The Gray House

Дом, в котором... #1-3

by Mariam Petrosyan

The Gray House is an astounding tale of how what others understand as liabilities can be leveraged into strengths.

Bound to wheelchairs and dependent on prosthetic limbs, the physically disabled students living in the House are overlooked by the Outsides. Not that it matters to anyone living in the House, a hulking old structure that its residents know is alive. From the corridors and crawl spaces to the classrooms and dorms, the House is full of tribes, tinctures, scared teachers, and laws—all seen and understood through a prismatic array of teenagers’ eyes.

But student deaths and mounting pressure from the Outsides put the time-defying order of the House in danger. As the tribe leaders struggle to maintain power, they defer to the awesome power of the House, attempting to make it through days and nights that pass in ways that clocks and watches cannot record.

Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, Magical Realism, Russia, Young Adult, Russian Literature, Audiobook

1070 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published November 1, 2009

About the author

Following college, Mariam Petrosyan became a cartoonist at the Studio of Armenfilm in 1989. She subsequently moved to Moscow and worked at Soyuzmultfilm Studio. In 1995, she returned to Armenfilm, where she worked until 2007. She is married to Artashes Stamboltsan. They have two children. She is a great-granddaughter of the Armenian painter Martiros Saryan.

Reviews

[Joanna · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is not going to be a review. This is going to be a confused ode, a drug-induced paean, an out of tune song and a nonsense fairy tale about this incredible book; because that’s the only way I know how to talk about it.

I read a lot. I rarely truly dislike a book, even if I don’t think much about it, there are very few one-star ratings in my reading history. Most books sit comfortably on 3 or 4 stars because that’s how I feel about most books I read. Enjoyable but forgettable get 3, ones that stick in my memory for a long time score 4, ones that I truly love for whatever reason earn 5 stars (and I’m not even attempting impartiality, my feelings dictate the ratings, not literary knowledge or text analysis). But rarely, once in a blue moon, comes along my way a story which cannot be bridled by any ratings. Yes, I give it five stars because that’s the limit, I’d give it a hundred if I could and it still wouldn’t be enough.

I just finished reading “The House, in Which…” (no English translation as yet, so that’s what I’m calling it) and I feel both elated and devastated, and like I never want to read another book again. Because no other book will ever be this - this stunning, dreamy, terrifying, nightmarish, beautiful, more real than reality, more fantastic than any fantasy, playing on my heartstrings like a virtuoso guitarist, seeping into my mind, my blood, deep under the skin to never quite leave, half-remembered dream of a tale.

It’s a book I recognized immediately, from the very first pages, to the very end, which even with rationing the pages like a miser during a famine, so that I can stay in the House a bit longer, came much too soon. What are measly not-even 700 pages? I wish it were thousands, millions, so that I never have to cease reading it, never leave! And I don’t mean recognized, as a copy, as a trope, as a repetition of a well-known motif. I mean recognized in the depths of my imagination, the core of my heart, as a dream I once nearly dreamt, as a story which I have never known about but which I so almost weaved from the beads, the feathers, the scraps of wool, and tiny rodent skulls, and all the magical things, songs, books, poems, rain, fog and wind and bits of chalk. And now it came to me, both told and unspoken, simultaneously complete and never ending, forever circling the House, the Forest, the Other Side. And all I could do is gasp in awe and jump right in the middle, never, not for a moment doubting it, like Blind, knowing the House immediately, like I must have been there before, recognizing myself in it, and whatever it took, not wanting to leave.

I know there are and will be people who read this book and don’t get it, don’t love it, find faults, and analyse it to death, speak of superficial similarities with this book or that one, Lord of the Flies, or whatever. And it’s not scorn, or superiority that dictates my words, because I know we all have our own tales, and everyone resonates to a different song, but all I can think is: you poor Pheasants (if you haven’t read the book, I’m not confusing the words and not meaning ‘peasants’), you have lived in the House, but somehow managed to miss it altogether, the House never touched you, or else it repulsed you, or perhaps scared you… And maybe that means that you’re healthy and normal, and well… But I wouldn't trade with you.

The fact that this is a debut novel leaves me speechless... To Mariam Petrosyan who wrote it, I have just one thing to say: Thank you! Thank you for this unforgettable gift, for your white heron’s feather. For bringing me into the House (although of course, I've never left it anyway). Thank you, you incredible, magnificent, poor bitch! How can you ever write anything else, if this book is your first? What could you possibly follow it with? What goes on in your head that allowed you to tell me (and by the looks of things to many, many others) that story which feels like it has always belonged to me, though I wasn't aware of its existence until you wrote it, and I read it??

[Katerina · Rating 5 out of 5]

А-а-а! и большой привет всем посоветовавшим эту книгу, которая вынесла мне все остатки мозга и убила близлежащие планы на социализацию. Как каникулярное чтение "Дом, в котором...", разумеется, совершенно не годится (книжка с легкостью заменит вам завтрак, пляж, дневной сон, ужин и поход по магазинам), но черт возьми, он крышесносный.

Для начала, это лучшее произведение на живом, современном, но очень грамотном русском языке, которое мне доводилось читать за последнее время. Такой эффект был бы, если соединить "Денискины рассказы" со "Школой для дураков". Лучше всего удалась речевая характеристика персонажей, которые местами разговаривают, как русские Фрай и Лори, и это так умилительно. Не знаю, кстати, кто там жаловался на отсутствие таблички с действующими лицами, я разгадала всех или почти всех. Чуть не умерла от нервного напряжения, поранила подбородок, уронив его пару раз на пол, но не жалею.

Да, сюжет абсолютно ебанутый (я, например, начало читала с особенным трагизмом, т.к. ждала раскрытия, так сказать, метафоры; когда же метафора обернулась страшными чудищем и весело подмигнула, я расслабилась и прямо автора зауважала). Местами хотелось захлопнуть книжку под вопль "да она издевается?!" и поставить четверку, но, строго говоря, чья голова - тот и тараканами правит, а у Мариам Петросян они довольно послушные, если присмотреться.

В общем, почти идеальный синтез замысла и его исполнения; как сказали бы классики, "он живой и светится".

[Sergei_kalinin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Странная книга... Поскольку на неё уже сотни рецензий (очень поляризованных, но преобладают восторженные), постараюсь кратко - только самые сильные впечатления.

1) Кто-то сказал "хорош любой жанр кроме скучного". Книга затягивает, и читается "запоем" :) Что уже замечательно :)

Справедливости ради добавлю, что текст очень неоднороден (чувствуется, что писался 20 лет). Перевалив за середину книги, повествование начинает пробуксовывать, темп теряется, и... местами даже скучно :( Но лишь местами.

