I picked this book up on impulse from NetGalley. This is a story about a woman who becomes a mother and isn't prepared for the changes in her body and life, especially when she's struggling with post-partum depression as well.

This book hits the feeling of PPD extremely well (and I say this as someone who has never gone through it). The narrator (who never gets a name) swings between all encompassing worry for her baby and then feelings about what would happen if she just walked away. The intrusive thoughts are constant and a worry all on its own, especially when the narrator is feeling completely isolated from anyone. The author captures really well the toll pregnancy and childbirth can have on the body and how it can affect someone's ability and desire to leave the house, but then how that leads to a vicious cycle because the isolation just makes the narrator feel worse.

What I found really interesting was how the author wrote the husband, Peter. He got a name and a job and more of a personality than the narrator, but that seemed to be far more of a demonstration of how that can all still continue when he becomes a father, while the unnamed narrator is only the mother/the nursery. I really loved how the author didn't make the husband a bad guy or even a bad father, more oblivious to what was actually going through his wife's head and exactly what she needed. One line that stood out for me in particular was him telling the narrator that he had a big day at work the next day so he was going to put his earplugs in overnight. It may be true but it made me as the reader want to slap him even, as I said, he wasn't a bad person, husband or father. He just didn't seem to realise his partner's experience of parenthood was different from his own.

This was more of a character study about an experience (motherhood) rather than a book with a solid plot, and the upstairs neighbour subplot didn't seem to connect too well to the rest of the story.

That said, I did enjoy this story, a lot more than I thought I would if you had purely described it to me. The description of PPD hit extremely hard.

3.5 stars!

This was so intimate and detailed, I definitely see why there are comparisons to Ottessa Moshfegh's work. This account of post partum was at times painful [mostly painful tbh], funny, worrisome, and exhausting. But I felt so close with our main character and was enraptured by her every thought. I loved her nuanced relationship with her husband and daughter and with Peter! Also I loved how the author and narrator played around with linguistics and translation, very cool! Such a good book to start my year off with.

[My review will be included in my monthly wrap up on my YouTube channel].

My heart aches for anyone who suffers or has suffered with post-partum depression. I do remember the very difficult early days after bringing my first-born home, and remember the exhaustion and hormones raging through me as I tried to make it through some days, but I believe my baby himself l, as well as the support I received from my husband and family, kept me from suffering from depression. I am lucky to be able to say this, and so very thankful.

It was hard reading about this poor mother’s mental state and how she felt about and towards her baby. There were even times that I found myself feeling emotional, upset, and angry to read what she did, said, and thought. To not have support from even your husband made her suffer even more, and my heart did ache for her.

This is a dark and difficult read, mostly because of the topic, but it was written well.

This was an absolutely heart wrenching, accurate, eerie but completely relatable telling of early motherhood. This was so raw and held nothing back. Translated fiction is definitely a fav for me and this did not disappoint.

I really liked this book, it was different than anything else I've read which was a breath of fresh air. I will be recommending this to my friends, and auto buy this author!

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! No spoilers. Beyond amazing I enjoyed this book so very much. The characters and storyline were fantastic. The ending I did not see coming Could not put down nor did I want to. Truly Amazing and appreciated the whole story. This is going to be a must read for many many readers. Maybe even a book club pick. Our library purchased and our patrons have been checking out and and enjoying the book. I see it is a popular book club choice as well we hope to have more oppurtinies to support authors like them

“There is nobody to teach you that motherhood is forever so how is it not a shock to your system when you find out that it is, in fact, forever?”

The Nursery by Szilvia Molnar was such a heartbreaking story. It was raw, emotional, and beautifully written.

Having children myself, I could relate to what our main character was feeling at times. Trying to navigate those first days as a first time mom felt impossible, terrifying, and isolating.

The Nursery does a really great job at making us truly feel what our character is feeling. Focused on an unnamed woman suffering from postpartum depression this novel takes us to a seriously dark and real place.

I really enjoyed this novel and I feel this story truly does portray the realness of motherhood.

*If you want to have kids at any point I would probably avoid this book until after LOL.

