I finished the book over a week ago, but since I immediately travelled to Naples, I couldn't commit on writing a review :D

But here we are. It's not coming as a surprise that I loved the book. And I suppose, many of us have heard the heated discussions in various book spaces surrounding Katabasis. Some of these arguments are in my opinion ... eh, well. I won't talk about them now. BUT I think that some disappointment came from false expectations - which, like, it happens. That's fine.

In my opinion, this book isn't so much of an adventure journey into hell, but more of a deep dive into one, and by some extent two, very difficult character. Yeah, it's a character study, and a story about mistakes and trying your best and healing. I would also say that I could relate a LOOOOT with Alice, because I am working my way through academia myself, and my end goal IS a PhD in research. I could imagine that if one never experienced academic reality, and the toxic structures beneath it, it could get quite hard to relate to the themes of the story. Like, I can completely understand why Alice would go to hell and risk dying to save her dissertation. Such a mood.

Also, keep in mind that the book is set in 1985 (right?) - this HEAVILY influences the characters' morals. I saw some people being upset about some things Alice and Peter said and did, but in this case, you have to keep the morals of that time in mind.

You don't necessarily have to like the characters, but I think you have to have some understanding for them or else you won't enjoy the book at all, because it's so character centric. The same goes for the themes of academic structures, philosophy and morality.

But whoever said that you have to read 10 other books or you won't undertand the book ... That's not true. Would you benefit? Sure, but we all do from reading more. But the book gives you all the information you need to follow the characters' journey and the plot (and there is still a plot which I enjoyed a lot).

And a benefit, before I stop annoying you with my long post: You can entertain an entire table with the paradoxes explained in the book! It's very fun seeing everyone argue about when to drink the wine. Try it, cause some riots!

Reading this book felt like jumping into a sequence of watercolor paintings, frame by frame. It evoked the otherworldliness & soft whimsy present in a lot of translated Japanese fiction (and Hayao Miyazaki films). A true adventure story with a mystery at its center, the stakes felt high and the characters were lovable (with believable flaws). The romance is definitely secondary to an exploration of free will, family duty, love and sacrifice (which I preferred).

As a big fan of Isabelle Allende and her use of magical realism (full of Latin American oral traditions & folklore), I loved that this book showcased East Asian mythology and symbolism. It felt very unique in that the magical realism was intertwined with true fantasy and full world-building rather than most of the East Asian magical realism I've read, which is set in the real world.

10/10 MUST LISTEN!! 🎧

When people ask for recommendations, I always say to read newer releases instead of worrying about “catching up”. So I don’t often make my way through an author’s backlist. BUT THIS IS WORTH GOING BACK TO!!

A day after this rocked my world, my sister texted to tell me about this great audiobook she just finished… People We Meet on Vacation! 🤣💗 If that’s not an endorsement from the universe then I don’t know what is.

Poppy & Alex haven’t spoken in TWO YEARS but they used to go on a summer vacation together every year since they met in college. Don’t stress about the timeline, it feels like a lot to remember. Everything will eventually ease into place.

I love how Alex seems to indulge his wild best friend, but he never treats her like she’s silly. So it’s not condescending. I think he fully appreciates who she is.

Emily Henry has mastered the art of naming her books something so benign, it hides how emotional distraught you’re going to be 😂 Perfect if you enjoy stories where it feels like love but the timing never seems to be right, and you’re wondering if you’re crazy or if the coupling would just be too powerful for the universe to handle.