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Klimakvartetten #3
Ostatni
Apokalipsa, którą sami sobie zgotowaliśmy, jest coraz bliżej!
Trzecia część klimatycznej tetralogii Mai Lunde – autorki bestsellerowej Historii pszczół i Błękitu – nareszcie w Polsce!
Sankt Petersburg, 1881 rok. Odnalezione w Mongolii kości nowego gatunku konia trafiają do zoologa Michaiła. Ten ze zdumieniem odkrywa, że szczątki do złudzenia przypominają szkielet prehistorycznego dzikiego zwierzęcia i marzy o wyprawie badawczej na stepy mongolskie. Czy awanturnik i poszukiwacz przygód Wolff pomoże mu ziścić to pragnienie?
Mongolia, 1992 rok. Karin wraz z synem Mathiasem zmierzają do Parku Narodowego Chustajn. Kobieta dorastała w rezydencji Hermana Göringa – Carinhall, gdzie konie Przewalskiego były trzymane w niewoli. Od tamtej pory nie ustaje w staraniach, żeby sprowadzić je z Europy do Mongolii, gdzie przed laty żyły na wolności. W końcu jest tego bliska. Jaką cenę przyjdzie jej zapłacić?
Norwegia, 2064 rok. Eva wraz z córką prowadzą podupadającą rodzinną farmę. Dokoła ruiny i zgliszcza, Europa powoli się rozpada, brakuje prądu i żywności, sąsiedzi wyjechali na północ. Nastoletnia Isa błaga matkę, żeby i one uciekły. Ale Eva nie chce opuścić zwierząt, zwłaszcza dzikiej klaczy, która spodziewa się źrebaka. Na dodatek pewnego dnia do ich drzwi puka tajemnicza kobieta, która szuka noclegu. Czy Louis ściągnie na nie zgubę?
Trzecia część klimatycznej tetralogii Mai Lunde – autorki bestsellerowej Historii pszczół i Błękitu – nareszcie w Polsce!
Sankt Petersburg, 1881 rok. Odnalezione w Mongolii kości nowego gatunku konia trafiają do zoologa Michaiła. Ten ze zdumieniem odkrywa, że szczątki do złudzenia przypominają szkielet prehistorycznego dzikiego zwierzęcia i marzy o wyprawie badawczej na stepy mongolskie. Czy awanturnik i poszukiwacz przygód Wolff pomoże mu ziścić to pragnienie?
Mongolia, 1992 rok. Karin wraz z synem Mathiasem zmierzają do Parku Narodowego Chustajn. Kobieta dorastała w rezydencji Hermana Göringa – Carinhall, gdzie konie Przewalskiego były trzymane w niewoli. Od tamtej pory nie ustaje w staraniach, żeby sprowadzić je z Europy do Mongolii, gdzie przed laty żyły na wolności. W końcu jest tego bliska. Jaką cenę przyjdzie jej zapłacić?
Norwegia, 2064 rok. Eva wraz z córką prowadzą podupadającą rodzinną farmę. Dokoła ruiny i zgliszcza, Europa powoli się rozpada, brakuje prądu i żywności, sąsiedzi wyjechali na północ. Nastoletnia Isa błaga matkę, żeby i one uciekły. Ale Eva nie chce opuścić zwierząt, zwłaszcza dzikiej klaczy, która spodziewa się źrebaka. Na dodatek pewnego dnia do ich drzwi puka tajemnicza kobieta, która szuka noclegu. Czy Louis ściągnie na nie zgubę?
624 pages, Hardcover
First published September 1, 2019
375 people are currently reading
7121 people want to read
About the author
Maja Lunde
30 books1,208 followersMaja Lunde is a Norwegian author and screenwriter. Lunde has written ten books for children and young adults. She has also written scripts for Norwegian television, including for the children’s series Barnas supershow (“The Children’s Super Show”), the drama series Hjem (“Home”) and the comedy series Side om Side (“Side by Side”). The History of Bees is her first novel for adults. She lives with her husband and three children in Oslo.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 557 reviews
November 20, 2019
I couldn't really make myself like this one. After two books with the same pattern, this one felt rather tired, instead of familiar. Lunde is obviously trying to follow success of The Bees without actually thinking if all these stories make sense within the premises of one book, since the connections between the storylines are getting thinner and thinner with every new installment. The promissed character from The End of the Ocean actually ruins the magic of the second book completely, while offering a very anticlimactic and predictable ending to some of its characters. Another problem is the way Lunde treats her gay characters - it's exactly how I would expect a straight woman to write a queer romance - borderline melodramatic fan-fiction. As a queer person I did not care for any of it really, the level of authenticity is quite low. In this book she also decides to tackle drug addiction, Nazis, rape, activism, etc. The mix of it all simply doesn't work and walks a very thin line between drama and kitsch, often falling into the latter. I do hope Lunde can reinvent herself for the last book of the quartet, otherwise there's a very unsatisfactory ending beaming on the horizon.
November 4, 2019
A novel about horses, that doesn’t look like some pony farm in disguise. Three separate story lines that are set in as many centuries and yet somehow belong together. Post-climate-disaster dystopia, love story, family drama, travel adventure - shocking, wonderful, touching, exciting. A manifold of feelings delivered by the unimposing prose - a novel beyond my expectations.
Kudos to the translator.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License.
Kudos to the translator.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License.
May 16, 2020
Interesting, dark and enjoyable.
November 4, 2025
Poslednji divlji konji je treći roman iz klimatskog kvarteta norveške književnice Maje Lunde, i možda i najdirljiviji i najemotivniji do sada.
Ovaj put centralna tema priče su divlji mongolski konji - tahi, drevni divlji konji i borba tri junaka iz različitih vremenskih perioda za njihovo očuvanje.
Maja Lunde je vremenski putnik, ubeđena sam u to, jer kako bi drugačije znala do detalja šta nas čeka u budućnosti.
Svaki roman ove autorke me rastuži i zabrine, sa svakom pročitanom stranicom vidim koliko smo daleko odmakli sa uništavanjem Majke prirode, i shvatam da nismo ni blizu ideje kako da zaustavimo propadanje sveta koji nas okružuje, sveta čiji smo samo podstanari.
