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kdahlo's review
5.0
Pleasantly mind-altering, troubling. I read these each day before bed. I liked each story, it was like eating through a box of candies you've never heard of. Nice blend for a short story collection, you can feel that it comes together into one but at the same time the stories are very different. I was impressed with the humor and subtlety coming through the translations. There are a few that have haunted me for days afterwards, though I've enjoyed the haunting. They have lead me to interesting thoughts and moods. Very nice collection.
agmaynard's review
4.0
A strong collection of seven Chinese speculative tales. My favorites were Sour Meat by Dorothy Tse, translated by Natascha Bruce; The Mushroom Houses Proliferated in District M by Enoch Tam, translated by Jeremy Tiang; and Flourishing Beasts by Yan Ge, translated by Jeremy Tiang. Attractive volume included a paragraph on each of the translators in addition to the authors.
scrow1022's review
4.0
Shifting realities, the absurd everyday. Differences between appearance and reality (both of the longer, "realistic" ones go into this). Particularly liked the stories by Yan Ge and Enoch Tam.
jaclyn_sixminutesforme's review
3.0
This surrealist collection of short stories was a bit of a miss for me - some of the imagery I found inventive (particularly Sour Meat and The Mushroom Houses Proliferated in District M), but it didn’t leave a lasting impact on me. I also think it would have benefited from an editorial note as the collection together felt a little fragmented.
once_upon_a_tome's review
4.0
This book is part insanity, part mind teaser. My favorite story by far was definitely the last one and while a few of them still don’t quite make sense to me, I’m glad I stumbled across this book in my library and took a chance on it.
lmhess's review
adventurous
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
duske's review
3.0
This collection of stories range from haunting to melancholy. I really liked the jab at society and living a "normal" life in "A Counterfeit Life", and I especially enjoyed "Flourishing Beasts" which really changes your perspective on how things are *really* like with the retreat of the narrator's view.
agent_solo's review
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0