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Das achte Leben (Für Brilka)
Das achte Leben (Für Brilka) | Nino Haratischwili
22 posts | 14 read | 18 to read
Georgien, 1900: Mit der Geburt Stasias, Tochter eines angesehenen Schokoladenfabrikanten, beginnt dieses berauschende Epos über sechs Generationen. Stasia wächst in der wohlhabenden Oberschicht auf und heiratet jung den Weißgardisten Simon Jaschi, der am Vorabend der Oktoberrevolution nach Petrograd versetzt wird, weit weg von seiner Frau. Als Stalin an die Macht kommt, sucht Stasia mit ihren beiden Kindern Kitty und Kostja in Tbilissi Schutz bei ihrer Schwester Christine, die bekannt ist für ihre atemberaubende Schönheit. Doch als der Geheimdienstler Lawrenti Beria auf sie aufmerksam wird, hat das fatale Folgen ... Deutschland, 2006: Nach dem Fall der Mauer und der Auflösung der UdSSR herrscht in Georgien Bürgerkrieg. Niza, Stasias hochintelligente Urenkelin, hat mit ihrer Familie gebrochen und ist nach Berlin ausgewandert. Als ihre zwölfjährige Nichte Brilka nach einer Reise in den Westen nicht mehr nach Tbilissi zurückkehren möchte, spürt Niza sie auf. Ihr wird sie die ganze Geschichte erzählen: von Stasia, die still den Zeiten trotzt, von Christine, die für ihre Schönheit einen hohen Preis zahlt, von Kitty, der alles genommen wird und die doch in London eine Stimme findet, von Kostja, der den Verlockungen der Macht verfällt und die Geschicke seiner Familie lenkt, von Kostjas rebellischer Tochter Elene und deren Töchtern Daria und Niza und von der Heißen Schokolade nach der Geheimrezeptur des Schokoladenfabrikanten, die für sechs Generationen Rettung und Unglück zugleich bereithält. "Das achte Leben (Für Brilka)" ist ein epochales Werk der auf Deutsch schreibenden, aus Georgien stammenden Autorin Nino Haratischwili. Ein Epos mit klassischer Wucht und großer Welthaltigkeit, ein mitreißender Familienroman, der mit hoher Emotionalität über die Spanne des 20. Jahrhunderts bildhaft und eindringlich, dabei zärtlich und fantasievoll acht außergewöhnliche Schicksale in die georgisch-russischen Kriegs- und Revolutionswirren einbindet.
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review
thewallflower0707
Das achte Leben (Für Brilka) | Nino Haratischwili
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Pickpick

I can happily announce that I‘ve finished the longest book (1280p) I‘ve ever read! #DasAchteLeben is not without struggle, because the story is very complex & often extremely sad and shocking. However, the author has put an immense work of research into this, and for a book that long, the number of characters was small, which really helped following along. The ending was beautiful.

Rating: â­ï¸â­ï¸â­ï¸â­ï¸,25/5

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Mitch
Eighth Life | Nino Haratischvili
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Oh @candority I‘m so grateful to you for doing this again! One of my favourite books recently ( tagged) was discovered though this swap - thank you @jenniferw88 !

So of course I‘ve just signed up! If you fancy starting the year off discovering some great new reads - head over to @candority page and sign up too! #bestof2021swap

jenniferw88 Glad you enjoyed the book! 😊 2y
candority Awh, I love that! Thanks for joining again and for sharing! 💕 2y
54 likes2 comments
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Liz_M
Eighth Life | Nino Haratischvili
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Pickpick

Over 100 years of family history is narrated in unending, tragic detail. Yes in Georgia/USSR times were tumultuous, but not a single character is able to keep their heads down and trudge through–every female is violated. It‘s tedious and frustrating that hundreds of pages didn‘t elicit emotion. It ends ambiguously, which I read as (another) impending tragedy, but having the final book as a blank page to be filled by the next generation was clever.