Odrasla sam, i dalje živim, u neposrednoj blizini šume i planine, i mislim da nikad nisam dovoljno cenila zelenilo koje me okružuje, nekada čist vazduh (koji to više nije) i cvrkut ptica s proleća dok me ujutru bude pod prozorom, ili cvrčke u letnje večeri.
Karin, Eva i Mihail su junaci kakvi možemo da postanemo...ako želimo.
"Čovek je glupa životinja, toliko je prosto. Ne mislimo dalje od sledećeg proleća ili sledećeg poroda. Zato je sve otišlo dođavola. Takav je prirodni tok stvari, pre ili kasnije sve ode dođavola."
Ovaj put centralna tema priče su divlji mongolski konji - tahi, drevni divlji konji i borba tri junaka iz različitih vremenskih perioda za njihovo očuvanje.
Maja Lunde je vremenski putnik, ubeđena sam u to, jer kako bi drugačije znala do detalja šta nas čeka u budućnosti.
Svaki roman ove autorke me rastuži i zabrine, sa svakom pročitanom stranicom vidim koliko smo daleko odmakli sa uništavanjem Majke prirode, i shvatam da nismo ni blizu ideje kako da zaustavimo propadanje sveta koji nas okružuje, sveta čiji smo samo podstanari.
Odrasla sam, i dalje živim, u neposrednoj blizini šume i planine, i mislim da nikad nisam dovoljno cenila zelenilo koje me okružuje, nekada čist vazduh (koji to više nije) i cvrkut ptica s proleća dok me ujutru bude pod prozorom, ili cvrčke u letnje večeri.
Karin, Eva i Mihail su junaci kakvi možemo da postanemo...ako želimo.
"Čovek je glupa životinja, toliko je prosto. Ne mislimo dalje od sledećeg proleća ili sledećeg poroda. Zato je sve otišlo dođavola. Takav je prirodni tok stvari, pre ili kasnije sve ode dođavola."
August 24, 2021
Mam wrażenie, że ten tom wyróżnia przede wszystkim wielki smutek oraz bezsilność ludzka, a tym samym same relacje bohaterów. Jak zawsze ciekawie napisana oraz przejmująca.
August 29, 2022
Three stories, each set in a different timeframe and all focused on relationships that are to become fractured or are in some way already broken. The other connecting element is that of Mongolian wild horses (also referred to as the Przewalski’s horse or takhis), these short and stocky animals providing a background narrative in each case. The relationships we observe include newly found - and forbidden - love, a parent and child who have become separated and are now fighting to find some kind of re-connection and a complex collective who are simply struggling to survive.
In 1884 a Russian zoologist and a German explorer undertake an expedition to Mongolia where they plan to search for wild horses in the hope of capturing some and bringing them back to St Petersburg, where the Russian plans to display them in his zoological garden. In 1992, a German biologist attempts to reintroduce the horses back into their native Mongolia, the species having been whittled down to just a few that can only now be found in captivity. And in 2064 a Norwegian woman struggles with the impacts of climate change – heat, drought and lack of food – whilst caring for the few animals she has, including perhaps the last remaining wild horses.
I found the story, or perhaps I should say the history, of these wild horses to be interesting enough to prompt a little research – enough to persuade me that something along the lines of the activity described in the stories set in the 1800s and 1900s actually did take place. But it’s definitely the people who take centre stage here with the story of the horses more of a linking theme, and as a result I found that I wasn’t persuaded to fully invest in the plight of these rare beasts. As for the people, I felt the emotions and recognised the obvious pain and grief but, a bit like the horses, I found it hard to fully engage with the characters I was introduced to. The three tales are, in essence, stand alone short stories - each was able to hold my interest but none really grabbed me. The mood is throughout one of hope and lingering fear for the fate of the horses but largely of angst and disappointment with regard to their own lives. Uplifting it isn’t.
This book is the third in a promised set of four books from this author, all set around climate related issues. It won the Norwegian Bookseller’s Prize and has been translated into 40 languages. My thanks to Simon & Schuster UK for providing an e-copy via NetGalley in return for an honest review.
In 1884 a Russian zoologist and a German explorer undertake an expedition to Mongolia where they plan to search for wild horses in the hope of capturing some and bringing them back to St Petersburg, where the Russian plans to display them in his zoological garden. In 1992, a German biologist attempts to reintroduce the horses back into their native Mongolia, the species having been whittled down to just a few that can only now be found in captivity. And in 2064 a Norwegian woman struggles with the impacts of climate change – heat, drought and lack of food – whilst caring for the few animals she has, including perhaps the last remaining wild horses.
I found the story, or perhaps I should say the history, of these wild horses to be interesting enough to prompt a little research – enough to persuade me that something along the lines of the activity described in the stories set in the 1800s and 1900s actually did take place. But it’s definitely the people who take centre stage here with the story of the horses more of a linking theme, and as a result I found that I wasn’t persuaded to fully invest in the plight of these rare beasts. As for the people, I felt the emotions and recognised the obvious pain and grief but, a bit like the horses, I found it hard to fully engage with the characters I was introduced to. The three tales are, in essence, stand alone short stories - each was able to hold my interest but none really grabbed me. The mood is throughout one of hope and lingering fear for the fate of the horses but largely of angst and disappointment with regard to their own lives. Uplifting it isn’t.
This book is the third in a promised set of four books from this author, all set around climate related issues. It won the Norwegian Bookseller’s Prize and has been translated into 40 languages. My thanks to Simon & Schuster UK for providing an e-copy via NetGalley in return for an honest review.
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April 17, 2023I think this book is really well-written, but I hated it.
There are three timelines, past, present, and future, whose protagonists are all obsessed with the Przewalski’s Horse. Past protag is a collector, who is probably responsible for the Przewalski’s Horse's near-extinction (but if he didn't do it, someone else would have.) Present is trying to build the population up and reestablish it in Mongolia, from the few specimens in captivity. Future is hanging on to a few wild animals and worrying about the continuance of their species, while the world around her undergoes a mass extinction event that is probably going to include humans and possibly all vertebrates.