2) Книга - эпична. Я не шучу! В ней есть ВСЁ - любовь и смерть, верность и предательство, дети и взрослые, одиночество и стая, мужчины и женщины, магия и обыденность, отчаяние и надежда...

Наверняка этот мой перечень не полон. Наверняка каждый, читающий эту книгу с открытым сердцем, обязательно найдёт в ней что-то своё, что-то затрагивающее глубокие душевные струны.

3) Формально книга про детей. Охватывает она большой период их жизни с младших классов до выпуска их из школы уже "взрослыми". Книга населена яркими и удивительными детскими персонажами - очень творческими, эмоциональными, мудрыми...

Есть в персонажах эдакая крапивинская нотка :) (говорю это как комплимент высшей пробы). Но... В книге - не настоящие дети :( Это такие "маленькие старички" - не по годам мудрые и рассудительные, большую часть своей жизни замороченные решением глобальных философских вопросов.

(Я НЕ утверждаю, что дети глупы и никогда не ищут ответы на мировоззренческие вопросы! Я говорю лишь о том, что они делают это МЕНЬШЕ, чем пытаются представить подобные книги).

4) Формально книга про специальную школу-интернат для детей с ограниченными возможностями. За что книге однозначно большой "плюс" - в ней нет смакования страданий, выжимания слёз и давления на жалость.

На самом деле автор - мастерица декора :) Книга стилистически очень насыщенная, визуально "вкусная". Автор блестяще (чувствуется рука живописца ;)) изображает обстановку Дома, его комнат, внешности персонажей, их вещей и т.п.

У всех - гротескная и яркая внешность. Эта ярко-рыжая, этот бледный, как мертвец, с длинными белыми волосами и т.п. Все непонятно как разодеты (одежда всегда описывается подробно). Не дети, а просто персонажи манги какие-то :) И то, что один колясочник, а другой без рук - воспринимается уже не как тяжкий недуг, а как некий элемент костюма, как часть общего декора.

Благодаря такой "живописности" все персонажи получились яркими, узнаваемыми. К ним вполне можно привязаться :) Не зря ведь по мотивам книги даже онлайн-RPG появилась ( http://dom.f-rpg.ru/ ).

5) "Магический реализм" в книге по-настоящему хорош. Детишечки в лучших кастанедовских традициях прогуливаются в сновидную (и прочую) иную реальность :)

6) Книга глубоко трагична... Несмотря на то, что дети - друзья и полноправные хозяева Дома, вполне сильные и самодостотаточные внутри него - рядом с ними нет любящих взрослых, и они глубоко оторваны от Наружности (так они называют внешний мир).

Автору удалось очень точно угадать это "трагическое одиночество", столь характерное для подростков. Даже если вокруг тебя твоя родная стая, мир вокруг всё равно недружелюбно-чужой, а взрослые - враги (или придурки :)). В этом смысле книга даже у меня вызвала остро-ностальгические ощущения, а уж какое воздействие она может оказать на неокрепшие молодые организмы - даже страшно подумать :)

Резюме: Читать или не читать? Читать! Но с открытым сердцем :)
Вспоминая себя в 13 - 15 - 17 лет.
Допуская, что реальность чуть ярче, и чуть сложнее, чем привычная твёрдая почва под ногами.
Понимая, что "подростковые вопросы" со временем превращаются во взрослые ответы. И именно поэтому так полезно задавать их себе вновь...

[Jo · Rating 1 out of 5]

Hell, this was bad. I did not enjoy this book in the slightest, which is a shame, as this book was a birthday gift for last year, and as much as I usually LOVE receiving books for such occasions, I'm relieved that I didn't spend my own money on it.

Now, before I list what I didn't like about this novel, I will say, that it is obvious much dedication and hard work has gone into this, but unfortunately, for me, it means jack shit when the plot itself is disjointed, there are meaningless characters that lack emotion and I have to listen to a guy called Smoker ( who, by the way, is a dick) tell me about the gray house.

This book was incredibly hard work to read, and one should never feel like that with a book. The plot was on a vacation for the majority of this. It was just mind numbing descriptions of the daily life of disorderly teenagers living in a filthy, cramped house. Nothing remotely exciting happened beyond that. The supposed magic in this book was never explained to the reader, so that left me a little tired and dazed, and I was wondering for the most part "what the fuck is going on??"

I could go on for much longer about this book, but I have coffee to drink, so to wrap things up, I'll say that this was tedious and was about 400 pages too long. I'll be quite happy to give this book to a charity shop, actually.

[Olga Surmaca · Rating 5 out of 5]

Goodreads does not have enough stars for this one.

[☾❀Apple✩ Blossom⋆｡˚ · Rating 5 out of 5]

The amount of time I spent recommending this book to every single person I know who could be remotely interested in reading an epic 900 pages saga about the most unlikely heroes you ever met is only equal to the amount of time I spent thanking my russian fiancé for recommending this book to me after he read it and fell in love with it when he was in high school. Both of them are superior to the actual amount of time it took me to read this amazing masterpiece. While reading this, I couldn't do anything else in my free time, and I listened to the audiobook constantly, so that the story of these beautiful kids accompanied my life the whole time. I've never been so sure about a book becoming a favourite of mine since I read my favourite book of all time.

This incredibly imaginative, poetic, deep, moving and engrossing saga is one of those lengthy and immersive reads that resemble more a world to dive in than a series of pages to turn. I will never forget the lives of these lovable unlovables, and I can't wait for my russian level to become high enough to read this in the original language. Hands down, one of the best books I ever read.

[Nelly Aghabekyan · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of those books that demand to be read for the second time - just to see how many nuances you've missed when reading for the first time, how many hints and clues you've passed by without proper attention. I dare not to call this fantasy, and cannot agree with those who say this book is the second "Lord of the Flies". It's not, and it has only one thing in common with ".. Flies" - the children. Though when reading, you barely even remember they are really children, and some of the heroes aren't, in a strange sense, children at all. But - no spoilers this time - better go read it yourselves :)

[Lena · Rating 5 out of 5]

Постмодерный сюррил, но такой затягивающий, что невозможно оторваться. Образы и персонажи дикие и безумные, но при этом до боли родные и узнаваемые. Роман вызвал бурю эмоций и мыслей - здесь так много тем и идей, что анализировать можно бесконечно. Отдельная радость - это неповторимый черный юмор. Сложный и оригинальный пазл, каким является эта книга, захочется собирать снова и снова.

[Para (wanderer) · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a rule, I prefer reviewing books that are brilliant but flawed, since usually they are the only ones that can't be reduced to a couple of sentences. This is not one of those. For the past few days I've been gushing about it to everyone who'd listen. Seeking out fanart. Taking pauses and breaks, because just like its inhabitants I didn't want to leave. It's brilliant, it's criminally underrated, and while I realise that it's not for everyone, it's probably the best book I've ever read.

