A classic Sarah Winman. A slow-paced, elaborate novel filled with good-natured, kind, and perhaps naive and almost angelic characters who navigate a world of ill intent and indifferent brutality. <br/><br/>We follow the life of Elly, where the book is split into a part sketching out her childhood, and another part portraying her life as an adult. This juxtaposition highlights Elly’s struggle to adapt to her maturity and inability to make friends. She seems unable to move on and relies heavily on her brother, parents, and childhood friends. Life is happening to her, while her gaze is deadlocked in a backward-facing direction. <br/><br/>When God Was a Rabbit is very much focused on memories, as the past tense in the title hints at. The central thesis of the book is captured in this quote:<br/><br/>“Memories no matter how small or inconsequential are the pages that define us.”<br/><br/>I agree with this statement, but not with the consequences it has for Wiman’s characters. The formation of memories is not just a process of childhood, but a continuous one that only ends at death. We are not solely defined by our early years; we are constantly re-defining ourselves. While it is true that we are at our most malleable in the first two decades of our lives, malleability remains a feature of the elderly. We don’t have to be stuck in the past; we choose to.<br/><br/>I enjoy slow storytelling, where character formation is the focus as opposed to grand events. This book, however, seemed excessively slow, and more so than Winman’s other books. I could see how her literary skills have improved over her successive books, and my ratings closely follow their chronological order. Her latest book, Still Life, is among my favorite novels of all time, while When God Was a Rabbit was merely an enjoyable read.

Verschenktes Potenzial. Drei Stellen fand ich schreiend lustig, ein paarmal war ich richtig berührt. Geschrieben ist das alles gut, nur in einer endlosen unstrukturierten Weise. An den Charakteren habe ich so schnell das Interesse verloren. Und als auch noch 9/11 eingebaut werden musste war es ganz vorbei...