Month: December 2014

Review – Gebrauchsanleitung Mensch – How to Operate a Human by Paul Hawkins

~ Hanna ~ 1 Comment

Hi,

Have you finished your Christmas shopping? No? Do you still need a gift for that friend who’s already got everything, or your brother who doesn’t have a single hobby? I might have the perfect gift for you: How about “Gebrauchsanleitung Mensch” (English title How to Operate a Human) by Paul Hawkins?

Gebrauchsanleitung Mensch
Image provided by C. H. Beck¹

“Gebrauchsanleitung Mensch” is a manual for those who want to find out about all those hidden features the human body holds and for those who already know about them but want to have a good laugh anyways.

The book is divided into chapters like “Hardware” and “Software”, “Recharging”, or “Compatibility” that tell us more about the human body’s physique, needs, emotions, communication and relationships.

“Gebrauchsanleitung Mensch” looks very colorful on the outside, but it’s quite basic on the inside. The various shades of red that color the pages remind me of a dictionary or a lexicon, but they don’t look very pretty. If I had to save ink, I would have chosen to go all black and white instead. Overall, however, the book is fun to read with charts and drawings to break up the text.

While “Gebrauchsanweisung Mensch” follows an original idea and Paul Hawkins has a great sense of humor, I advise you to read in tiny dosages. I overdosed just a little and the book seemed to get less fun the more I read. If you stick to my advice, I’m sure you, your friend, brother, or even your dog will be very happy with this manual.

3 Star Rating: Recommended

Thank you Paul for sending me a copy in exchange for an honest review.

¹ http://www.chbeck.de/Hawkins-Gebrauchsanleitung-Mensch/productview.aspx?product=13694778

Review – The Spinning Heart by Donal Ryan

~ Hanna ~ Leave a comment

Hello,

After reading Donal Ryan’s wonderful novel The Thing About December, I also had to read The Spinning Heart which was longlisted for the 2013 Man Booker Prize.

The Spinning Heart
Image provided by Doubleday¹

In The Spinning Heart, twenty-one inhabitants of a rural Irish town tell us about their lives after Ireland’s financial collapse.

First to tell his story is Bobby Mahon. He was foreman at the local construction firm, its unexpected closing-down having effects on the whole town. Bobby links the twenty other people who follow, but the more stories we get to read, the harder it gets to remember who is who. There are just too many characters and the Irish names I have never heard before make it a guessing game to find out a character’s gender.

The plot is like a puzzle. In the beginning it seems a bit loose, but the further you read, the more the pieces start to fit together. The individual chapters are like short stories that are just connected enough to make The Spinning Heart a novel. This lack of connection makes the book a bit slow to read. Nevertheless, some of the stories make you want to know more and it is a pity that you have to part ways with the characters so soon. Overall, The Spinning Heart is a nice debut, but if you have to choose, I’d recommend you read The Thing About December.

3 Star Rating: Recommended

¹ http://www.transworldbooks.co.uk/editions/the-spinning-heart/9781781620083