All three are socially isolated, apart from a fraught relationship with a parent or child. All three, during this story, meet someone who makes them want a relationship with another human.
Someone in my book group said dryly, "Not a feel-good book," and yeah, no, this is the book you want to read if you're not getting enough anxiety, grief, and despair in your emotional stew. There are little moments of joy, and each story stops at one of those moments; it's like the parable of the monk, the tiger, and the strawberry. The last line of the book is "It will be all right." But you know it won't.
There are three timelines, past, present, and future, whose protagonists are all obsessed with the Przewalski’s Horse. Past protag is a collector, who is probably responsible for the Przewalski’s Horse's near-extinction (but if he didn't do it, someone else would have.) Present is trying to build the population up and reestablish it in Mongolia, from the few specimens in captivity. Future is hanging on to a few wild animals and worrying about the continuance of their species, while the world around her undergoes a mass extinction event that is probably going to include humans and possibly all vertebrates.
All three are socially isolated, apart from a fraught relationship with a parent or child. All three, during this story, meet someone who makes them want a relationship with another human.
Someone in my book group said dryly, "Not a feel-good book," and yeah, no, this is the book you want to read if you're not getting enough anxiety, grief, and despair in your emotional stew. There are little moments of joy, and each story stops at one of those moments; it's like the parable of the monk, the tiger, and the strawberry. The last line of the book is "It will be all right." But you know it won't.
December 15, 2019
Es ist ein Auf und Ab mit mir und Maja Lunde - zuletzt ging es jetzt aber glücklicherweise wieder einigermaßen bergauf. Trotzdem konnte „Die Letzten ihrer Art“ für mich nicht an „Die Geschichte der Bienen“ heranreichen, die mich damals ja wirklich absolut begeistern konnte. Vielleicht lag es daran, dass es vordergründig um Wildpferde ging, für die ich mich einfach nicht besonders erwärmen konnte, vielleicht passierte mir aber auch einfach zu wenig auf zu vielen Seiten. Es gab wie immer drei Erzählstränge (Vergangenheit, Gegenwart und Zukunft), die zum Schluss auch alle irgendwie ineinandergriffen. Ich mochte viele der Figuren und auch den Schreibstil, denke aber, dass die Stories teilweise noch etwas Pfeffer vertragen hätten.
February 27, 2023
I need to start shelving my DNF books at a higher pace. This was not successful. I enjoyed this first two books in the series, this book completely failed to capture my interest. I liked one of the time lines, started skipping over a second and then eventually lost all interest. This despite the fact that I LOVE horses and this book is about horses.
January 12, 2021
I have now read all three books in the series, and I've liked this one the best. Maybe because it contains interesting text and fact about horses or maybe I liked follow these people the most.
August 18, 2022
This is the third of four novels Lunde has grouped together around a climate change topic, with recurring elements of migration, shortages and environmental collapse. Always, though, the overall theme is parent-child relationships and the love that might be the only thing that keeps us going in the face of unspeakable challenges.
Here she returns to the tripartite structure of The History of Bees (much my favourite of the three): a historical strand, a near-contemporary one, and a dystopian future story line. The link between the three is Przewalski's horses (also known as takhi).
In the early 1880s, Mikhail Alexndrovich Kovrov, assistant director of the St. Petersburg zoo, is brought the hide and skull of an ancient horse species assumed extinct. Although a timorous man who still lives with his mother, he becomes part of an expedition to Mongolia to bring back live specimens.
In 1992, Karin, who has been obsessed with Przewalski's horses since encountering them as a child in Nazi Germany, spearheads a mission to return the takhi to Mongolia and set up a breeding population. With her is her son Matthias, tentatively sober after years of drug abuse.
In 2064 Norway, Eva and her daughter Isa are caretakers of a decaying wildlife park that houses a couple of wild horses. When a climate migrant comes to stay with them and the electricity goes off once and for all, they have to decide what comes next. This future story line engaged me the most.
I appreciated some aspects: queer and middle-aged romances, the return of a character from The End of the Ocean, the realistic picture of a future life taken up almost entirely by subsistence activities, and the consideration across all three plots of what makes a good mother. However, the horses seemed neither here nor there, merely a convenient way of connecting the stories, whereas bees were essential to Book 1. There are also many, many animal deaths. Perhaps an unsentimental attitude is necessary to reflect past and future values, and the apparent cruelty of natural processes, but it limits the book's appeal to animal lovers. It may be that the tone also suits the Norwegian prose, which the translator describes as having a leanness that fits the mindset.
If I were to boil the first three books down, I'd say they're about: 1) general climate breakdown and food shortages; 2) water shortages and climate refugees; and 3) species extinction and rewilding. The fourth book of the quartet, publishing in Norway next month, is called something like The Dream of a Tree, so perhaps trees will be the totem. That would be a draw for me. After the disappointment of Books 2 and 3, I'm unsure whether I want to bother with the final volume, but it makes sense to do so, if only to grasp Lunde's full vision.
(This was one of my Women in Translation Month reads.)
Here she returns to the tripartite structure of The History of Bees (much my favourite of the three): a historical strand, a near-contemporary one, and a dystopian future story line. The link between the three is Przewalski's horses (also known as takhi).
In the early 1880s, Mikhail Alexndrovich Kovrov, assistant director of the St. Petersburg zoo, is brought the hide and skull of an ancient horse species assumed extinct. Although a timorous man who still lives with his mother, he becomes part of an expedition to Mongolia to bring back live specimens.
In 1992, Karin, who has been obsessed with Przewalski's horses since encountering them as a child in Nazi Germany, spearheads a mission to return the takhi to Mongolia and set up a breeding population. With her is her son Matthias, tentatively sober after years of drug abuse.
In 2064 Norway, Eva and her daughter Isa are caretakers of a decaying wildlife park that houses a couple of wild horses. When a climate migrant comes to stay with them and the electricity goes off once and for all, they have to decide what comes next. This future story line engaged me the most.