The House demands a reverent attitude. A sense of mystery. Respect and awe. It can accept you or not, shower you with gifts or rob you of everything you have, immerse you in a fairy tale or a nightmare. Kill you, make you old, give you wings . . . It’s a powerful and fickle deity, and if there’s one thing it can’t stand, it’s being reduced to mere words.

True to the quote, it's rather hard to describe. The story takes place in the titular House, a boarding school for disabled children and teens. But it is, obviously, much more than that. Genre-wise, it's the closest to Magical Realism or perhaps Literary Fantasy. If I had to compare it to anything, I'd say it's a bit like The Secret History crossed with Every Heart a Doorway with a heavy dash of surrealism thrown into the mix. Well, not really. But they are the only books I can think of that come even slightly close.

We start with Smoker, being thrown out from the orderly, straight-laced Pheasants who live in the House, but are not really of it, into the chaotic Fourth and the House proper; with all its Laws, customs, taboos, and strange things taking place. It's full of camaraderie, humour, creepiness, eccentric characters, delightful absurdity, sides both dark and light, relatively realistic and surreal, serious and not. The plot is slow and meandering and the supernatural elements aren't immediately obvious - it takes quite a while to go from "Is that guy having some weird delusion or does he really...?" to the point where it can't be handwaved away anymore and becomes obvious there must be something to it all.

The characters are colourful, known only by their nicknames (even the counsellors) and while not everyone is particularily likable, I found all of them interesting, though to go into any specifics would quickly stray into spoiler territory. My only complaint would be that in the middle of book two, when female characters are introduced, they are defined mostly in terms of their relationship to our male protagonists, but luckily, it improves somewhat when some get their own POV chapters.

I also think the portrayal of disability was very well done. It does impact their lives, it's not ignored or forgotten, but at the same time it does not define them. They aren't pitiful, they aren't grotesque, they are neither saints nor villains, they aren't magically cured by the end, and they are certainly not used for inspiration porn. In short, they are human.

And despite it being a translation, the prose is incredible, beautiful and vividly descriptive without ever being hard to read or obscuring the story underneath, something not even The Winged Histories managed. With multiple POVs, multiple timelines in which some of the characters have different nicknames, little explanation (even though Smoker likes asking questions, he doesn't always get answers, and some of the terminology is known even to him), and all narrators being highly unreliable, making sense of what is going on can be difficult, and in words usually used for describing a very different series, being confused is completely normal. It's also full of allusions and references and all sorts of goodies for the careful (re)reader and the ending is, as befits the story, something of a mindfuck. If you can't sit back and enjoy the ride, if you like your stories straightforward and linear and making sense all the way through, it's probably not the book for you.

Enjoyment: 5/5
Execution: 5/5

Recommended for: prose fans, those looking for complex, character-driven books or disability representation
Not recommended for: those looking for clear, straightforward, fast-paced stories

More reviews on my blog, To Other Worlds.

[MK · Rating 5 out of 5]

What, how did this end up with a one-star from me!? Some kind of accidental click from my phone or Kindle!! Five stars!!!!

I finished my first audible/Kindle whispersync, and immediately started right back at the beginning. This book is an investment, and it repays you many times over!

I'm halfway through my second listen/read whispersync, and have already ordered the physical book.

Read thru number three is going to be the physical book. This book is amazing.


---

Edit - I just suggested this book for purchase by my library. There is only one copy available in any public library in my whole state! That's a travesty! :p

Still looking forward to my third read-through. Reading other books for more background first:

(editing to cross off books, as read ... also to expand a few of these that got more titles added to them ;-) ... )

1 - Carrol's The Hunting of the Snark (because of the multiple chapter epigraphs from the poem)
2 - Kipling's The Jungle Book, which led to Kipling's The Second Jungle Book, which led to Jekel's The Third Jungle Book, which led to Rundell's Into the Jungle: Stories for Mowgli (because of one of the main characters, Tabaqui, and because of one of the sub-groups, the Bandar-logs, and because of 'The Law', which is almost a character in and of itself in the book)
3 - Golding's The Lord of the Flies, which led to Ballantyne's The Coral Island (because LOTF is inspired by The Coral Island), which led to Ballantyne's The Gorilla Hunters (because it's the sequel to The Coral Island), and also Ransome's Swallows and Amazons (because it was mentioned in LOTF along with The Coral Island :p (and, eventually, but later ... the rest of the 13 book Swallows series, b/c it's really good!), and possibly .... but I think I'll hold off, because I might be overdosed on old teen boy castoff island adventure stories .... Defoe's Robinson Crusoe (which expanded to include Robinson Crusoe #2, and Robinson Crusoe #3 (I didn't know there were sequels before I started), Treece's retelling of Crusoe, called The Further Adventures of Robinson Crusoe (which is the same title as Defoe's 1st sequel, which is how I accidentally ended up putting it on hold at the library), and Coetzee's retelling, called Foe, as well as Kraske's Marooned: The Strange but True Adventures of Alexander Selkirk, the Real Robinson Crusoe), Swift's Gulliver's Travel's, and Stevenson's Treasure Island (because, you know, also mentioned in analyses of LOTR ), which expanded to include Drake's 3-book Prequel series (Flint and Silver (A Prequel to Treasure Island), Pieces of Eight, and Skull and Bones, and The New World), and Motion's 2-book Sequel series (Silver (Return to Treasure Island), and The New World) ... :-o
4 - Barrie's Peter and Wendy (aka Peter Pan) (because I can't remember why - the lost boys, maybe?)
5 - Browning's The Pied Piper of Hamelin (because I can't say - spoiler)
6 - Latimer's The Irish Piper (because it showed up on my library's search page when I searched for The Pied Piper, and it sounded like a fun/interesting retelling of the original
7 - The Young Oxford Book of Folk Tales (because it too showed up on my library's search page when I searched for The Pied Piper, and it too sounded interesting)
8 - Bach's John Livingston Seagull, and
9 - Castaneda I chose The Teachings of Don Juan: A Yaqui Way of Knowledge), both because the translator, Yuri, suggested these were a big influence on the kids in the book
10 - Ousmane's God's Bits of Wood, and
11 - Ngũgĩ's A Grain of Wheat (because a reviewer called Michael said he taught God's Bit ... to his students, but paired it with A Grain of Wheat for 'an East-West thing', so that sounded good to me *grin*), both because for whatever reason, God's Bit's ... turned up on my library's search page when I was searching for The Pied Piper *shrug*, and I'll have to finish reading them before their due dates...
12 - ... and eventually, but definitely AFTER the third reading of The Gray House, London's White Fang and Pyle's The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood (because they are the 3rd and 4th titles in the five tale book I found that contained The jungle Book, Treasure Island, and Gulliver's Travels - book is called The Adventure Collection: Treasure Island, The Jungle Book, Gulliver's Travels, White Fang, The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood: Gulliver's Travels, White ... Treasure Island (The Heirloom Collection)), and Sabatini's 3-book Captain Blood series, which anyone reading old island adventure stories that include pirates is definitely going to stumble across!

