Reviews

Do Not Say We Have Nothing by Madeleine Thien

grayjay's review against another edition

5.0

I knew so little about the Cultural Revolution in China that this novel sometimes felt like a dystopian science fiction. It followed a similar structure to many dystopian novels I've read. We are introduced to characters' lives and then read on as society changes violently around them. It is a book about revolutions within revolutions. How can something be counter-revolutionary? Can you start a revolution against the revolution?

At the same time, it is a touching and mournful family epic. I was drawn to consider the relationships between children and parents, between generations. How can we learn to bridge the gap in understanding? How can we learn to forgive our parents' generation for the harm they caused doing what they thought was best? Can our parents forgive us for not fulfilling the lives they fought for us to be able live?

hongjoongie's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful informative reflective sad

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.5

How did a person know, he wondered, what was love and what was a facsimile of it? Did it matter? Was the thing that mattered most the action that one took—or failed to take-in the name of that feeling?

No matter how many lights they shone, they could never take away the darkness. Daylight was blinding, but in the dark he still existed. What did they see, he wondered, his hands still open. Of all the people he had loved and who had loved him, of all the things that he had witnessed, lived and hoped for, of all the music he had created, how much was it possible to see?

goyavdberg's review against another edition

dark informative inspiring reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.75

kdkatedavis's review

5.0

Stunning, sprawling family history

katenaylor's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

temwani_alexandra's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

tomstbr's review against another edition

4.0

This is an exceptional book. Epic in scope with beautiful language, this is a book about metaphors, music and mathematics. Well, a lot more than that too. The problem is I felt quite... bored.

It's a very meaningful book about the Chinese revolution, the Tiananmen Square massacre, refugees fleeing persecution and family bonds. But it's also about the Goldberg Variations, Bach, the role of numbers in fate and life, and how stories transcribe themselves from one generation to the next.

In other words, it's quite overwhelming.

I found the second half more engaging, mostly because it focused on the massacre, and the first half was a bit meandering. It was a good read, but unfortunately I felt it dragged on. Your mileage may vary, so I definitely do recommend it.

lenconfetti's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative inspiring reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

bhaarathy's review against another edition

adventurous emotional inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

lsparrow's review against another edition

5.0

Not an easy book but I loved it. I kind of wished the title was "The book of Records" as to me that was what this book is although perhaps the author felt that would be too obvious. I loved the flow of narratives and stories, the connections that are not merely about blood and the resistance and hope that expresses it self In so many ways. I have not read a lot about the cultural revolution and this was powerful and very intense.