I appreciated some aspects: queer and middle-aged romances, the return of a character from The End of the Ocean, the realistic picture of a future life taken up almost entirely by subsistence activities, and the consideration across all three plots of what makes a good mother. However, the horses seemed neither here nor there, merely a convenient way of connecting the stories, whereas bees were essential to Book 1. There are also many, many animal deaths. Perhaps an unsentimental attitude is necessary to reflect past and future values, and the apparent cruelty of natural processes, but it limits the book's appeal to animal lovers. It may be that the tone also suits the Norwegian prose, which the translator describes as having a leanness that fits the mindset.
If I were to boil the first three books down, I'd say they're about: 1) general climate breakdown and food shortages; 2) water shortages and climate refugees; and 3) species extinction and rewilding. The fourth book of the quartet, publishing in Norway next month, is called something like The Dream of a Tree, so perhaps trees will be the totem. That would be a draw for me. After the disappointment of Books 2 and 3, I'm unsure whether I want to bother with the final volume, but it makes sense to do so, if only to grasp Lunde's full vision.
(This was one of my Women in Translation Month reads.)
October 7, 2022
Jag fällde en tår i slutet.
April 29, 2021
Det är är den tredje boken i klimatkvartetten, genre cli-fi av Maja Lunde.
Det är tre parallella berättelser, i tre olika tidslinjer, som pågår här. Jag gillar det greppet för att det ger variation och ofta höjer det spänningsnivån. Men baksidan är att det oftast är någon tråd jag favoriserar och liksom längtar till. I det här fallet är det berättelsen om Eva, Isa och Louise som får de andra att blekna.
”Att bli hållen av Louise var som att bli hållen av sig själv.”
Eva är mamma till Isa, 14 år. De bor i Norge, på sin gård med djur. Året är 2064 och merparten av människorna lever som nomader, bland annat Louise. Människosläktet och andra djur håller på att dö ut på grund av klimatkrisen.
Karin och hennes son Mattias fokaliseras i en berättelse som utspelar sig 1992-2019. De hålls i Mongoliet för att återföra vildhästarna till sitt naturliga habitat.
Michail är zoologen som reser till Mongoliet 1882 för att hämta hem vildhästarna till djurparken i Sankt Petersburg.
Det övergripande temat är att människan är människans varg. Likt en predator kolonialiserar, exploaterar, skövlar och prioriterar människan tillväxt i alla lägen utan att ta hänsyn till varken ekosystem eller andra arter. Detta drabbar också den egna arten. Precis som hingstar kan ta död på varandra.
”Hingstar gör det. Inte hästar.”
Jag tycker mycket om hur Lunde närmar sig spörsmålet mänskligt beteende, inte minst när Eva får uttrycka sina tankar.
Lunde lyckas bra med att anpassa stilen till de olika karaktärerna. Michail har inget behov att fundera kring överlevnad varför han har gott om tid att fundera kring sin identitet. Karin har minnen av Hermann Göring vilket naturligtvis präglar henne. För Eva, Isa och Louise handlar det om att få tag på mat och skydda sig. Språket flyter fint. Hon har fått in väldigt många ämnen i en och samma bok. Moderskap, missbruk, klimat, sexualitet, frigörelse, feminism med mera. Det är riktigt snyggt gjort!
Det är tre parallella berättelser, i tre olika tidslinjer, som pågår här. Jag gillar det greppet för att det ger variation och ofta höjer det spänningsnivån. Men baksidan är att det oftast är någon tråd jag favoriserar och liksom längtar till. I det här fallet är det berättelsen om Eva, Isa och Louise som får de andra att blekna.
”Att bli hållen av Louise var som att bli hållen av sig själv.”
Eva är mamma till Isa, 14 år. De bor i Norge, på sin gård med djur. Året är 2064 och merparten av människorna lever som nomader, bland annat Louise. Människosläktet och andra djur håller på att dö ut på grund av klimatkrisen.
Karin och hennes son Mattias fokaliseras i en berättelse som utspelar sig 1992-2019. De hålls i Mongoliet för att återföra vildhästarna till sitt naturliga habitat.
Michail är zoologen som reser till Mongoliet 1882 för att hämta hem vildhästarna till djurparken i Sankt Petersburg.
Det övergripande temat är att människan är människans varg. Likt en predator kolonialiserar, exploaterar, skövlar och prioriterar människan tillväxt i alla lägen utan att ta hänsyn till varken ekosystem eller andra arter. Detta drabbar också den egna arten. Precis som hingstar kan ta död på varandra.
”Hingstar gör det. Inte hästar.”
Jag tycker mycket om hur Lunde närmar sig spörsmålet mänskligt beteende, inte minst när Eva får uttrycka sina tankar.
Lunde lyckas bra med att anpassa stilen till de olika karaktärerna. Michail har inget behov att fundera kring överlevnad varför han har gott om tid att fundera kring sin identitet. Karin har minnen av Hermann Göring vilket naturligtvis präglar henne. För Eva, Isa och Louise handlar det om att få tag på mat och skydda sig. Språket flyter fint. Hon har fått in väldigt många ämnen i en och samma bok. Moderskap, missbruk, klimat, sexualitet, frigörelse, feminism med mera. Det är riktigt snyggt gjort!
November 20, 2022
Globalni ciljevi: nastavak serijala, autor s neengleskog govornog područja
Jako mi je teško pretočiti u riječi osjećaje koje je u meni izazvala ova knjiga. I dok sam ju čitala razmišljala sam što zapravo osjećam, ali nisam to mogla uobličiti u nešto smisleno, zaokruženo. Teška je, tužna. Protagonisti su dvije žene koje više vole svoje konje od svoje vlastite djece, i muškarac, razmaženi mamin sin, preosjetljiv, htio bi da je sve kako si on smisli, ali na kraju se ipak mora povinovati običajima zemlje i doba u kojem živi. Nijedno mi se od njih nije svidjelo, razočaravali su me od stranice do stranice, ljutila sam se na njih, čak su mi se gadili u nekim trenucima. Iako, jedna od žena na kraju ipak odabire ispravno.