Come on, one book that inspires so much off-shoot reading, not to mention immediate RE-READING, that's a damn good book !!!!

---

2nd Edit - My library has it on order! Yay :) Hope others get to enjoy this truly wonderful book.

.

[✨Bean's Books✨ · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not sure about this one...
"Bound to wheelchairs and dependent on prosthetic limbs, the physically disabled students living in the House are overlooked by the Outsides. Not that it matters to anyone living in the House, a hulking old structure that its residents know is alive. From the corridors and crawl spaces to the classrooms and dorms, the House is full of tribes, tinctures, scared teachers, and laws—all seen and understood through a prismatic array of teenagers’ eyes.
But student deaths and mounting pressure from the Outsides put the time-defying order of the House in danger. As the tribe leaders struggle to maintain power, they defer to the awesome power of the House, attempting to make it through days and nights that pass in ways that clocks and watches cannot record."
Okay by chapter 3 I was so utterly confused I had no idea what the heck was going on in this book. This book is supposed to be about the dynamics of children in an orphanage home (The Gray House) but also has supernatural aspects to it.
I understand that this book was originally written in Russian but the language that the author has used is so blocky (not choppy) and it comes off as extremely daunting to read. It's almost like somebody giving a very very stern speech.
There's no real plot to the book. At least I did not read a discernible plot. More or less you're just following the characters willy-nilly style.
I also think that a lot of this book could have been cut out and it would have made for a little bit better of reading experience for the reader. In this 700+ page chunkster it just becomes so boring to read all this nonsequential nonsense.
I really don't know if I can recommend this one for all the reasons stated above. It was not a very enjoyable read for me.

[Lauma Lapa · Rating 5 out of 5]

since Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (oh, when was it... cannot believe it was 1998) there has been no book that has kept me awake through the night, enthralling me, charming to the extent that i almost lost myself in the story. that alone should say something of the quality of the narrative, plot and characters.
the multiple viewpoints, the elegant characters, the legends and the stories all work towards one purpose - to tell a story that leaves no bitterness in the soul, only that which can be expressed by the russian phrase "светлая грусть".
this is a book that cannot be left on the shelf. it modifies the reader permanently. dare to enter it, and you will change.

[Kitty G Books]

Decided to DNF this at 61% as I found it too much of a struggle to want to read. Whilst I do think there are some really weird and wonderful parts to a House with a life of its own, filled with children who all break the norm, I think this book just lost me in the vague sprawling thoughts and metaphors...

Overall, I think this is a book literary readers or magical realism readers may really enjoy, but I consider myself to be more of a fantasy reader and I think for me this book just felt too abstract. I didn't find a connection to the characters and so I found it hard to get into, and ultimately it just wasn't something I was enjoying. DNF

[Katie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am not exaggerating when I say that this was one of the most phenomenal reading experiences I've ever had and that this book may very well gain a permanent place among my absolute favorites of all time - rubbing shoulders with Steinbeck and Jane Eyre.

I was so very blessed to read and talk about The Gray House with my lovely friend Silvia and others. Yuri Machkasov, the translator, even joined us and became a wonderful source of insight and anecdote. If you ever pick up this book, I highly recommend that you jump over to her blog
and read the weekly discussions there - and post! Even if you're reading a year or two later, I will gladly jump back into those conversations. This is a beautifully disorienting and mysterious book, and talking it out as we went made for such a rich experience.

I'm at somewhat of a loss as to what to say about The Gray House. I've said so much at the blog, and I feel so much that I haven't yet found words for. I guess I will start by saying that the writing is flawless. The text simply sings. The structure of the book is compelling, the many voices of the characters are unique, real, honest, and pitch perfect. There is a treasure trove of literary and cultural allusions that are such fun to discover. The strangeness of The House turned me upside down and took me on a wild journey that kept me constantly on my toes. If you read this book, you will be taken into a world that is magical and foreign and yet so real. The "real" world and the magical are seamlessly woven to create a place that feels natural and authentic, though often baffling and complex. You will have a lot of questions and a lot of theories. The reader is fully rewarded for their perseverance and careful reading as the pieces of the book fall together in a satisfying conclusion.

So what is this book about? Without experiencing it, it's difficult to put into words - I'm not sure it can truly be distilled into a synopsis. Any attempt, I suspect will fall completely flat. On the surface, you have a strange old house that is a boarding school for children with disabilities whose whole world is The House. The House itself is a character - a mysterious one. There are strange, supernatural elements, and it is often unclear to the reader whether these things are reality or not. The book is told from the perspectives of many of the house residents and this weaves a really rich tapestry of story, a story that is different depending on who's telling it because we all have our unique ways of seeing and engaging the world.

I find this book so life affirming. Much of modernity views humanity in a rather utilitarian manner. Success based on looks, smarts, money, etc. And here we have a group of misfits, some cast off completely by their families, and their value is based on none of these things. They are fascinating, beautiful human beings, each so unique, with their own strengths and weaknesses, and their disabilities are really in the background. It is not about their limitations – or if it is, it is about how being in community allows us to depend on others and be depended on – how we become better by doing so. Mariam has written each character so lovingly with such depth of character – so real. Now that I’ve come to the end of the book and I understand these characters more clearly, I am amazed at the depth of loyalty, friendship, camaraderie and acceptance that runs through this story. There is so much tenderness in these pages. The book says many true things about friendship, community, trust, perspective, how we see ourselves and others, the fears and wonders inherent in growing up, belief in things that can’t always be understood and reduced to the purely logical and tangible…

I cannot say enough about The Gray House, yet I can't say too much without spoilers. It is a book written with great integrity, ingenuity, and insight. It is an absolute delight to read and will be something that I return to often.

[Silvia Cachia]

If you want to follow our bookclub, we read, blogged, and commented over 10 weeks here,
https://silviacachia.wordpress.com/ca...

And an interview with Yuri Machkasov, the translator of the English edition, https://silviacachia.wordpress.com/20...

As with any bigger than life book, I'm at loss after reading the last page of The Gray House. All through the book, I've been reading some pages and chapters many times. I think I'm on my 4th reading of the last 30 or 40 pages.

Long ago I became interested in reading TGH when I saw a BBC documentary in which it was mentioned. When I knew the book would be released in April 2017, I announced it at my blog, asking if any would join me in a book club for it. Several of my friends did, and we were all greatly surprised when Yuri, the translator of the book into English, showed up at the blog.

These are all the posts on The Gray House. This one has all the weeks links.

