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garyjw's review
adventurous
emotional
informative
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
gotossmycausticsalad's review against another edition
3.5
I picked this up because I loved the Tales of the Otori when I was a kid but I found this quite disappointing. The different tensions in the narrators character sound interesting but put together they somehow fell flat. The only character I ended up really interested in by the end was the painter.
moireach's review against another edition
4.0
Geisha are my pet peeve - or specifically, the (very American) assuption that geisha = courtesan/prostitute. Geisha were and are artists, are paid for conversation, singing, playing shamisen and other instruments, dancing - and the same person was not allowed to be a geisha and a prostitute at the same time during the times shown in the book (this was illegal as per the laws made by the shogunate).
If geisha weren't shown as prostitutes - and there were no Japanese language errors in the book - I would have rated it 5 stars as I enjoyed it a lot.
If geisha weren't shown as prostitutes - and there were no Japanese language errors in the book - I would have rated it 5 stars as I enjoyed it a lot.
samstillreading's review
1.0
Ugh. I don’t really know how to say this eloquently but here it is: this book sucked. Dreadfully. It had so much promise – Japan, historical fiction, a strong female character, a beautiful cover…and yet I had to force myself to read it. It was boring, I couldn’t keep track of the characters and it jumped around a lot. I think I know even less now of the samurai era than before I started.
Blossoms and Shadows is set in 1860s Japan, as Westerners began to enter the country and Japan itself was in a revolution. We follow Tsuru, a doctor’s daughter, as she grows up, gets married and works in war-ravaged Japan. She has an illicit relationship with a family member while pretending to be a man, suffers a breakdown, goes back to her husband and eventually adopts her sister’s child. Tsuru occasionally disappears during the book and we follow a Japanese historical figure for a chapter. I found this particularly difficult as I couldn’t keep track of their names (and I studied Japanese for six years!) nor did they have a lot of meaning or anything memorable to keep them in my head.
While beautifully presented, this novel has little to recommend it. Perhaps if you are already familiar with this period in Japanese history, you might enjoy it. Tsuru is an uncomfortable character, chopping and changing in sex, her ambition and loves. It’s hard to follow and frankly, quite boring.
Blossoms and Shadows is set in 1860s Japan, as Westerners began to enter the country and Japan itself was in a revolution. We follow Tsuru, a doctor’s daughter, as she grows up, gets married and works in war-ravaged Japan. She has an illicit relationship with a family member while pretending to be a man, suffers a breakdown, goes back to her husband and eventually adopts her sister’s child. Tsuru occasionally disappears during the book and we follow a Japanese historical figure for a chapter. I found this particularly difficult as I couldn’t keep track of their names (and I studied Japanese for six years!) nor did they have a lot of meaning or anything memorable to keep them in my head.
While beautifully presented, this novel has little to recommend it. Perhaps if you are already familiar with this period in Japanese history, you might enjoy it. Tsuru is an uncomfortable character, chopping and changing in sex, her ambition and loves. It’s hard to follow and frankly, quite boring.
charlmax's review
adventurous
dark
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
lozzyd's review
2.0
I've given this book a fairly low rating by my standards, but by no means was this a terrible book. I enjoyed the characters and the story had real promise, however I just could not get into it. In many ways I felt that it was dragging on and could not motivate to get it finished. When I did finally finish, I put it down and was not blown away. but overall, not as terrible as the rating suggests.
frizzbee's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
weemargaret's review against another edition
informative
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
thunguyen's review
2.0
Because every time when I gave a book 3 star, goodreads thought I like that book, so this time, to make it clear, I'm gonna give this 2 stars only.
I admit I totally bought this book because of its cover. And what a fool I was! Instead of a nice, romantic story, I've got a boring story about historical Japanese war. Back then I didn't know Lian Hearn and her cold, cold way of killing characters without the blink of an eye. Totally too dark compared to the cover art.
And the romance in this book makes me flinch every time I think about it. I just don't like this book at all. This was years before I read Across the nightingale floor, but I don't think I will change my mind.
I admit I totally bought this book because of its cover. And what a fool I was! Instead of a nice, romantic story, I've got a boring story about historical Japanese war. Back then I didn't know Lian Hearn and her cold, cold way of killing characters without the blink of an eye. Totally too dark compared to the cover art.
And the romance in this book makes me flinch every time I think about it. I just don't like this book at all. This was years before I read Across the nightingale floor, but I don't think I will change my mind.
annesophie_'s review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
informative
inspiring
medium-paced
- 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
3.0