Liz_M 3.5â­ 3y
sarahbarnes Great review! This one is still on my TBR. 3y
Graywacke Will get here…in 2021…eventually… 3y
See All 9 Comments
Graywacke (Also, cute kitty. ðŸˆâ€â¬›) 3y
rockpools Great review- and gorgeous photos! 3y
Liz_M @sarahbarnes Thanks! I hope you enjoy it. 3y
Liz_M @Graywacke That's Buddy, my mom's attack cat 😸 3y
Liz_M @rockpools Thanks! I had fun talking and selecting them! 3y
BarbaraBB Great review. I felt the same. You read a lot over there! Perfect vacation 🤠3y
32 likes9 comments
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charl08
Eighth Life | Nino Haratischvili
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For us, the Soviet Union meant: endless summer camps, Pioneer neckerchiefs. Tea plantations, apiaries, and kolkhozes. White knee-socks from China, tapestries of hunting scenes on the walls, Mishka Na Severe chocolates, and Lagidze's tarragon lemonade.

ReadingOver50 Looks interesting. I would like to know more about life in the Soviet Union. 3y
BookishTrish @readingover50 I lived this book so much 3y
Bradleygirl oh boy I lived in former USSR from age 13 to 18 and this jolted me way back. 💕 3y
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charl08 @ReadingOver50 this is a lot of detail about life in Georgia under the USSR for sure. 3y
charl08 @BookishTrish I am enjoying it 👠3y
charl08 @Bradleygirl what did the chocolate taste like? (And did you like it?) 3y
Bradleygirl @charl08 oh I wish I could remember clearly, it was over 20 years ago! but yes I liked most of the chocolate. my favorite were those cubes of sugary honey stuff. 3y
charl08 @Bradleygirl sounds intriguing! 3y
56 likes1 stack add8 comments
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charl08
Eighth Life | Nino Haratischvili
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It's horrible and wet outside, so it seemed a good time to pick up the 934pp of this!

Simona Ohh, I was thinking about this one, that it could be my last book for this year ... but the book is to long for four days 😬 3y
Rehesina I can start it with you and we can try to finish it this year! 3y
charl08 @Simona I have another week off, so hopefully... 3y
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charl08 @Rehesina I've heard it's a good read, but it might take me a while! 3y
TrishB Enjoy ðŸ‘🻠3y
squirrelbrain I really liked this one! 3y
julesG The size is what's keeping me from reading this. Enjoy your chunkster. 3y
charl08 @TrishB thanks Trish. I've already been distracted by crime fiction. My brain is not having a great week! 3y
charl08 @julesG I'm going to try and read little bits. I wish there was an option to buy this in two volumes... 3y
54 likes1 stack add9 comments
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Hestapleton
Eighth Life | Nino Haratischvili
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Pickpick

This book was a million years long but oh so good. Like most chunky books, it dragged a bit in the middle and I got a little lost in the sprawling family tree, but it wasn‘t a HUGE retraction. It is very readable, which isn‘t something I‘ve encountered often in translated work. Well worth all the hours spent reading it. #readingeurope #georgia
+16 for #teamreadnosedreindeer #wintergames

Hestapleton Oh! Forgot to mention that this was my regular December #bookspin @TheAromaofBooks 3y
TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!! 3y
ReadingEnvy I loved this one! 3y
42 likes1 stack add3 comments
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Cinfhen
Eighth Life | Nino Haratischvili
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Reading on the balcony during a sunshower when I caught this 🌈🤩I‘m still struggling with this book 😔

CoffeeNBooks Beautiful view! 3y
Texreader Ooh good catch! 3y
Cupcake12 Wow....what a view x 3y
Crazeedi Great photo 3y
TrishB Gorgeous â™¥ï¸ 3y
98 likes5 comments
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RobinGustafson
Eighth Life | Nino Haratischvili
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I‘m tempted to take this big book on during the remaining days of summer. I think I‘m in the mood for a family saga. #BigBookSummer #womenintranslation

BarbaraBB I am reading it at the moment and it might indeed be what you are looking for. It‘s a real family saga and an easy read. 4y
RobinGustafson Oooh, weekend reading here I come! 4y
13 likes1 stack add2 comments
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AnneCecilie
Eighth Life | Nino Haratischvili
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Chocolate was now just a memory of another age, and without chocolate people forgot sweetness, and without sweetness they forgot childhood, and without childhood they forgot the beginning, and without the beginning they couldn‘t see the end.

