsch, sogar wenn sie ihm Blumen vom Markt mitbringt, die sie in all den Jahren nicht einmal von ihm bekommen hat. So kann es nicht weitergehen…
Bell, Marias Tochter ist 29 Jahre alt, ihre Schulfreunde haben den Küstenort verlassen, aber Bell wird hier dringend gebraucht, denkt sie. Von ihrem geliebten Hund Stuart, von ihren Eltern, von der Buchhandlung, in der sie arbeitet… alle Geschichten finden im Laufe der Story auf wundersame Weise zusammen und führen zu der Erkenntnis, dass Einsamkeit auf Dauer eben doch nicht glücklich macht.
Mein Fazit: Zu Beginn der Geschichte habe ich gedacht, wo will das Buch hin? Kurze Kapitel, ständiger Wechsel zwischen den einzelnen Protagonisten, doch irgendwann war ich drin. Mittendrin in einer Geschichte voller Trauer, Einsamkeit, falschen Entscheidungen und Selbstvorwürfen. Reden hilft, habe ich oft gedacht. Doch jeder Einzelne ist so gefangen in seinen eigenen Gedanken, dass es im ersten Moment so scheint, dass neben ihnen gar kein Platz ist. Doch der Platz ist da, man muss es nur zulassen. Alle beschriebenen Menschen in diesem Buch, haben mich berührt. Konnte ich ihr handeln nachvollziehen… ich weiß es nicht. Ein sehr melancholischer Roman, der mich tief berührt und traurig gemacht hat. Hier trifft man ganz bestimmt auf skurrile Charaktere, aber zum Schmunzeln gab es wenig, bis auf Stuart, dem Hund. Ich vergebe 🐶🐶🐶 1/2 von fünf 🐶en. Ich mochte das Buch, aber leider lastet es sehr schwer… wobei das Ende mich dann doch versöhnlich zurückgelassen hat.
August 9, 2019
I found this to be a really touching and emotional read featuring a cast of wonderful characters who are all dealing with their own grief and sadness, and how the kindness of others is sometimes the turning point in a life devoid of much hope and is able to give people a new perspective on what is happening in their life.
The story centres around Sydney who has dealt with some major trauma in her youth, and has carried that with her as she approaches her 47th birthday. Never really able to confront her emotions, she is a freerunner and uses that as an escape and a way of taking control over things she thinks she can't control. Her partner Ruth is used to her ways, but still wishes she could open up more - she wants a little bit of normal in their life.
When Sydney takes herself off to a place that means so much, she is faced with new people and new outlooks. But still she can't escape the past and you are very aware of the hold it has over all of her family and it was heartbreaking to read her thoughts as she remembered family holidays.
I loved the way the interconnecting stories flowed - from Belle the quiet soul who works in the local bookshop and hides herself away in routine and books, to Maria who wants to rescue the 'angel' she finds but seems unable to rescue herself. And I also loved the perspective of Stuart the dog - the family pet of Maria, Jon and Belle - it was just so cleverly written and very perceptive to have his thoughts on what was going on with his humans.
As Sydney, her father and her partner are made to face up to what happened in the past, it was really emotional to keep having their flashbacks and thoughts and to see how their prescence in this place is helping to shift the minds of the people they meet. It was so refreshing to read the different characters with such different outlooks on life - their hopes, their fears and the expectations you place on yourself and those around you.
Quirky, insightful and moving! Highly recommended!
My thanks to the team at Tinder Press for my advanced copy in return for a fair and honest review.
The story centres around Sydney who has dealt with some major trauma in her youth, and has carried that with her as she approaches her 47th birthday. Never really able to confront her emotions, she is a freerunner and uses that as an escape and a way of taking control over things she thinks she can't control. Her partner Ruth is used to her ways, but still wishes she could open up more - she wants a little bit of normal in their life.
When Sydney takes herself off to a place that means so much, she is faced with new people and new outlooks. But still she can't escape the past and you are very aware of the hold it has over all of her family and it was heartbreaking to read her thoughts as she remembered family holidays.
I loved the way the interconnecting stories flowed - from Belle the quiet soul who works in the local bookshop and hides herself away in routine and books, to Maria who wants to rescue the 'angel' she finds but seems unable to rescue herself. And I also loved the perspective of Stuart the dog - the family pet of Maria, Jon and Belle - it was just so cleverly written and very perceptive to have his thoughts on what was going on with his humans.