Being a raw diving into motherhood and post-partum depression, Molnar's "The Nursery" is sincere and delicate.

I was so intrigued by this book, based on the synopsis. As a mom of 2 toddlers, I thought I'd really resonate with this depiction of the postpartum days. And I did relate to so much of what was in this book, but I really thought it would elicit much more emotion from me.

I think I understand the author's intent in using a fragmented timeline, but it was difficult to follow the story at times. And while the writing style is very unique, it wasn't always for me.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for a gifted copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

An incisive look into the darker sides of motherhood. Writing was wonderful, and the character development was realistic. I will say that I wish I'd been able to read this book a few years ago, further away from motherhood myself, because it does exacerbate some of the fears I have about becoming a mom. That said, I still thoroughly enjoyed this book!

The Nursey gives an honest, often brutal look into the mind of a new mother. I appreciate that Szilvia Molnar allowed her writing to explore aspects of motherhood that often go unmentioned in literature.

This book is not an easy read, but as someone who has never had children or experienced childbirth, I thought it was a beautifully written look into both the joys and uncertainties that come with bringing life into the world.

It took me a bit to get used to the stream of consciousness that was present - but once I did, this really worked! Molnar really has command over the page, this is such an empathetic and insightful look into a postpartum life, and the adjustment to motherhood. It's difficult to make this work in a way that feels real, but Molnar makes it work.

it took a bit of time to adjust to, but i really enjoyed the kind of stream of thought structure of the book. the plot is essentially our main character experiencing and adjusting to motherhood—which is much more interesting than it sounds.

i thought this was a really insightful look into postpartum depression and the relationship between life/death. the constant changes in time just created this unique and completely disorienting reading experience that really forced an understanding of part of the main character’s struggles.

Really enjoyed this novel. Story was very interesting and engaging. Looking forward to reading more by this author. Highly recommend!

I don’t know exactly ;y what I was expecting with The Nursery, but I did enjoy it. It was a tough read at times listening to this new mother with postpartum trying to make her way through each day. You could tell she was on the precipice of breaking and her husband just couldn’t grasp what she was going through or feeling. This book was raw and real and I think a great book for new mothers to know that this is not unusual to fell alone and depressed after having a baby.

heartbreaking and darkly comedic, the nursery paints the portrait of motherhood postpartum. through a series of disjointed vignettes we see the raw and realistic truths behind being a mother. from the unrecognizable postpartum body, bloody pads and aching nipples, to the loneliness, isolation and exhaustion. the writing is visceral and honest, tender and frightening.

I really enjoyed the writing and it was generally a very enjoyable read. It's not a book that has had a lasting impact on me or a book that has stuck with me, but I will definitely read anything the author comes out with next.

Thank you to Netgalley as well as Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor for sending me an advanced copy

The Nursery is an unflinching look at the early days of motherhood. The writing is blunt, artful, and personal, and I felt immersed in the narrator's world while reading. The narrator's POV and experiences are highly specific, in a way that elevates the story: the narrator is not attempting to speak some universal truth about motherhood, she's just relaying her innermost thoughts. (I suspect that many will, despite this, find a lot that's familiar about the narrator's thoughts!)

Wow, I have enjoyed this book so much. The way the author talks about their dark thoughts postpartum is so gut wrenching-ly honest and dark. I am in the time of life where the decision to have a baby or not is so pressuring and difficult that this book really touched me. I will be sharing with all of my fellow readers, because I think there is so much to talk about from this book. As well as a lot to think about. I loved the authors writing and look forward to seeing what they have planned next. I also really enjoyed the cover art as it was not super in your face but still meaningful.

I normally like super literary and intense deep dives into a character's psyche, but unfortunately, this one didn't do it for me. I felt like the story was almost too ethereal, and it was hard to really connect or grasp what was going on. And that's probably the point, considering it's a book about post-partum depression and other psychological states, but for me it just meant I became super disengaged from the story.

I wish I could have enjoyed this more since it seemed so up my alley. I'll definitely keep an eye out for more from this author in the future because the writing was amazing. It was just the presentation and pace of the content that didn't work for me.