Priča o konjima je moćna i pretužna. Taj dio me je najviše pogodio. Otkad smo udomili dvije mace, jako sam osjetljiva na životinje, njihovu bol i smrt. Priča se vrti oko konja, točnije ugroženih Mongolskih divljih konja koji su u jednom trenutku čak bili izumrli u divljini. Lunde je u svoju knjigu utkala puno stvarnih činjenica o toj podvrsti konja pa je kroz priču i opisala povratak tih konja u divljinu Mongolije da bi se obnovila njihova vrsta.
Drago mi je da sam pročitala knjigu, jer sam opet nešto novo naučila, ali mi je zaista bilo teško čitati ju. Lunde baš pogađa u dušu. Često se sjetim njenih priča i njene vizije te neke tmurne, skoro beznadne budućnosti ljudske vrste.
Jako mi je teško pretočiti u riječi osjećaje koje je u meni izazvala ova knjiga. I dok sam ju čitala razmišljala sam što zapravo osjećam, ali nisam to mogla uobličiti u nešto smisleno, zaokruženo. Teška je, tužna. Protagonisti su dvije žene koje više vole svoje konje od svoje vlastite djece, i muškarac, razmaženi mamin sin, preosjetljiv, htio bi da je sve kako si on smisli, ali na kraju se ipak mora povinovati običajima zemlje i doba u kojem živi. Nijedno mi se od njih nije svidjelo, razočaravali su me od stranice do stranice, ljutila sam se na njih, čak su mi se gadili u nekim trenucima. Iako, jedna od žena na kraju ipak odabire ispravno.
Priča o konjima je moćna i pretužna. Taj dio me je najviše pogodio. Otkad smo udomili dvije mace, jako sam osjetljiva na životinje, njihovu bol i smrt. Priča se vrti oko konja, točnije ugroženih Mongolskih divljih konja koji su u jednom trenutku čak bili izumrli u divljini. Lunde je u svoju knjigu utkala puno stvarnih činjenica o toj podvrsti konja pa je kroz priču i opisala povratak tih konja u divljinu Mongolije da bi se obnovila njihova vrsta.
Drago mi je da sam pročitala knjigu, jer sam opet nešto novo naučila, ali mi je zaista bilo teško čitati ju. Lunde baš pogađa u dušu. Često se sjetim njenih priča i njene vizije te neke tmurne, skoro beznadne budućnosti ljudske vrste.
February 5, 2020
Is this a review or is it "Myra shitting on The End of the Ocean and praising Przewalski's hest for almost 1000 words straight"? Guess that's up for interpretation.
The History of Bees : 5/5 stars
The End of the Ocean : 1.5/5 stars
~~~~~~~
Maja Lunde wrote one of my favourite books of all time, The History of Bees. When I read the follow up novel, The End of the Ocean, I was severely disappointed and I ended up giving that novel two stars (and honestly, that was quite generous). So naturally, I had my doubts while still being cautiously hopeful when I decided to pick up this book.
This book (please excuse me referring to it as this book continuously here, the book does not yet have an english title) follows the same pattern as the previous books. We are following three different main characters, in three different timelines.
First up, we’re following Mikhail whose story begins in St. Petersburg in Russia in 1881, when a skeleton of a wild horse is brought to him. Because of this find, which seems to be the skeleton of the Mongolian wild horse, Mikhail begins a long process of serious research and plans an expedition to Mongolia to find and possibly capture the horses, in order to keep them in the zoo he works at. Mikhail eventually ends up going to Mongolia, despite his plan having seem to be no more than dreams, when Wilhelm Wolff shows up in St. Petersburg ready to accompany him to find the Przewalski horse.
Secondly, we’re following Karin in 1992. She’s going to Mongolia with her son Mathias and several Przewalski horses from Europe, with a plan to eventually re-introduce them to the wilderness of Mongolia. Karin has been working for years to help the breed rise up and away from the threat of extinction, and the horses have had a special place in her heart from her childhood, which we also explore while she’s working on her project in Mongolia.
Lastly, there’s Eva and her daughter Isa, who are living at a small farm in Norway in 2064. 2064 Norway and Europe is quite different from how we know it today, and Eva is using every bit of her power to hang on to the old family farm they’re still living on. Life on the farm is not easy, and they cannot hang on to the farm for much longer, but Eva does not want to leave, in part because of the horses, more specifically the wild horses she has to care for. Eva has enough with taking care of herself and her daughter, but one day, a stranger by the name of Louise arrives, making it even harder for Eva to leave the farm.
This book is not a very happy, positive kind of book. It’s pretty dark, at least about 90 percent of the time. All three of the main characters, as well as the side characters we meet in their stories, go through quite a lot. Especially when hearing of Karin’s childhood and Louise’s backstory. The story overall carries a sadder and darker feel than the previous books. Don't get me wrong all three books in this series so far, has dealt with serious and not exactly happy topics, but there was something more, gloomy about this book and at several points you'd feel some of the absolute hopelessness the characters were facing and something is just different in this book, compared to the previous two.
Also, quick mention of the TRIGGER WARNINGS i noticed in the novel: war, drug abuse, drug addiction, animal death, quite a lot of animal death actually. (I might be forgetting something or simply didn’t pick it up, but these are the ones I did notice when reading).
I enjoyed this so much more than I thought I would, and while it does not quite reach the level of The History of bees for me, I still loved it. I was never bored (which was my problem with The End of The Ocean), I actually cared about all the main characters (which also, was a big problem in the second book) and I kept wanting to read on when I put the book down. My favourite of the three stories was definitely Mikhail’s story, but I did actually like each of the storylines a lot. But Mikhail is such a sweet and naive character and I couldn't help but love him.
I've heard a few people mention how they think the different timelines format is quite tired by now, and I do see where they're coming from, but I think it really worked for this book. I did not think it worked as well for the second book, but in this book it felt more like it did in the history of bees again. The three different times and characters build suspense, as we have to wait until we hear from them again, and since all the storylines were interesting to me, I didn't have to skim-read one pov like I did in the last book, so I was intrigued the whole way through.
