Review: Love the perspective
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 07 10, 2014
I love stories that take place in Europe.  Having lived in Poland and the Czech Republic, both countries with communist pasts, I always find it interesting to hear different takes on the subject.  In Kafka's House, we see life in Romania in the 60s through the eyes of an imaginative young girl.  It's a charming read, but also enlightening.There are a few little errors in grammar, mostly tense problems.  There's also some odd word choice here and there, like "colleague" instead of "classmate," which probably comes from the Romanian coleg.  None of this, however, interferes with the enjoyment of the book.  In fact, it adds a bit of foreign flavor. A few phrases sound too modern, or too adult for the generally well-written kid's point of view, but overall it's a very good writing.Parts of Kafka's House remind me of Little House on the Prairie or Anne of Green Gables, with a young main character full of wonder and intelligence, seeking to understand her world—which is different than ours.I love the interesting fairy tales and folk tales worked beautifully into the story.  The tragedies are touchingly told, and the part about the hole in the street is about more than just a hole in the street.  There's a bit of repetition throughout, but not bad.  Though I'd liked to have seen a little more about the political events toward the end, I learned a lot about the culture, and it made me want to research the history.  This is one of the best things a book about that past can do.Kafka's House is not an action-packed shoot-em-up, but it doesn't have to be.  The individual characters and the interesting glimpse into a different culture are well worth the read.