Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead by Olga TokarczukMy rating: 3 of 5 stars
I was really looking forward to reading this book because it's sold as a mystery fairy tale featuring an older narrator that treads the line between sanity and madness.
Plus I like the title.
Janina lives in an isolated village in Poland. She enjoys studying astrology and translating William Blake. She's also a teacher and takes care of the empty houses near hers during the winter. But when one of her neighbours dies, and other residents start to die too, a mystery unfolds...
Although I was intrigued by the quirky main character at the beginning and even past the halfway point, I started to lose interest during the downhill trip. 🫤
The problem is that while I enjoyed much of the setup, and the commentary about human hypocrisy when it comes to animal welfare and hunting, I found the conclusion very disappointing. The mystery is revealed in a bland and lifeless way. Also, because I kept waiting for the promised fairy-tale angle, as well as the madness, the ending is anticlimactic. It made me feel like I suffered through a bunch of boring observations that left me feeling hollow.
It's a shame, really. I was convinced I'd love this book, but sadly didn't.
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