As Sydney, her father and her partner are made to face up to what happened in the past, it was really emotional to keep having their flashbacks and thoughts and to see how their prescence in this place is helping to shift the minds of the people they meet. It was so refreshing to read the different characters with such different outlooks on life - their hopes, their fears and the expectations you place on yourself and those around you.
Quirky, insightful and moving! Highly recommended!
My thanks to the team at Tinder Press for my advanced copy in return for a fair and honest review.
August 30, 2019
Do Not Feed the Bear is a novel in many voices: the characters' voices, naturally (and they are very natural), but also the voice of a dog called Stuart (whose sense of smell tells him which humans he likes or dislikes); the voice of a felt hare called Blood and the voice of a blue notebook. Which, you might think, would make for a noisy book. But Do Not Feed the Bear isn't noisy at all. It's a gentle, quirky, poignant, thoughtful and, in the end, uplifting story about human beings who, for different reasons, are a bit stuck or a bit lost or a bit (or very) unhappy, or all three. It's also the story of how they, often with the help of others, unearth their troubles, face them and find their way through.
Rachel Elliott is a psychotherapist and her understanding of and compassion for the way we are and the difficulties we find ourselves in thread their subtle ways through her characters. I knew immediately I was reading the lives of real people. Well, obviously, real invented people. But their dialogue and their language, their quirks and their difficulties, their observations, their attractions and the things that make them happy and the things that make them sad are grounded in real human experience.
One character remembers an article about confidence she read, once:
Characters who wonder about such things are characters well worth finding out about, don't you think?
Rachel Elliott is a psychotherapist and her understanding of and compassion for the way we are and the difficulties we find ourselves in thread their subtle ways through her characters. I knew immediately I was reading the lives of real people. Well, obviously, real invented people. But their dialogue and their language, their quirks and their difficulties, their observations, their attractions and the things that make them happy and the things that make them sad are grounded in real human experience.
One character remembers an article about confidence she read, once:
You don't have to wait until you're confident before you do something scary, the article said. You don't have to be ready, in fact that's the wrong way round. Confidence only comes when you do the thing that scares you. It's a by-product of action, not a place from which to act.And the same characters says, later on:
Without hope all we have is nostalgia.
Characters who wonder about such things are characters well worth finding out about, don't you think?
September 5, 2019
Sydney Smith is a forty-seven year old freerunner. Extremely lively as a child, she has always found freedom and release in doing what she loves. Her mother called her ‘mountain goat’ because she was always moving, always climbing, never able to stand still. Now, as a woman, she still can’t stand still. She has a life and a home with loving partner Ruth and their dog Otto but her training, her constant moving is putting a wedge between them. Ruth wants to spend more time with her, share their life. But Sydney is battling with the past, a past she is about to finally face.
When she was ten years old, her family was splintered. Their family holiday was ruined, their perception of life changed, they arrived with hope and happiness, they left with devastation and fear. The tragedy marked her in unimaginable ways and she is still carrying those marks today. When she returns to St Ives, the place it all happened, she is afflicted with memories, good and bad, that remind her of who she used to be and why she can never be that person again.
When Sydney is found face down, sprawled in the middle of the street, kindly local woman Maria Norton calls for an ambulance and waits with her until Ruth and her father arrive. She offers them a place to stay, wanting some space from her husband, some company to stave of years worth of loneliness. But the new arrivals will do more for each other than they predict.
Do Not Feed the Bear is such a tender, raw and incredibly emotional book. Rich and nuanced, it split my heart right open and drew me so deep into the story, I didn’t think I would ever surface. Bursting with bright and complex characters, this is a wonderful novel to get lost in. It would make a perfect book club read, there is so much to love and consider about this book! Highly recommend!
When she was ten years old, her family was splintered. Their family holiday was ruined, their perception of life changed, they arrived with hope and happiness, they left with devastation and fear. The tragedy marked her in unimaginable ways and she is still carrying those marks today. When she returns to St Ives, the place it all happened, she is afflicted with memories, good and bad, that remind her of who she used to be and why she can never be that person again.
When Sydney is found face down, sprawled in the middle of the street, kindly local woman Maria Norton calls for an ambulance and waits with her until Ruth and her father arrive. She offers them a place to stay, wanting some space from her husband, some company to stave of years worth of loneliness. But the new arrivals will do more for each other than they predict.
Do Not Feed the Bear is such a tender, raw and incredibly emotional book. Rich and nuanced, it split my heart right open and drew me so deep into the story, I didn’t think I would ever surface. Bursting with bright and complex characters, this is a wonderful novel to get lost in. It would make a perfect book club read, there is so much to love and consider about this book! Highly recommend!
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