Comments (41)

Community comments are the opinions of contributing users. These comments do not represent the opinions of Surrey Libraries.
What did you think about this title?
1 to 25 of 41 items
Feb 10, 2023
Same author as Mercury Pictures Presents
Dec 05, 2022
A younger generation writer and excellent.
Jul 27, 2022Linda606 rated this title 4.5 out of 5 stars
5 stars - excellent, haunting and devastating.
Dec 22, 2021Kimthereadingqueen rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
Incredibly intense, emotionally intelligent, informative, and gut-wrenching.
Apr 11, 2021BARosen1112 rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
This is one tremendous book! Beautifully written, this novel is set in Chechnya during its two devastating conflicts with Russia in the 1990s and first decade of this century. It follows an 8 year-old girl whose parents are abducted by…
Nov 04, 2020jacherin rated this title 3.5 out of 5 stars
This book was a very good, very descriptive story of people living in a war torn part of Europe. The main character was a wonderful character, seemingly very crusty but capable of such deep feelings, she needs to protect herself with…
Mar 10, 2018LucasHill rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
I cannot remember being so thoroughly moved by a book as I was by this one. I felt as though I had a part of the genuine experience of living in a war zone. Sections of this are achingly sad (the story of how one of the characters who,…
Jun 20, 2017
I loved it!! All the reviews are correct, depending on your preferences and point of view. But I absolutely loved it to death. I can't find anything I want to read since I've read this. It's tragic, for sure. But so beautifully written. It…
jr3083
Apr 24, 2017jr3083 rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
Reading the debut book of a writer whose second book you really liked is a bit of a gamble. What if s/he only found firm footing with the second book? What if the first was a dud? I needn’t have worried. There are similarities between…
Feb 01, 2017vancouverville rated this title 3 out of 5 stars
I persisted with this book. The writing was beautiful, but at times confusing. It was heartbreaking to read about the terrible effects of war. Most of the characters were well developed and I liked how the stories overlapped.
brianreynolds
Jan 11, 2017brianreynolds rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
Anthony Marra’s prose dances a tightrope between poetic eloquence and tedious extravagance. Often it charmed me with metaphors one had to stop and celebrate; just as often I found myself falling asleep on a long train ride composed of…
Sep 16, 2016becker rated this title 3.5 out of 5 stars
Well written for a debut novel. I picked up a quick history lesson about a modern day conflict that I knew very little about. It is well researched and the characters are well developed.
Jun 13, 2016SuzeParker rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
Anthony Marra vividly paints a portrait of people who are at their best and worst under extreme circumstances. I had some difficulty following the time jumps, but the book is beautifully written and the ending made the slower portions…
Jun 03, 2016TSCPL_ChrisB rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
No words are wasted in Anthony Marra's debut novel about Chechnya. The plot is woven very intricately; every loose strand is tied before the book reaches its conclusion. And what a beautiful tapestry it is. It's lyrical and affecting,…
Baxter555
May 19, 2016Baxter555 rated this title 4.5 out of 5 stars
I wasn't too sure about this book when I first started. I almost did not complete it; but as the story progressed, I finally found myself wanting to know how the book ends. There were words that I did not understand and some grammar…
Feb 22, 2016PimaLib_StephanieM rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
A dense but worthwhile story that will force you into the shoes of those who experienced both Chechen wars. At times, you may find yourself sympathetic with otherwise unlikable and downright detestable characters. To me, this is a…
Jan 24, 2016lburroughs rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
A Constellation of Vital Phenomena by Anthony Marra is a beautifully written novel. It is a powerful story. The characters Havaa, Dokka, Akemed, Sonja, Ula, Natasha, Khassan, and Ramzan are well crafted in a story that weaves their threads…
Sep 10, 2015
Very rewarding. Despite heavy and sometimes horrific subject matter, I found this to be a rather quick read and never lost interest in the “constellation” of rich, true-life characters who try to overcome personal tragedies and attempt to…
Aug 02, 2015santiano9 rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
Excellent novel and I was sad to finish it. Well drawn characters in a world we can only guess at from the news. I could really feel for all of their situations and the jumps through time were written seamlessly. Just loved this book…
May 23, 2015uncommonreader rated this title 3 out of 5 stars
This novel is set in post-Soviet Chechnya in a small village during the two Chechnyan wars and tell the story of three friends, a child and a doctor in a nearby hospital over five days. The lives of the main characters are all in some way…
Mar 19, 2015
some pretty gruesome torture scenes but ended up liking it.
Mar 16, 2015
I did not think that I liked this book, but when I finished it, I immediately turned to page one and reread it. The characters are haunting, the conditions distressing, but the author was so masterful in weaving the characters and their…
Oct 10, 2014ktom17 rated this title 4.5 out of 5 stars
I love historical fiction, and I loved this book. It's heartbreaking and heartwarming, and paints an interesting picture of a slice of life in wartime Chechnya. The back-and-forth between 1994 and 2004 is easy to follow and flows nicely. I…
Oct 10, 2014mclarjh rated this title 3 out of 5 stars
Neither the story nor the characters interested me. The writing is overwrought, too many flourishes. And I wasn't convinced the author has any insight (much less first-hand experience) into Chechnya. I wish beginning authors would start…
Oct 07, 2014gendeg rated this title 3 out of 5 stars
The praise heaped on Anthony Marra's A Constellation of Vital Phenomena has been astonishing. So I was surprised when I finished this book and didn't feel the same urge to sing its praises. The writing is beautiful in places no doubt,…