nicole_bookmarked's reviews
1027 reviews

Alright, let's talk "About People" by Juli Zeh, one of Germany's best writers of modern fiction. She takes us on a wild ride through the COVID-19 pandemic, but she's not just rehashing what we all went through. No, she dives deep into the messy, confusing bits of humanity. 

Dora escapes the city life of Berlin and moves to the quiet of the Brandenburg countryside. She's running from the pandemic and her overly zealous climate-activist boyfriend. Once there, she gets a solid dose of the human spectrum. Her neighbors include Goth, the village Nazi, and his daughter Franzi, and gay florists who vote for the AfD (Germany's right-wing political party). Zeh's storytelling showcases that, deep down, we're all just trying to figure it out and get through. We're more alike than we are different. 

"She thinks how little polarization there really is. No east and west, down and up, left or right. Neither paradise nor apocalypse, contrary to what the media and politics often portray. Instead, it's just people, standing together. People who like each other, some more, some less. Who come together and separate again."

The novel is a little dark, a little satirical (but not unkind), and more than anything it's about acceptance, understanding, and compassion. I empathized with all of the characters, even the ones I didn't like. If you're looking for a book that makes you think about society and our place in it, and makes you rethink your judgements, this is a good pick.

Jhumpa Lahiri's "Roman Stories" is a captivating collection of tales that beautifully weave together the charm of Rome and the often complex, nuanced experiences of its immigrant inhabitants. With her signature finesse and meticulous attention to detail, Lahiri draws readers into the very soul of the ancient city, making one feel as if they're meandering through its cobbled streets and engaging with its diverse citizens.