This was a solid book, I liked it a lot and found it to be such a step up from the last book. As I said, it doesn't quite reach the level of The History of Bees, but it's almost there. I now probably have way too high experiences for the last book in the quartet, and it'll probably end terribly again. But oh well, this one was great, please pick it up if/when it is available to you, it's definitely worth a read. 10/10 do very much recommend.
The History of Bees : 5/5 stars
The End of the Ocean : 1.5/5 stars
~~~~~~~
Maja Lunde wrote one of my favourite books of all time, The History of Bees. When I read the follow up novel, The End of the Ocean, I was severely disappointed and I ended up giving that novel two stars (and honestly, that was quite generous). So naturally, I had my doubts while still being cautiously hopeful when I decided to pick up this book.
This book (please excuse me referring to it as this book continuously here, the book does not yet have an english title) follows the same pattern as the previous books. We are following three different main characters, in three different timelines.
First up, we’re following Mikhail whose story begins in St. Petersburg in Russia in 1881, when a skeleton of a wild horse is brought to him. Because of this find, which seems to be the skeleton of the Mongolian wild horse, Mikhail begins a long process of serious research and plans an expedition to Mongolia to find and possibly capture the horses, in order to keep them in the zoo he works at. Mikhail eventually ends up going to Mongolia, despite his plan having seem to be no more than dreams, when Wilhelm Wolff shows up in St. Petersburg ready to accompany him to find the Przewalski horse.
Secondly, we’re following Karin in 1992. She’s going to Mongolia with her son Mathias and several Przewalski horses from Europe, with a plan to eventually re-introduce them to the wilderness of Mongolia. Karin has been working for years to help the breed rise up and away from the threat of extinction, and the horses have had a special place in her heart from her childhood, which we also explore while she’s working on her project in Mongolia.
Lastly, there’s Eva and her daughter Isa, who are living at a small farm in Norway in 2064. 2064 Norway and Europe is quite different from how we know it today, and Eva is using every bit of her power to hang on to the old family farm they’re still living on. Life on the farm is not easy, and they cannot hang on to the farm for much longer, but Eva does not want to leave, in part because of the horses, more specifically the wild horses she has to care for. Eva has enough with taking care of herself and her daughter, but one day, a stranger by the name of Louise arrives, making it even harder for Eva to leave the farm.
This book is not a very happy, positive kind of book. It’s pretty dark, at least about 90 percent of the time. All three of the main characters, as well as the side characters we meet in their stories, go through quite a lot. Especially when hearing of Karin’s childhood and Louise’s backstory. The story overall carries a sadder and darker feel than the previous books. Don't get me wrong all three books in this series so far, has dealt with serious and not exactly happy topics, but there was something more, gloomy about this book and at several points you'd feel some of the absolute hopelessness the characters were facing and something is just different in this book, compared to the previous two.
Also, quick mention of the TRIGGER WARNINGS i noticed in the novel: war, drug abuse, drug addiction, animal death, quite a lot of animal death actually. (I might be forgetting something or simply didn’t pick it up, but these are the ones I did notice when reading).
I enjoyed this so much more than I thought I would, and while it does not quite reach the level of The History of bees for me, I still loved it. I was never bored (which was my problem with The End of The Ocean), I actually cared about all the main characters (which also, was a big problem in the second book) and I kept wanting to read on when I put the book down. My favourite of the three stories was definitely Mikhail’s story, but I did actually like each of the storylines a lot. But Mikhail is such a sweet and naive character and I couldn't help but love him.
I've heard a few people mention how they think the different timelines format is quite tired by now, and I do see where they're coming from, but I think it really worked for this book. I did not think it worked as well for the second book, but in this book it felt more like it did in the history of bees again. The three different times and characters build suspense, as we have to wait until we hear from them again, and since all the storylines were interesting to me, I didn't have to skim-read one pov like I did in the last book, so I was intrigued the whole way through.
This was a solid book, I liked it a lot and found it to be such a step up from the last book. As I said, it doesn't quite reach the level of The History of Bees, but it's almost there. I now probably have way too high experiences for the last book in the quartet, and it'll probably end terribly again. But oh well, this one was great, please pick it up if/when it is available to you, it's definitely worth a read. 10/10 do very much recommend.
November 7, 2020
Well after finishing, I'm still not entirely sure how I feel about this book. I feel like it took forever to finish and I wasn't even very satisfied in the end - yet I kept reading it.
I think my biggest problem was that this didn't exactly have a plot. There were three stories, all interconnected of course and while two of them had a start, middle and a clear end, I don't think you can say there was a plot that was easy to follow. All three stories took place in different times and different places and while there was a justified reason for it, it somehow made this book feel... old. As in, doing something that has been done and overdone for years and not coming up with something new. Or even having a new angle to the three different stories all sharing a common factor.
In the end I think I liked the story set in the distant (and by that I mean the 1800s) past the most, even if there were parts that were so predictable you could see them from miles away. At least things were happening there. The story set in the 1990s was fine, fairly stagnant but did an excellent job with its descriptions of Mongolia and the relationship the main character had with both horses and her son. The future story was almost a bore. Very little of importance was happening and while I appreciate the likely realness of the bleak future, it was just that, a bleak future. And it connected the least with the other stories.
All in all, I think I had somewhat high expectations for this book and the weren't met. The stories could have done with some editing as well, it feels like at times very little was happening that would have added to the story as a whole.
I think my biggest problem was that this didn't exactly have a plot. There were three stories, all interconnected of course and while two of them had a start, middle and a clear end, I don't think you can say there was a plot that was easy to follow. All three stories took place in different times and different places and while there was a justified reason for it, it somehow made this book feel... old. As in, doing something that has been done and overdone for years and not coming up with something new. Or even having a new angle to the three different stories all sharing a common factor.
In the end I think I liked the story set in the distant (and by that I mean the 1800s) past the most, even if there were parts that were so predictable you could see them from miles away. At least things were happening there. The story set in the 1990s was fine, fairly stagnant but did an excellent job with its descriptions of Mongolia and the relationship the main character had with both horses and her son. The future story was almost a bore. Very little of importance was happening and while I appreciate the likely realness of the bleak future, it was just that, a bleak future. And it connected the least with the other stories.
