Hired Man, The
Forna, AminattaWhen an English family descend on the Croatian town of Gost for the summer, Duro Kotak is hired to help with the renovation of their cottage, the 'Blue House'. As the restoration progresses, it is not just a beautiful mosaic and other treasures that are revealed, but so too are Duro's memories of Gost's conflicted past when its citizens were at war with one another. As the temperature rises, so too does the tension as Duro tells his story, both past and present, of his familiarity with the 'Blue House' and the nightmare he and his neighbours endured.
A beautifully crafted story that presents recent Eastern European history in an accessible and credible manner.
Comments from Groups
We all loved this book - the characterisation and building of tension were very well done. The subtle sense of menace was intriguing and we all had ideas about Anka's disappearance. Tairua 001 The book was liked by most members of the group. The most positive reaction was to the descriptive language. Lower Hutt 004 The group was sharply divided over this book, some found it engrossing, while others couldn't get into it. Wellington 046 Great insights into the quiet destruction of a community post civil war. Christchurch 319 We liked the book very much. The characters and the relationships between them, were particularly compelling. The plot revealed much about the Balkan War, and the tensions and strong feelings that resulted. We had a good discussion. Beautifully written! Tauranga 016 Great descriptions and character depth. Consensus was "liked", but not "loved". Auckland 063 We were unanimous in our appreciation of 'The Hired Man'! The setting, the story and the characters all appealed. We were impressed with Aminatta Forna's ability to 'get inside the head' of her male narrator Duro, in such a convincing way. Hamilton 003 A haunting novel. Several of us plan to hunt out her other books. Wellington 093 A mixed review - some wanted more historical facts of the Civil Wars included. Also a little slow to start with, but the pace built up as the book progressed... Blenheim 010 A well-written book, but the time-line of the story not easily followed. The characters and countryside well described. Upper Hutt 002 A mixed reception! The more literary members were dissatisfied with the writing - too many unfinished threads and situations. However, the theme of revenge being passive drew some good discussion. Napier 023 Everyone enjoyed this revealing insight into a community torn apart by war. The parallel stories are slowly revealed , building throughout the book to the disturbing climax. Beautifully written, hard to put down. Morrinsville 001 We had a very good discussion on this book which everyone really appreciated for the author's style, intelligence, research and sympathetic portraits. Some frustration for some, that the lack of historical information about that time in Croatia detracted from the story - others had done their own research but good data hard to find. Nevertheless the story worked so well. A book that some were keen to read again. Nelson 007
Pages
293
293
Year
2013
2013
Reviews
26-02-2024
This book was well received. There were a lot of questions about the history of the 90s Conflict. Everyone liked the main character Duro, and Grace as the conduit for his story. Most liked was the fleshing out of the relationships of all the characters. Was described as a fascinating 'slow burn' with love, suspense, tragedy, and moral conflicts at the forefront. Packed a serious punch with regard to how one can live on in a duplicitous, distrustful, compromised community and collective guilt. There could be no other ending to this story than no resolution. The ugliness of evil laid bare.
18-01-2024
Small meeting for this book, but those of us who participated really enjoyed it. History of brutal Croation civil war but told in a very human story. Great characters and plot.
07-11-2023
We all agreed that this was a very good book though some found it hard to read because of the growing sense of menace and the horror hidden under the surface beauty, as in the ravine. We appreciated the hints of past history revealing the truth bit by bit, and the insights into recent Croatian history as experienced in a small village. We thought the characters were well-drawn as were the petty emotions of envy and greed which motivated them. The central question of "What do we do with the past" stimulated good discussion. We found some helpful interviews with the author on the internet.
09-01-2023
We all loved it!
05-10-2021
A beautifully told story, unfolding to reveal the story of the Civil War in Croatia in the 1990s. A subtle and unhurried writing style that lets the reader discover the betrayals and the quirks of village life - all relating to the war which overlays all the relationships. Very much enjoyed.
14-04-2021
Once started this book was hard to put down. We liked the style of writing and found it easy to read. The past was slowly revealed, rather like the uncovering of the mosaic. Most would like to read it for a second time and will certainly look out more of Forna's books.
24-02-2020
Everyone enjoyed this book - with the main character in dialogue with the reader! A little disappointed with the ending. It was an interesting update on the new Croatia without going into the dark violent war times of the past too much.
24-02-2020
We all enjoyed this book. Felt it was well thought out and written.