Book Review: The Ministry of Pain by Dubravka Ugrešić

The Ministry of Pain by Dubravka Ugrešić is a book that tends to divide readers. You either liked it, or you didn’t. Some felt the story was unclear, lacked meaning, and “didn’t really lead anywhere.” Others found it to be well written and a genuinely delightful read. The true-to-life scenes are extremely well done, and the main character feels believable and deeply human.

On page 32, the line “prematurely old and eternally young” perfectly captures what it feels like to be a stranger in a strange land.