All in all, I think I had somewhat high expectations for this book and the weren't met. The stories could have done with some editing as well, it feels like at times very little was happening that would have added to the story as a whole.
December 7, 2022
Ich mochte Band 3 wesentlich mehr als den 2. Band. Klar weiß ich nach drei Bänden, was ich von der Reihe zu erwarten habe (und freue mich total auf den vierten und letzten Band). In Band 2 hat mir irgendwie meine emotionale Bindung gefehlt.
Hier haben mir grundsätzlich alle geschilderten Erzählebenen gefallen und ich wollte unbedingt wissen, wie es weitergeht.
Hier haben mir grundsätzlich alle geschilderten Erzählebenen gefallen und ich wollte unbedingt wissen, wie es weitergeht.
June 9, 2020
Leaning towards 4.5 stars.
The first thing I did after finishing the book was going to my son (only one is already awake) and give him a big long hug.
RTC
The first thing I did after finishing the book was going to my son (only one is already awake) and give him a big long hug.
RTC
March 8, 2022
A very hard read for an animal lover but an excellent ending to this stellar climate change trilogy. Highly recommended.
August 23, 2024
Reread in 2024
WiT 2024 / book #4
30 Book in 30 Days / Book #21
WiT 2023 / Book #5
WiT 2024 / book #4
30 Book in 30 Days / Book #21
WiT 2023 / Book #5
April 4, 2025
Trzeci tom kwartetu klimatycznego skupia się tym razem na gatunkach, które są zagrożone wyginięciem. Jednym z takich gatunków są Konie Przewalskiego i to właśnie ich historia będzie się przeplatać w losach bohaterów.
Książka podzielona jest na trzy linie czasowe. W jednej z nich mamy 1881 rok, kiedy to zostają w Mongolii odkryte kości gatunku konia, a badania nad nimi będzie prowadzić zoolog Michaił. W drugiej linii czasowej wkraczamy w 1992 rok i mamy Karin, która postawiła sobie za cel sprowadzić Konie Przewalskiego z Europy do Mongolii i dać im żyć na wolności. Trzecia linia czasowa przenosi nas do 2064 roku, a tutaj sytuacja ma się najgorzej. Trafiamy do Norwegii i poznajemy Evę, która wraz z córką prowadzi rodzinną farmę. Świat dąży prostą drogą ku zniszczeniu i to widać gołym okiem. Kobieta nie chce jednak opuścić farmy, tym bardziej, że dzika klacz, krążąca w okolicy, spodziewa się źrebaka.
Po raz kolejny Lunde wprowadza do książki trzy linie czasowe, gdzie możemy zaobserwować co ludzie sami sobie mogą zgotować. Pierwsza linia to mocna ingerencja człowieka w naturę. Druga to uświadomienie sobie co się dzieje i próba wyjścia z patowej sytuacji. Natomiast trzecia jest porażką oraz konsekwencją ignorancji. Ja generalnie mam problem z książkami z tej serii klimatycznej od samego początku, ponieważ są one dla mnie za każdym razem za długie i widzę mnóstwo miejsc gdzie można obciąć spore fragmenty tekstu. Nie zliczę ile razy już miałam ochotę czytać tak powierzchownie, żeby tylko przekartkować książkę do ciekawszych fragmentów. Jednak na plus jest to, że tym razem autorka stworzyła ciekawe postacie w każdej linii czasowej. Chętnie zapoznawałam się z ich historiami co było miłą odmianą po tym co zastałam w "Błękicie", gdzie jedna linia była tak przeraźliwie nudna, że nic tylko usnąć. Dodatkowo autorka poruszyła temat Koni Przewalskiego co na tyle mnie zainteresowało, że zaczęłam sobie równocześnie coś więcej o tych zwierzętach czytać.
Zostawiam 2,5 gwiazdki - jest lepiej od "Błękitu", ale są te elementy, które ciężko mi strawić.
Książka podzielona jest na trzy linie czasowe. W jednej z nich mamy 1881 rok, kiedy to zostają w Mongolii odkryte kości gatunku konia, a badania nad nimi będzie prowadzić zoolog Michaił. W drugiej linii czasowej wkraczamy w 1992 rok i mamy Karin, która postawiła sobie za cel sprowadzić Konie Przewalskiego z Europy do Mongolii i dać im żyć na wolności. Trzecia linia czasowa przenosi nas do 2064 roku, a tutaj sytuacja ma się najgorzej. Trafiamy do Norwegii i poznajemy Evę, która wraz z córką prowadzi rodzinną farmę. Świat dąży prostą drogą ku zniszczeniu i to widać gołym okiem. Kobieta nie chce jednak opuścić farmy, tym bardziej, że dzika klacz, krążąca w okolicy, spodziewa się źrebaka.
Po raz kolejny Lunde wprowadza do książki trzy linie czasowe, gdzie możemy zaobserwować co ludzie sami sobie mogą zgotować. Pierwsza linia to mocna ingerencja człowieka w naturę. Druga to uświadomienie sobie co się dzieje i próba wyjścia z patowej sytuacji. Natomiast trzecia jest porażką oraz konsekwencją ignorancji. Ja generalnie mam problem z książkami z tej serii klimatycznej od samego początku, ponieważ są one dla mnie za każdym razem za długie i widzę mnóstwo miejsc gdzie można obciąć spore fragmenty tekstu. Nie zliczę ile razy już miałam ochotę czytać tak powierzchownie, żeby tylko przekartkować książkę do ciekawszych fragmentów. Jednak na plus jest to, że tym razem autorka stworzyła ciekawe postacie w każdej linii czasowej. Chętnie zapoznawałam się z ich historiami co było miłą odmianą po tym co zastałam w "Błękicie", gdzie jedna linia była tak przeraźliwie nudna, że nic tylko usnąć. Dodatkowo autorka poruszyła temat Koni Przewalskiego co na tyle mnie zainteresowało, że zaczęłam sobie równocześnie coś więcej o tych zwierzętach czytać.
