Reviews with content warning for Death - Black Butterflies

Reviews tagging 'Death'

Black Butterflies by Priscilla Morris

55 reviews

sidekicksam's review against another edition

fast-paced

3.75

The story follows Zora, a middle-aged painter who remains in Sarajevo after sending her elderly mother and husband away to stay with their daughter in England at the start of the war in Bosnia, believing it to be a temporary unrest. She remains in their apartment, forming a close community with her neighbours, watching the start of the war from up close.

Things gradually get worse. From being denied access to her studio at the university she works at, to electricity and water being cut from the city, cutting them off from the rest of the world.

I was invested in Zora's story, how she, her students, and her neighbours kept up morale in times of such despair. The resilience of humans in times of war, despite the atrocities they witness or are victim of.

The writing style makes it easy to read about such heavy subjects. The characters are not too complex, but also not developed enough for me to get attached to them. I almost missed one of the saddest bits of the book as it happened really fast, but also because the emotional impact wasn't as high as it could have been. Therefore I'd say my only comment on the book would be that I wanted it to be longer, to get to know the characters better and feel even more deeply for the book.

Would definitely recommend to anyone looking to learn about the siege of Sarajevo, the Bosnian war or who look for an historical fiction book.

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indiahollym's review against another edition

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dark emotional informative inspiring medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

Despite some of this being pretty harrowing and it taking me a while to get into it, I really enjoyed reading this one. With Ukraine and Palestine/Israel on my mind some of the imagery was pretty intense but ultimately provided big empathy juice. Very moving, heartbreaking and visceral - but easy n accessible writing.

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wynnebirchmaple's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

Sarajevo during the 1990s. A harmonious society becomes a partitioned war-torn ruin. There is genocide, nationalism and failed aid supports. This work centers around an artist’s response to remaining when she has sent her family onward and becomes trapped in the country she has always loved. The narrative is told beautifully and for this reader is not trauma porn. It’s a necessary story to tell and as all witness the world’s stage and fights for power and resources, a cautionary tale as well.

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elle_g's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional sad tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

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nibs's review against another edition

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challenging emotional informative

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes

5.0

I'd been interested since hearing Leena Norms talk about it on the Women's Prize longlist (and then it got to the shortlist). It took a while to find it in a bookstore but was so worth it.

Thoughts after finishing it:
I'm so emotional. I like historical fiction, but the author has done an amazing job pulling me into Zora's world. I feel it. The imagery as well - of black butterflies, or her apartment building, Sarajevo as a character itself. I understand why it was shortlisted for the Women's Prize.

In the acknowledgements it says how the author's family's experience parallels the book -

her father rescued her maternal grandparents from the siege. And the artist parts were inspired by a real landscape painter, her great uncle Dobrivoje Beljkašić.

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astronautin's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional hopeful informative sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

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minniepauline's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional informative inspiring sad tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.75

I couldn’t put this novel down. Set at the beginning of the war in Sarajevo in the Spring of 1992, it’s propulsive in a way that the war feels to the characters. One day it’s unbelievable and then suddenly you’re in the midst and bombs are falling. It’s claustrophobic at times, at times hopeful. There is beauty and pathos. The novel is written in a very close third person, present-tense, and I felt as though I was in the action, experiencing everything that Zora did. Given what is going on in the world today, this feels like a necessary book.

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