I am glad I read this book in company, that made it ten times better. I would have been very lonely reading it by myself, being assaulted by those thoughts and questions, unable to unload all that with someone.

I blogged about it week by week for ten weeks, I retold what I read that week, (as of today, weeks 9 and 10 haven't been published yet), and I was fortunate to have some wonderful friends commenting and dotting on the plot and the people in the book, and we even had Yuri, the translator, help us with some questions, and adding invaluable and fascinating pieces of information about the book and Mariam Petrosyan, the author.

I can only say this is one of those books that stays with you forever. Mariam's writing is beautiful and haunting. She managed to create a universe with its own life and people. I encourage you to enter it.

[H.A. Leuschel · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was one of the most original and unusual books I've read in a long time. The Gray House is a school for students with disabilities who like any young teenagers are searching for their identities, want to fit in and find a group of friends they can trust and grow up with. However, from the first page, I sensed that I would need time to get in tune with the setting (the house has a supernatural feel to it, moves and shifts and hence has a life of its own which adds an eerie sense of mystery), the many characters and unusual nicknames and the meandering plot, switching between past and present, between perspectives and different groups of youngsters. It's a challenging yet rewarding story and I'm pleased to have read it and would recommend to anyone who likes books that depict their own unique reality without clear set of rules.

[szadrienn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Döbbenetes könyv. Csontig hatoló, hátborzongató. Soha nem olvastam még hozzá hasonlót.
Kezdetben erős, zsigeri félelmet éreztem, amikor betekintést nyertem egy fogyatékos gyerekek számára fenntartott nevelőotthon mindennapjaiba. Élet sokféle, súlyos fogyatékkal, kiszolgáltatva, kirekesztve. Élet vad fiúfalkák tagjaként, bonyolult szabályrendszer, hierarchia szerint, véres verekedésekkel. És a halál, hol természetes formában, hol jóval rejtélyesebb módon ott lappang szinte mindenütt.
Aztán, mint egy szürreális álomban, hirtelen a részesévé váltam mindennek, és már nagyon vágytam rá, hogy ott lehessek a Ház lakói között, mert mágikus atmoszféra burkolta be őket, szimbólumok, rituálék áthatolhatatlan erdejében jártam, magával ragadott a tökéletesen egyedi nyelvezet, az ellenállhatatlan sodrás, és még a legbizarrabb képekről sem tudtam elfordítani a tekintetem. Mindig újabb és újabb titkos ajtó nyílt ki a Házban, és türelmetlen, mohó kíváncsisággal vártam, hogy milyen ijesztő, groteszk, fájdalmas vagy meglepő igazság fog elém tárulni megint.
Nem könnyű az élet Abban a Házban, mert a törvénye néha kegyetlen. De akit mégis befogad, annak hatalmas élményt ad, mert ez egy olyan regény, amelyik felfalja az olvasót testestől-lelkestől.

[Ines · Rating 5 out of 5]

epico, struggente, meraviglioso... ho appena finito di leggere questa perla rara e nn riesco a trovare altri aggettivi per definire quello che provavo durante la lettura.....
è un libro nn facile, ammetto di aver avuto difficoltà in qualche parte.... ero troppo legata al semplice fatto di sentirli vivi durante la lettura... sara anche il fatto di lavorare nel mondo della disabilità...... ma quei volti io li avevo veramente davanti.... e anche questo libro prenderà il suo posticino nel mio cuore tra quei 4/5 che ricorderò per tutta vita..... quello che facevo mentre leggevo , quello che vivevo, quello che pensavo......
.

[Karine Mon coin lecture · Rating 5 out of 5]

Roman déroutant, qui demande toute notre tête (et parfois la tête qu'on a pas), mais qui, aprèes un bon moment à entrer dedans, m'a fascinée. Carrément. Je l'ai relu dans la foulée. Plein de référence, j'ai adoré.

[Arturo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ez volt az első olvasásom ebben az évben; mit mondjak, elég erős kezdet, nehéz lesz felülmúlni. Manapság ritkán írok értékelést, de erről mindenképpen szerettem volna – csak fogalmam sincs, mit írhatnék, amit… 1. Eddig már nem írtak le többen is. 2. Ami nem árul el túl sokat, nem rontja el mások élményét, akik csak később olvassák el.

A második pontot talán könnyebb teljesíteni, mert időnként úgy érzem, fogalmam sincs, mit is olvastam – de nagyon tetszett. Mert ott van ugye a felszín: egy fogyatékos gyerekek részére fenntartott bentlakásos iskola életét ismerjük meg. A „fogyatékos” itt bármit jelenthet; testi, szellemi, lelki sérültet egyaránt. Ezek a fogyatékosságok azonban egyáltalán nem hangsúlyosak a szereplők számára – teljesen természetesnek veszik, némelyikükről csak sokára, mintegy mellékesen derül ki, miért is került ide. A lakók különböző falkákba szerveződnek, minden falka élén egy vezérrel. Az igazi neveket nem tudjuk, mindenki, aki ide kerül, új nevet kap, a nevelőket, tanárokat, egyéb dolgozókat is beleértve – ezzel is jelezve, hogy a Ház és a Kint két külön világ, közöttük nagyon nehéz az átjárás. A vége felé azért megismerünk néhány valódi nevet, de csak azokét, akik elhagyták a Házat, vagy hamarosan el fogják hagyni. Persze nehogy azt higgye bárki is, hogy ezek a belső nevek állandóak; a könyvben keverednek különböző idők eseményei, és két egymást követő fejezetben lehet, hogy ugyanazok a szereplők, ez mégsem nyilvánvaló, mert időközben új nevet kaptak.

Ahogy mondtam, ez a felszín – ha csak ennyi lett volna a történet, már akkor is jó könyvnek mondanám. A végén viszont Petroszjan csavar egyet a történeten, amitől az egész addigi 700 oldal teljesen más megvilágításba kerül. Az a csodálatos és bosszantó ebben, hogy ott volt minden az orrom előtt, mégis csak homályos elképzelésem volt a dolgok mibenlétéről. Ahogyan többekben is, bennem is ott ficergett a gondolat, hogy azonnal újra kéne olvasni, hogy összeszedjem ezeket a kis rejtett utalásokat. Ellenálltam, de biztosan elolvasom újra, nem is olyan sokára. Mert vissza kell térnem abba a Házba, hogy még néhány titkát felfedezzem.

[Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

‘The Gray House’ is the first and apparently last book by Mariam Petrosyan. It took her 18 years to write and was an immediate bestseller in Russian when published in 2009. I am fascinated by this success, as its appeal seemed to me obscure and niche. All 721 pages are set in a strange institution for disabled children and teenagers. Although the atmosphere is distinctively creepy, the plot is practically non-existent. There is absolutely no narrative urgency. While I was happy to wallow in the strangeness, I am as a rule willing to put up with a lot for weird fiction. More than many would, perhaps. I tried to make sense of the book throughout, but finished it of the opinion that I was missing something. Unlike the case of The Vorrh, however, the setting and characters were sufficiently appealing to prevent this incomprehension becoming frustrating. Instead, the experience was like that of The Librarian: my lack of Russian cultural and political reference points, plus the translation gap, meant that any allegory went over my head, without detracting from my enjoyment. Surely there must be layers of allegory in here, though. Perhaps the House is a metaphor for Russia? A country living in the wreckage of communism and kleptocratic capitalism, turning inward to nationalism?

It amused me to compare ‘The Gray House’ with other YA. It uses many of the popular tropes: all the protagonists are young adults, they band together into gangs to resist oppression by adults, the names they give things have Capital Letters, and a special few are involved in weird supernatural stuff. Many, albeit not all, chapters are narrated in the first person by youths. The supernatural elements are conceptually similar to the Upside Down in Stranger Things. Yet every YA novel I’ve ever read has been plot-driven, and ‘The Gray House’ is the antithesis of that. Imagine there was no monster from the Upside Down hunting people. The weird underworld just exists, without posing any specific or time-sensitive threat. Perhaps Russian YA is more dilatory and philosophical in general? Indeed, the main characters face only two coherent threats: being thrown out of the institution and each other.

While the House, as they inevitably call it, is a shabby wreck full of violence and mayhem, the Outside is depicted as inherently scarier. Petrosyan does a very effective job at conveying the comfort taken by outsiders banding together and making their own arbitrary rules. The characters will hurt, even murder, each other for their own reasons, while also creating an environment in which all disabilities are supported. This creates an unusual narrative effect whereby a character can be nicknamed Blind, as they are blind, without this being their defining characteristic. As all the characters have some disability, the otherness element is collectively dissolved. Now that I think about it, at no point is any character asked to explain the nature or cause of their disability. Those who use wheelchairs are referred to collectively as the Wheelers, without this being a source of division. The divisions are, to the observing reader, much more obscure. There are five gangs in the House, each living in a separate dormitory and seemingly having their own rules, beliefs, activities, style, and prevailing personality traits.

At the start of the book, a boy nicknamed Smoker (although practically everyone smokes constantly) moves from one gang to another. I initially anticipated a fairly conventional narrative, in which Smoker and thus the reader uncovers the weird secrets of his new gang. Nothing so normal occurs. The point of view wanders from person to person, and even when it returns to Smoker his attempts to unravel the local weirdness are totally ineffectual. His habit of asking questions is greeted with a mixture of amusement, exasperation, and violence. His new gang, who live in the Fourth, are a fascinating band. They include the exquisitely beautiful Noble, ebullient and wonderfully named Tabaqui, truculent Black, and intimidating Blind. Their characterisation builds up slowly and subtly, through many apparently inconsequential scenes of the gang eating meals, smoking, and chatting about nothing much. They often have social gatherings to drink bootleg booze and listen to music, but rarely go to lessons. Dramatic incidents do punctuate the narrative, without meaningfully disturbing the erratic rhythm of life.

One thing I am always very fond of in fiction is spatially condensed weirdness. Not weirdness just for the sake of horror, but something more distinctive, compelling, and, crucially, dreamlike. Annihilation and sequels are good examples. Here, the environment of the House should seem claustrophobic, as the characters are all effectively trapped, yet it does not feel so. Even those who are unaware of or cut off from the ambiguous underworld seem to roam the corridors like the House is the size of a city. It has an empty abandoned room available whenever necessary and the walls are covered with pictures and messages. I loved the imagery of these densely decorated walls. Scenes in which they were repainted then immediately covered with new art and text were very satisfying. They reminded me of a time when my parents let me draw and write all over the walls of their bathroom, because it was about to be replastered and repainted. (This wasn’t during childhood; I was about 25. Scribbling on walls is a joy at any age.) The descriptions of messy dormitories were also curiously evocative, serving to further distinguish the gangs through their relationships with possessions, personal space, and cleanliness.

‘The Gray House’ was originally published in three volumes, distinguished by the main narrator. The first is Smoker, the second Tabaqui, the third Sphinx. The second volume was my favourite, as I found Tabaqui the most compelling character. The Longest Night sequence was brilliantly unsettling. Conversely, the sudden arrival of the girls from their side of the House didn’t have very much impact, as none of the female characters were given the narrative point of view. They were potentially really interesting, but not developed much. I wanted to know more about the gangs and traditions they had established. As for the ending, I found the build up to graduation impressively ominous. The brief shift into the staff’s narrative point of view worked very well. The prospect of a springing graduation on the students without warning was genuinely shocking. Blind’s anticipation of this and the final Fairy Tale Night made for a strong denouement. I was of course left with many unanswered questions. In general, it was amazing how little I’d learned about the underworld linked to the House in more than seven hundred pages. More specifically, I still want to know what moving to ‘another loop’ means. Tabaqui never explained this!

Despite its dilatory pace and refusal to explain anything, I think ‘The Gray House’ is very much worth the time it requires. Petrosyan’s strange institution could be an elaborate allegory, an obsessively detailed dream-image, both, or neither. It has an ambiguity that invites the reader to dwell on and in it. While not a book I plan to re-read, nor is it one I’ll soon forget.

[Rafo Zarbabyan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Հայ հեղինակի ռուսալեզու այս գիրքը երևի մեր ժամանակների գլուխգործոցներից մեկն ա: Դե գոնե այն եզակի գրքերից, որը կարդալուց իսկապես «մտնում ես մեջը»:
Ճիշտ ա, թուլակամ մարդկանց խորհուրդ չի տրվում, բայց եթե դուք գրքասեր եք, համարեք սա այն ամենամեծ խորհուրդներից մեկը, որ ես կարող եմ տալ իմ ամբողջ կյանքի ընթացքում... ԿԱՐԴԱՑԵ՛Ք ԱՅՍ ԳԻՐՔԸ:

[Kristin B. Bodreau · Rating 1 out of 5]

I'm wavering between 1 and 2 stars. I almost want to give it the two just for the sheer amount of work that must have gone into this novel. The interweaving pieces, relationships and symbology. However, it's hard to appreciate when it was all so nebulous, meandering and surreal that it was almost impossible to make the connections without graphs, charts and a master's degree. So, I'm sticking with the 1 star because what it comes down to for me is "did I enjoy reading it?" In this case, that is a resounding and emphatic NO.

I don't mind subtle, but when you've gotten to the point that it's so subtle you only stumble on the connections by accident, you lose me. I imagine on a second read through I would find a million more interwoven threads than on the first pass, but this book was so much like work to begin with, I can't imagine spending the time to go through it again. It has never taken me ten months to finish a book.