Zostawiam 2,5 gwiazdki - jest lepiej od "Błękitu", ale są te elementy, które ciężko mi strawić.
January 9, 2021
Bardzo ciekawy temat wybrała Lunde na ten trzeci tom.
July 8, 2022
Denne boka har stått ulest i bokhylla i snart to år, så da jeg fikk høre at den fjerde og siste boka kommer til høsten, tenkte jeg at det var på tide å få lest den tredje. Jeg likte denne boka veldig godt, selv om jeg ikke er spesielt interessert i hester. Derimot likte jeg karakterene, og måten den var skrevet på.
Det er et godt språk i boka, og den består av tre parallelle fortellinger satt til tre ulike tidsepoker, fortid, nåtid og dystopisk framtid preget av klimaendringer. Vi møter Mikhail i St Petersburg i 1880-årene som legger ut på en reise til Mongolia for å ta med seg villhester til Europa. I 1990-årene blir vi med Karin til Mongolia for å forsøke å føre villhestene tilbake til sitt naturlige habitat. Dessuten møter vi Eva i Norge i 2064 som som sliter for å prøve å overleve klimaforandringene.
Jeg likte historien om Eva best, men den var også den mest skremmende. 2064 er ikke så veldig lenge til, og vi får se et sakte forfall av alt en har å hjelpe seg med, og at man går tom for det mest nødvendige som blant annet strøm, fôr til dyrene og til slutt mat.
Samtidig er det et lite snev av lys og håp i alle de tre historiene. Det er også en historie om mellommenneskelige forhold, og hva man kan klare hvis alle hjelper hverandre, og gjør noen grep.
December 13, 2024
Wow!! Zum Ende des Jahres nochmal ein richtiger Favorit!! Maja Lunde schreibt so wunderschön und wir alle wissen, dass ich eine groooße Schwäche für "basierend auf wahren Begebenheiten" habe! (Zumal jemand aus meiner Familie in diese wahren Begebenheiten involviert war)
Die drei Zeitebenen unterscheiden sich sehr klar im Stil und in die Charaktere sind wundervoll ausgearbeitet - einzig Karin ist mir ein Rätsel geblieben, aber ich glaube das ist auch so gewollt?
Jedenfalls hat die Romanze mich extrem abgeholt und ich habe mit allen Charakteren mitgefühlt. Es war nicht zu viel und nicht zu wenig von allem: Handlung, Dialoge, Naturbeschreibung, Background, Zeitsprünge, Dramatik... alles genau richtig gemacht!
Und irgendwie, obwohl es in dem Buch um die sehr reale Bedrohung des klimawandelbedingten Verfalls unserer Gesellschaft geht, gehe ich mit einem hoffnungsvollen Gefühl aus dem Lesen raus - vielleicht ist doch noch nicht alles verloren?
Die drei Zeitebenen unterscheiden sich sehr klar im Stil und in die Charaktere sind wundervoll ausgearbeitet - einzig Karin ist mir ein Rätsel geblieben, aber ich glaube das ist auch so gewollt?
Jedenfalls hat die Romanze mich extrem abgeholt und ich habe mit allen Charakteren mitgefühlt. Es war nicht zu viel und nicht zu wenig von allem: Handlung, Dialoge, Naturbeschreibung, Background, Zeitsprünge, Dramatik... alles genau richtig gemacht!
Und irgendwie, obwohl es in dem Buch um die sehr reale Bedrohung des klimawandelbedingten Verfalls unserer Gesellschaft geht, gehe ich mit einem hoffnungsvollen Gefühl aus dem Lesen raus - vielleicht ist doch noch nicht alles verloren?
January 12, 2023
The third book in a series of books with global warming and it's consequences as a central theme, translated from the Norwegian. Again a story with multiple time lines, 1881, 1992 and 2064. The novel is centered around a near extinct species of horses but really the connecting thread is the ability of all species to reproduce, care for each other and and carry on.
There was an interesting character carry over from The end of the Ocean. As with the other books in the series, I enjoyed the future timeline more than the others. I found the jump from the different timelines not as seamless as I would have liked and I was not as engaged with the characters in the past or present storyline as I was with the future.
There was an interesting character carry over from The end of the Ocean. As with the other books in the series, I enjoyed the future timeline more than the others. I found the jump from the different timelines not as seamless as I would have liked and I was not as engaged with the characters in the past or present storyline as I was with the future.
Read
July 23, 2022Grundidee interessiert mich wahnsinnig, zumal ich auch schon die beiden Vorgänger der Reihe las und begeistert von Ihnen war..
Aber hier`?
Leider haben mich die Charaktere in dem Buch dann doch zum Abbruch verleitet.
Denn selbst wenn der Grundgedanke einer Geschichte dich interessiert, wenn du mit keinem der Protagonisten auch nur irgend ein Gefühl bekommst, sei es Sympathie oder sogar das man ihn/sie nicht mag, wenn dir die Charaktere egal sind - dann bringt es nichts ein Buch zu lesen das im Grunde vor allem auf den Entwicklungen dieser Charaktere die dich nicht interessieren aufbaut.
Schade eigendlich.
Aber hier`?
Leider haben mich die Charaktere in dem Buch dann doch zum Abbruch verleitet.
Denn selbst wenn der Grundgedanke einer Geschichte dich interessiert, wenn du mit keinem der Protagonisten auch nur irgend ein Gefühl bekommst, sei es Sympathie oder sogar das man ihn/sie nicht mag, wenn dir die Charaktere egal sind - dann bringt es nichts ein Buch zu lesen das im Grunde vor allem auf den Entwicklungen dieser Charaktere die dich nicht interessieren aufbaut.
Schade eigendlich.
May 2, 2024
klimatångest hallå.
Väntade också på att något skulle hända och hade behövt läst den med ett annat perspektiv. Det är inte en bok om något.. slutgiltigt?? Dystopisk och det har jag svårt för.
Väntade också på att något skulle hända och hade behövt läst den med ett annat perspektiv. Det är inte en bok om något.. slutgiltigt?? Dystopisk och det har jag svårt för.
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