[Book 3, Kostya, p. 200]

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AnneCecilie
Eighth Life | Nino Haratischvili
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I hope it‘s possible to read this from book 2, Christine, p. 137

There‘s just something about the contrasts on this page

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AnneCecilie
Eighth Life | Nino Haratischvili
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Someone who needs a veil, an object, even one made of silk, between themselves and the world is afraid of life. They‘re afraid to experience things, to really feel them. And I think life is too short and far too wonderful not to really look at it, not to really grab it, not to really live it. (p. 25)

Personally, I do not believe that revolution is an outcry from the people; rather, I believe that it awakens in the guilty conscience of the

AnneCecilie privileged (p. 41) 4y
31 likes1 comment
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AnneCecilie
Eighth Life | Nino Haratischvili
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The first paragraph, and I already love the voice in this story and how it pulls you into the story.

I‘ve read the prologue, but if the rest of the book is like this I‘m in for a treat.

46 likes1 stack add
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AnneCecilie
Eighth Life | Nino Haratischvili
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Ready to start this chunkster. I‘ve seen nothing but raving reviews for it

Cathythoughts Good luck ðŸ‘ðŸ»â¤ï¸I‘m thinking I might try soon ...... 4y
charl08 I have this in the TBR pile. One day... 4y
50 likes2 comments
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AnneCecilie
Eighth Life | Nino Haratischvili
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#WeeklyForcast

📚 Read the second Vernon Subutex book
🎧 Hopefully finish Victim 2117
📚 Continue the book about Austen
📚 Read a good chunk of The Eight Life

52 likes1 stack add
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rockpools
Eighth Life | Nino Haratischvili
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A little over half way through the #joysofjune readathon, and I‘m at 80% - I might yet finish this on Sunday!

We‘re up to Daria and Niza (our narrator)‘s childhood. Gorbachev has taken the reins, and as throughout the whole book I‘ve loved how naturally the Georgian/Soviet history sits alongside the family history. I‘m enjoying spending time with the girls, and I do love how characters we met years ago reappear. But I really am ready to be done!

Cinfhen Woohoo 🎉 4y
rockpools @Cinfhen It sadly hasn‘t cured the chunksterphobia though! 4y
Cinfhen I fear that‘s a HARD phobia to overcome 😘 4y
See All 6 Comments
charl08 I've got this in the pile- it's a brick as a hard copy. Think I will be building muscle reading it. 4y
rockpools @charl08 The one and only benefit of lockdown is that I haven‘t actually seen a copy of this in the wild, so I‘m still oblivious to its brickness! 4y
Andrew65 Well done ðŸ‘ðŸ‘ðŸ‘🙌 4y
49 likes1 stack add6 comments
review
m108i01
Das achte Leben (Für Brilka) | Nino Haratischwili
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Pickpick

good one!

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conniesboekkies
Das achte Leben (Für Brilka) | Nino Haratischwili
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Books&chocola boek uit chocolade op....

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conniesboekkies
Das achte Leben (Für Brilka) | Nino Haratischwili
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Books&chocolat

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Ciska
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Pickpick

Loved it. Great way to find out more on the history of Georgia in the 20th century. The family is very interesting with a lot of intrigue and bad luck despite their priviliged position. Have been doing a lot of internet searches while reading this. And the cover is just to pretty #coverlove

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Ciska
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When books have the most beautiful dustcovers ðŸ˜

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conniesboekkies
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Love details like this! #books&details #books #bigbooks

Melissasbookworld WoW looks amazing 😠7y
Juuls_Boekwinkeltje Wat mooi! 7y
i_adore_reading Super mooie snede! 7y
8 likes1 stack add3 comments
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conniesboekkies
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Just started this one #lovebigbooks