Some of the imagery in this book was really breathtaking. But there was just WAY TOO MUCH. It's hard to appreciate a lovely metaphor when you're trying to cram twenty of them into every page. I also could have done with about 90% fewer descriptions of how filthy, cramped and disordered the room was. I get it. Teenage boys all living together with apparently zero supervision. But just thinking of the state of their bedclothes makes me want to douse myself in bleach. Never mind their various ailments, living like that they all would have succumbed to some kind of virulent infection or mold inhalation ailment.

As for story-line, there wasn't one for about 70% of the book. Just day after day of life in The House. The magic system that made this story a fantasy novel was never explained even a little bit. Which, vague magic systems are cool. Keep the rules vague and you can do a lot more. But I still can't even tell which parts of this story were in The House and which were in this strange place that some Jumpers or Striders could get to.

I am pretty sure I could go on for quite a bit longer, considering this book found it necessary to include every little thought that the author found even vaguely interesting, (two solid pages of a fight with a plastic bag in a bathroom...) but I'll try to wrap it up. *Stares meaningfully at the book.*

The translation and writing was great. There was just TOO DAMN MUCH. The relationships and characterizations were really interesting. But again, TOO MANY. There were too many characters whose names and circumstances changed far too often for me to even attempt to keep track of, particularly considering it was never explicitly stated that their names were changing. (That was confusing as hell once I finally figured that out.) I want to read and be immersed in my stories. I don't want to get extra wrinkles because I am constantly crinkling my forehead in confusion and flipping back through pages trying to figure out just what the fuck is going on. The timeline was across about 12 years (forty or so if you count the epilogue) yet there were still about 400 more pages than there needed to be. Never mind that the timeline jumped all over the place without warning. Everything was weird and surreal. I like a little surreal here and there. But not 700 pages of it. This felt like it was trying way too hard to be different. This is the kind of book that I could see a college class spending an entire semester on. And that can be fun. But that's not the kind of book I like to read. If an author tells me the curtains are blue I assume they matched the room and don't wonder about the metaphoric comments on the character's mood and what it means about their mother.

I did say I was going to wrap this up, didn't I?

TL;DR. This book is long, weird, detailed and not for me. If you like dissecting your literature, get out your scalpels and microscope, because this is just the story you're looking for.

[Kuszma · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ez a könyv egy makulátlan dög. Zseniális. Az ilyeneknél szokott kialakulni bennem a meggyőződés, hogy nyilván transzállapotban írták – ilyet ugyanis normális ember normális állapotban aligha tud. Az Abban a házban tulajdonképpen nem más, mint egy fogyatékosok lehető legszélesebb skáláját befogadó iskola története – de Petroszjan egy ihletett pillanatában megértette, hogy a legerősebb hatást akkor éri el, ha mindezt nem az olcsó együttérzés síkjáról vizsgálja, hanem valahonnan egészen máshonnan. És ez az egészen máshonnan, na ez a zseniális. Arról van itt szó, hogy az író úgy adja elő a Ház eposzát (mert ez eposz, semmi kétség), hogy az olvasó végig érzi a mítosz kézzelfoghatóságát. Egyfelől mintha a Mad Max posztapokaliptikus kulisszái között járnánk, másfelől pedig a természeti népek dzsungelszagú álomvilágában, ahol a babona és a hiedelem, a szörnyek és a démonok nem a képzelet teremtényei, hanem valóban ott rejtőznek minden zugban. Itt a hangsúly a "valóban"-on van – Petroszjan olyan eredményesen plántálja olvasója fejébe mindezen dolgok igaziságát, hogy azok a szereplők, akik úgy vélik, a kinti világ a valódi, ami idebenn van, az pedig káprázat, hovatovább eretnekeknek tűnnek. A hatás elmélyítésében pedig kulcsszerepe van annak, hogy Petroszjan pazarló bőkezűséggel ontja magából a káprázatosan összetett, izgalmas, imádnivaló szereplőket – az olyanokból, mint Tabaki, Szfinx, Lord, Makedóniai vagy épp a Vak, kettő-három is garantálná a maradandó élményt, de így falanxban szinte legázolják az embert.

Az pedig külön lenyűgöző, ahogy az írónő kikerüli a monotónia csapdáját. Egy 800 oldalas gigász még akkor is óhatatlanul vontatottá válhat, ha közben sikerül elkapnia egy markáns atmoszférát. Ettől Petroszjan úgy óvja meg a szöveget, hogy csodás ütemérzékkel váltogat át egyik hangulatból a másikba – hátborzongató leírást lírai szakasz követ, megpihenünk egy laza haveri évődésben, hogy utána térdig gázoljunk a vérfagyasztó misztikumban. Technikai értelemben hihetetlen bravúr ez*. A vége pedig hibátlanul fel van építve, és olyan gyönyörűen következik a regény belső logikájából, csak úgy szikrázik. Mindent összevetve: így kell kinézzen egy XXI. századi klasszikus. (Vagy ne pont így. Csak klasszikus legyen.)

* Fontos persze még az is, hogy megfelelően adagolja az információkat az olvasónak – egyes dolgokat megvilágít, másokat homályban hagy, hadd marcangolja a bizonytalanság azt, aki a könyv terébe merészelt lépni –, de hát ez a hangulatváltásokhoz képest szinte alapjátéknak tűnik.

[Ints · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nams ir sens, tas atrodas starp daudzstāvu ēkām un šis Nams nevienam nepatīk. Visi to labprāt redzētu nojauktu. Tomēr paša nama iedzīvotājiem tas patīk, pat ļoti. Šajā namā dzīvo bērni invalīdi, un tas ir tāds kā Internāts, kurā vecāki tevi atved mazu un savāc, kad esi sasniedzis pilngadību. Nams ir viņu vienīgā pasaule, ar saviem likumiem. Nav pieklājīgi pieminēt Ārieni, labāk par to vispār nedomāt, kur nu vēl runāt. Toties Namā notiek gan šaušalīgas, gan gluži ikdienišķās lietas. Te nevienam nav vārdu, visiem ir tikai iesaukas. Šeit dzīvo Sfinkss, Pīpmanis, Mellais, Aklais, Tabaki, Maituērglis un, iespējams, ne visi no Nama iemītniekiem ir tie, par kuriem viņi izliekas.

Teikšu uzreiz – šī grāmata man ļoti patika. Var redzēt, ka autore savas grāmatas tēlus ir iemīļojusi. Katrs no viņiem ar laiku sāk šķist kā dzīvs cilvēks, bet neskatoties uz to, ka mums ļauts ielūkoties viņu galvās, lasītājam viņus saprast izdosies ne vienmēr. Tomēr, ja reiz par viņiem izlasīsi, tad tos aizmirst vairs nebūs iespējams. Katram no viņiem ir savs skats uz Namu, un katrs no viņiem kaut ko par Namu un tā likumiem zina. Likumi šeit ir svarīgi, bez tiem nevar, ja par tiem aizmirst, tad var zaudēt arī savu dzīvību.

