Scan barcode
chrisfish95's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
darsucks's review against another edition
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
beedoopbop's review
5.0
Such sadness - the sort that leaves a hole in your heart and a feeling of helplessness that clutches at your gut.
A tale of the beauty and mysticism of our lives and the world that houses us.
A tale of the beauty and mysticism of our lives and the world that houses us.
garanciels's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
byelingual_kegan's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
llibreteraenmodedespera's review against another edition
dark
emotional
inspiring
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
smay's review
4.0
The book was slow, but worth it. I don't think I always understood what the story was doing, but I loved the thoughtful exploration of our relationship to nature.
sidekicksam's review against another edition
3.5
Atile'i is the second son of his family, and as tradition decrees, he must set out to sail on his fifteenth birthday. What he didn't expect, is that an island of trash (which he calls Gesi Gesi) carries him to Taiwan, where he meets Alice who is ready to end it all after the death of her husband and disappearance of their son, were it not for her cat. And then Atile'i washes up..
We read this for bookclub per the recommendation of a Taiwanese bookclubber (who reads along), and it was exciting to foray into new literary waters (see what I did there?). Ming-Yu's writing style is lyrical, poetic and fragmented, which makes the book a very slow one. I'm also afraid a few things got lost in translation, literally and figuratively, but I am determined to read it again at a later time.
His commentary on the state of the world and where we're headed when it comes to the ecological crisis, is thought-provoking. I am appalled by the fact that the trash vortex is AN ACTUAL THING - it sounded so made up, it couldn'tve been real... But it is. Islands are drowning, indigenous/aboriginal people and their wisdom are lost to time and with the advancement of technology. I loved his inclusion of an aboriginal people, who are the inhabitants of a supposedly undiscovered island, and all the symbolism, magical elements and the feeling I got from reading about the Wayo Wayoans; it felt very familiar, seeing I am from an island in Melanesia and both the language and life-style feel very Pacific island-like (if that makes sense).
As I said before, I think the combination of the literary style of the book, my lack of experience in reading translated Mandarin/Taiwanese fiction and the fragmented style of the book, it took me a while to get into it and the breaks in between made it difficult for me to recall parts of the story. The story is very rich, and it deserves more love and attention a second time around.
Some quotes I loved:
An earthquake does not have to kill you to induce mortal terror; it is enough that it can take away something dear to you, leaving nothing but a shrivelled skin behind.
Generally speaking, human memory can be divided into declarative memory and non-declarative memory. Declarative memory can be reported, for instance in speech or writing. And non-declarative memory is roughly, what you call the subconscious mind. It's the memories a person might not even know he has. This is not to say that it can't be reported, just that usually it is not reported, because you don't even know about it. [...] Well, these two kinds of memory can be subdivided into three basic types: episodic, semantic and procedural."
"Humans are usually completely unconcerned with the memories of other creatures. Human existence involves the wilful destruction of the existential memories of other creatures and your own memories as well. No life can survive without other lives, without the ecological memories other living creatures have, memories of the environments in which they live. People don't realise they need to rely on the memories of other organisms to survive. You think that flowers bloom in colourful profusion just to please your eyes. [...] When in fact, the finest movement of any organism represents a change in the ecosystem."
We read this for bookclub per the recommendation of a Taiwanese bookclubber (who reads along), and it was exciting to foray into new literary waters (see what I did there?). Ming-Yu's writing style is lyrical, poetic and fragmented, which makes the book a very slow one. I'm also afraid a few things got lost in translation, literally and figuratively, but I am determined to read it again at a later time.
His commentary on the state of the world and where we're headed when it comes to the ecological crisis, is thought-provoking. I am appalled by the fact that the trash vortex is AN ACTUAL THING - it sounded so made up, it couldn'tve been real... But it is. Islands are drowning, indigenous/aboriginal people and their wisdom are lost to time and with the advancement of technology. I loved his inclusion of an aboriginal people, who are the inhabitants of a supposedly undiscovered island, and all the symbolism, magical elements and the feeling I got from reading about the Wayo Wayoans; it felt very familiar, seeing I am from an island in Melanesia and both the language and life-style feel very Pacific island-like (if that makes sense).
As I said before, I think the combination of the literary style of the book, my lack of experience in reading translated Mandarin/Taiwanese fiction and the fragmented style of the book, it took me a while to get into it and the breaks in between made it difficult for me to recall parts of the story. The story is very rich, and it deserves more love and attention a second time around.
Some quotes I loved:
An earthquake does not have to kill you to induce mortal terror; it is enough that it can take away something dear to you, leaving nothing but a shrivelled skin behind.
Generally speaking, human memory can be divided into declarative memory and non-declarative memory. Declarative memory can be reported, for instance in speech or writing. And non-declarative memory is roughly, what you call the subconscious mind. It's the memories a person might not even know he has. This is not to say that it can't be reported, just that usually it is not reported, because you don't even know about it. [...] Well, these two kinds of memory can be subdivided into three basic types: episodic, semantic and procedural."
"Humans are usually completely unconcerned with the memories of other creatures. Human existence involves the wilful destruction of the existential memories of other creatures and your own memories as well. No life can survive without other lives, without the ecological memories other living creatures have, memories of the environments in which they live. People don't realise they need to rely on the memories of other organisms to survive. You think that flowers bloom in colourful profusion just to please your eyes. [...] When in fact, the finest movement of any organism represents a change in the ecosystem."
robinreads_'s review against another edition
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.0