The Tiger's Wife: A Novel

You either love this book or hate it. Contains a lot of symbolism that the reader needs to interpret on their own. If you like a complex read that takes you in a lot of directions and engages you on many levels you will enjoy this book.

I had postponed reading this for months, figuring the reviews were inflated...but it is well worth the read. Obreht is a fabulous writer, her language is beautiful and engaging. The story lines are intriguing, one of the years best reads.

There were many things I liked about this book. I really liked her writing style, she did a good job about writing about the landscape and areas her characters went (I hate alot of description), but the book did not become interesting till the last 1/3. At the beginning we were unclear about what was going on and had no emotional attachments to any of the characters. It wasn't until later that the story got interesting.
Since this is her first book, I would try another, because I think she has a lot of potential as a writier

My book club really thought it was very discussible. Plus. there were characters that you wanted to get to know. the author is quite young, however she more than makes up for her lack of experience with her writing style.

A magical look at generations of peoole from different tribes, backgrounds and perspectives and the impact of ongoing war in Yugoslavia.

Written in a mysterious way. Hard to put down. You want to know how events connect. You feel both the mistrust and the incredible generosity of people whose lives have been built on uncertainty.

Winner of 2011 Orange Prize
Enjoyable

It took me a while to get into the narrative but eventually it all knitted together and rolled along. I never worked out the role of Zora to the plot and there were often longwinded descriptions.

I was particularly impressed with how she interlinked the characters from the stories of the grandfather (the Deathless Man and the Tiger's Wife) ... never overly coincidental, never a hard push to link up. She skilfully interweaves the stories of the grandfather with the events of the life of the narrator. I also liked the way character background is given without it seeming like "author's notes" just added in to fill it out.

The books was full of the superstitions and violence of the region but lacked emotional involvement ... there were times I just skimmed, making a choice of giving up or moving on.

I chose this rating because it was a fascinating story of a family from the former Yugoslavia with a very creative style. I would have "loved" it if it did not have so much detailed description and if it provided more clarity of the relationships between the various factions during this historical period. It's unique creative writing is its greatest asset.

This novel is a masterpiece. Both in the imagination from which it springs and in the words through which it reaches us, it is one of the most exciting and one of the best books I have read in years. I am simply baffled that so many reviewers found it tedious, or digressive, or too difficult. Although I will admit that the book is much more complex and challenging than many of its contemporaries, accepting the challenges brings great rewards. I will read this book again and I am sure I will find riches I missed the first time.

Obrecht is a true original, one of those few writers (Emily Bronẗ̈̈̈̈̈̈̈̈̈̈̈̈̈̈̈ë is the best example) whose thoughts and stories radiate from some old half-forgotten legends and superstitions and myths. My only criticism of this amazingly precious writer is that she writes slowly. Ever week or so I check to see if she has a new book.

First,on the good side: There is clearly some literary talent on evidence here. Key characters in the folk tales are interesting and well developed. Descriptive language in some cases is artful. The psychological agony associated with war and loss is well expressed.
On the bad side: Overall this book was torture for me. I didn't get it. Could not find an illuminating link between the parallel folk tales and the relevant real life characters. Some characters and events seemed totally superfluous and many descriptions of place and atmosphere were way too detailed leaving nothing to the readers imagination. Much of the dialogue was down right irritating. At the end I had no idea what happened to the central characters and most damning is that I didn't even care.
This young lady still has much to learn.

this is the book that got me interested in reading so i owe tea obreht big time. i found this incredibly well written. it's not all that believable but hey, it's fiction. i liked how the author is so observant and insightful. there is an incredible amount of detail in this book. it's a fantastic book. go and read it!

My book club elected to read this. I am impressed that is it her first novel. I needed to spend more time with it to really understand what was going on, parts seemed fantastical to me...I still have a few pages to the end.

This book was so captivating that I couldn't stop reading it. When I finished it, I immediately wanted to read it again. It is a deep story-mystery that reveals the deep cultural/ancestoral beliefs of an ethnic group and how those beliefs carry into modern time. A history buff would love this book.

This book was so captivating that I couldn't stop reading it. When I finished it, I immediately wanted to read it again. It is a deep story-mystery that reveals the deep cultural/ancestoral beliefs of an ethnic group and how those beliefs carry into modern time. A history buff would love this book.

This book is charming and yet very serious as well. The folk stories, family history and local superstitions are very interesting reading. The family history and the life of a doctor and his family in a war torn country are even more compelling. For a first novel, it seems beautifully crafted. There are many stories and threads in the book. The best reading for me is just to lose yourself in the book and the stories and enjoy it. There's a touch of magical realism, a touch of gritty reality, and a touch of the everyday.

I was disappointed which is probably not fair. This book and its author have been hyped so much it would almost be impossible to live up to, having said that this is a there are many wonderful parts to "The Tiger's Wife". Obrecht interweaves local Eastern European legends throughout the book helping to explicate the parts that take place currently. She explains a way of thinking through past belief and how those beliefs were formed. For the most part the people lived (and still live) an isolated rural life where everyone knew everyone else and had for generations. Even up to current time they believed that in order to cure an illness that they all shared the solution was to dig up a shared ancestor and rebury them at the crossroads. The visiting doctor asks, ""Why crossroads?" He sounds a little surprised at my ignorance. "Crossroads are where the paths of life meet, where life changes.""

The Tiger of the title is left to starve after war breaks out and destroys the zoo and most of the surrounding town. He's half tame so it's easy for a deaf and dumb woman to adopt him and feed him. Her brutal husband hates the tiger and the care she gives it. Mysteriously the husband disappears. Did the Tiger eat him? Did his mistreated wife murder and bury him? Did he just leave? Somehow the wife finds herself pregnant. The town gossips. People take sides and another legend is born.

Obrecht's writing is clean and even a little stark. It has a frankness that feels a bit `in your face'. I lost patience with the tall tale telling though but then I'm not a magical realism fan.

3.5/5

Although I enjoyed reading the novel by first time author , Tea Obreht, I felt there were missed opportunities. The stories could have been tied together better with a better distribution of descriptions. Some characters and scenes were in such vivid detail but others were missing key descriptions. Worth reading, but given the hype I was expecting more.

Ms Obreht. Is a remarkable story teller using words in such a way that it leaves pictures indelible in you mind.
I was taken away from start to finish. I rarely read a book twice but this one I will read again.

I enjoyed this novel because the characters seemed real and the situation was one with which I was familiar (conflicts in the Balkans circa 1990s). However, it was pretty confusing as to what was real and what was not. Also, too many interwoven backstories made the overriding plot harder to follow, even though they deepened the reader's understanding of the characters. I would read a book by this author again.