Šajā ziņā Pīpmanis varētu būt kaut kas līdzīgs grāmatas lasītājam. Viņš namā nonācis salīdzinoši pieaudzis un viņam nav nekādas saprašanas, kas te vispār notiek. Tādēļ viņš uzdod daudz jautājumu, lieki piebilst, nevienam jau nepatīk runāt par lietām, kas ir pašsaprotamas vai tādām, par kurām vispār skaļi runāt nevajadzētu. Tomēr šo to viņa iztaujāšana arī atklāju, un jo tālāk lasi, jo vairāk saproti, ka te viss nemaz nav tā, kā izskatās.

Grāmatā ir daudz personāžu, un katram no viņiem ir savs stāsts. Reizēm rodas iespaids, ka pat viņi paši nesaprot to, kas viņi patiesībā ir. Toties visi viņu stāsti ir interesanti un savstarpēji saistīti. Sākumā nedaudz kaitina, ka šo stāstu ir tik daudz, bet, kad viss saaužas kopā, tas vairs nesatrauc. Ir pat interesanti redzēt vienu un to pašu vietu no cita skatupunkta. Ieteiktu arī visu lasīt cītīgi, tad daudz kas kļūs saprotamāks, te nevar lēkšot pa diagonālēm.

Nedaudz nevietā šķita grāmatas epilogs, tas nedaudz izskatījās pēc svešķermeņa. Darbam, protams, beigas nenāk par sliktu, bet šajā gadījumā varēja arī atstāt visu, kā bija, bez papildus paskaidrojošajiem elementiem.

Grāmatai lieku 10 no 10 ballēm. Viena no labākajām grāmatām, kuru šogad esmu lasījis. Cilvēkam, kurš šo grāmatu lasīs, ieteiktu uzreiz saprast, ka šis nav nekāds stāsts par bērnu invalīdu reālo dzīvi.

[Magen - Inquiring Professional Dog Trainer · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars I wanted to love this book and I was incredibly intrigued by the story at first. There were two major problems with the book. First, it was incredibly difficult to keep track of the characters and what house they belonged in. I saw another review mention this, but what she didn't explain is that it is challenging for two reasons: one, the names of some characters change over time but it's rarely explicit and two, time is not linear even when excluding the fantasical time periods. I listened to the audiobook version, which created more problems because 1) the table of names of all the male characters and their houses at the beginning of each part were not read by the narrator and 2) the narrator did a poor job at clearly articulating what was the chapter subtitle, which provided critical information about the speaker and sometimes other important information. The second major problem with this book was that it was too detailed. I love literary fiction and I completely understand how details can create an atmosphere and subtlely that is vital for a deep, symbolic book. However, at some point, this book simply delved too much into the day to day lives of way too many characters. At some point, I lost interest in the book and likely would have stopped reading if I had read it in print. I stuck with it in audiobook format because I didn't spend time on it exclusively anymore and I was interested to see how it all played out. There was enough foreshadowing to indicate it was going to be a climatic end. Unfortunately, the end was rather vague and disappointing. The poor ending is why I rounded down. This was a long book with much left unexplained throughout the book, but having a bit more closure to the ending would have made it worth it. Without that, it's not really clear why one should read this book. I do think I would have liked the book a bit more if I had started reading it in print and thus had better clarity on who was who and how the houses broke down. Yet, I'm less sure I would have stuck with it. At the very least, the audiobook version could be improved by reading all the pages and also by having the reader find some way to help differentiate the narrators in the story, which jump all over the place, including 1st person and 3rd person viewpoints for the same character. If this sounds like something you would be interested in, I think it is worth a shot, but it's not worth it to pick it up if you are on the fence.

[Olga Lempert · Rating 3 out of 5]

Читала эту книгу два дня: примерно 750 страниц в первый, остальное — во второй. Если за прочитанное в первый день поставила бы книге пять звезд (несмотря на очевидные недоработки, опечатки, отсылки к «Республике ШКИД» и другим вещам), поскольку она обладает всеми правильными свойствами магического реализма и в самом деле создает цельный мир, несмотря на фрагментарность повествования, а то и благодаря ей (чем напомнила, например, «Школу в Кармартене») — то вторая часть, завершение книги, вызвала недоумение и показалась чуть ли не излишней. Очевидно, что она вызвала у автора затруднение, читать ее трудно и неприятно. Ощущается почти физический разрыв между повествованием о детстве и юности героев и их внезапным взрослением. Мешает порыв автора вдруг раскрыть все карты, броситься в крайность, как будто он усомнился в прозрачности созданной в первой части сети намеков и аллюзий, и желает непременно довести до сведения читателя свою задумку. Таким образом, оценка оказывается тройкой: средним между 5 за первую часть и 1 за конец.

[Fellini · Rating 5 out of 5]

Книга, в которую можно и нужно погружаться с головой. Только дочитала и сразу же захотелось начать сначала, чтобы окончательно разобраться в переплетении имён, персонажей, сюжетных и временных линий. Не хочется ни пересказывать сюжет, ни оценивать. Это как чужой подробный ЖЖ: сочный пласт жизни, который парой фраз не охарактеризовать.

"Дом требует трепетного отношения. Тайны. Почтения и благоговения. Он принимает или не принимает, одаряет или грабит, подсовывает сказку или кошмар, убивает, старит, дает крылья… это могущественное и капризное божество, и если оно чего-то не любит, так это когда его пытаются упростить словами. За это приходится платить".

[Alisa Grigoryan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Դժվարանում եմ կարծիք գրել։ Թվում ա գիրքը փոխում ա քեզ, քո մտքերը, պատկերացումները կյանքի ու շրջապատիդ մասին։ Առաջին հայացքից էս պարզ գիրքը էնքան խորություն ունի, որ բազմաթիվ անգամներ կարաս վերընթերցել ու գտնել քեզ համար նոր մտքեր մտորելու համար։

Սա իմ 3րդ մոտեցումն էր գրքին, առաջին 2ը տապալվեցին, կիսատ թողեցի, ու շատ ուրախ եմ, որ եւս մեկ փորձեցի ու այս անգամ «Տունը» ինձ ընդունեց։ Սա մի պատմություն դարձավ, որին կվերադառնամ հարազատ դարձած հերոսների հետ շփվելու նրանց հետ ապրելու, գրքում նոր շերտեր գտնելու համար…

[Arina Duggins · Rating 5 out of 5]

The best book I have ever read.