Wednesday, April 9, 2014

AimeeKay Review: The Taste of Apple Seeds by Katharina Hagena

Standalone
241p.
Available Now
Publisher: William Marrow and Company
Source: From publisher for review
When Iris unexpectedly inherits her grandmother's house in the country, she also inherits the painful memories that live there. 
Iris gives herself a one-week stay at the old house, after which she'll make a decision: keep it, or sell it. The choice is not so simple, though, for her grandmother's cottage is an enchanting place where currant jam tastes of tears, sparks fly from fingertips, love's embrace makes apple trees blossom, and the darkest family secrets never stay buried. 
As Iris moves in and out of the flicker between remembrance and forgetting, she chances upon a forgotten childhood friend who could become more. 
The Taste of Apple Seeds is a bittersweet story of heartbreak and hope passed down through the generations.
AimeeKay's Thoughts:

I really tried to get into Taste. I wanted to like it, I really did. The story itself was interesting, but there were certain factors that really made it hard to enjoy. It's hard to separate what I enjoyed from what I didn't because it seemed to go hand in hand.

I thought the story itself was interesting. Iris has been left her grandmother's home and she has to figure out whether she wants to keep it or not. As she tries to decide, she ends up finding out more about her family, and herself, then she ever realized. It also explores people's memories and how someone's memory of an event can seem to change the event itself . The problem I had with the story was that it just seemed to lack any point. Yes, there are mysteries and family secrets, but they either don't get solved, or there just doesn't seem to be a reason for them. Plus the way it jumped between different memories really wasn't as seamless as it could have been and it gave the narrative a very jerky sensation. At the end of the story it just left me with an empty and unresolved feeling.

I have to say I did love some of the authors descriptions. They really brought the house and characters to life. However, even while I was being pulled into the authors world, there were times that the descriptions seemed to trip over themselves. I'm not sure if this is the fault of the author, or a fault in the translation. I felt while I was reading that it probably was more something that was lost in translation, since I have had similar issues with other translated works as well.
 

26 comments:

  1. Even with the best translator, things get lost in translation. That's probably what happened with these descriptions (benefit of the doubt and all).

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    1. I just wish I could read it in it's original language. But then again there would probably be cultural issues at that point too. *shrug*

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  2. I always worry about reading translated books too as I fear that something will be lost. I appreciate your honest review, Aimee Kay!

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    1. I've read some that are good and some that are bad. I don't usually even check to see if it's translated unless there seems to be something off about the book.

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  3. I'm sorry this wasn't a hit with you! I find translated works to be tricky sometimes. Thank you for your honest review!

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  4. Thanks for reading this one. I just couldn't get through it. You rock! :)

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  5. That's disappointing! It sounds like it could be a wonderful read.

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    1. I think that non-translated some of the confusing parts would probably make sense.

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  6. It sounds like it could've had the potential for a really good read. Too bad it fell flat. :(

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  7. So sorry it was a miss for you. I do think translations, if done correctly, can be seamless. I have read the Ruby Red trilogy and it was seamless. It was absolutely fabulous. But if you have a poor translation, there is definitely a lot lacking. Sorry it wasn't any good.

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    1. I've read some great translations too. Which is why I think it's a shame when a translation falls flat.

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  8. Darn, *scratches off list* I loved the premise and cover!

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  9. Yes I can understand the problem, I'm sorry it wasn't what you wanted.

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  10. Thanks for being honest in your review :)

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    1. You're welcome. I try to explain why a book is a hit or miss with me. Sometimes I don't know if I'm explaining it that well or not. I hope I did this time.

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  11. If you think it might be the translation, I guess you are right in that. Whenever I read something translated, it feels "wooden" to me. Still, does this book have some real magic, or does it just make you wonder?

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    1. *spoiler alert* the aunt has electricity. she shocks people who touch her etc. and it kind of holds a clue to how her cousin dies, etc. but it's not really a big part of the story, at least the part that involves the present day.

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  12. so what was the point? :P

    Shame, the blurb made it look kind of promising. But hitting a dead end, would make things worse.

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    1. That's kinda how I felt. I mean there was a beginning and kinda ending. But I don't know what the point was. I understand some stories have no point. But I thought this would have more to it.

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  13. That's the main reason I kept reading, I kept hoping it would somehow get better.

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  14. Thanks everybody for stopping by and all the comments! Sorry this one wasn't as big a hit with me as it's supposed to be with everyone else on the planet.

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