Scan barcode
anna_hamilton's review against another edition
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
medium-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? It's complicated
4.25
kristinvdt's review
3.0
Another one of those books where the good reviews get in the way of my enjoyment. The story has lots of potential, but the characters lack the depth they need for me to be fully engaged.
donnaadouglas's review against another edition
3.0
I found this novel particularly touching because the intercultural themes explored in it are easy for me to relate to.
This novel explores immigration, racism, love, war and, most importantly, survival.
Shamsie is a skilled author, weaving together a saga which spans half a centuryand half the globe. A novel to please those who like well put-together stories with a political message.
This novel explores immigration, racism, love, war and, most importantly, survival.
Shamsie is a skilled author, weaving together a saga which spans half a centuryand half the globe. A novel to please those who like well put-together stories with a political message.
samharnold's review
5.0
Some books you put down and walk away from and look for your next great read. Other books you put down and still need a day or two to fully digest and reflect. Also like a good meal I chose to digest this book slowly as I read through rather than rushing through like a beach read.
Burnt Shadow is not my normal read. However, after reading a review it was added to my “to be read” list. The book did not disappoint in any way. Burnt Shadow made me what to disappear into its pages and live with the central characters. I could almost smell the places they lived and visited.
Although only 360 pages this is an epic read in all ways. Starting with the Nagasaki bomb and moving through to the 9/11 bombing. Primarily this starts to tell the story of one Japanese woman post Nagasaki. This book then develops into telling the story through three generations of families connected to the central character. The essence of the book deals with conflict through world wars and civil wars. The conflict is dealt with from a range of perspectives from the trained young Afghanistan men to refugees removed from their homeland.
This book will make you think and question society, religion and the essence of war. One interesting line states that post world war 2 UK people who lived in India were more ready to accept Germans living with them than someone from another class. This is just one example of the thought provoking prose used.
This book is extremely well recommended and is a book that will love with me for many years. You will not be disappointed.
Burnt Shadow is not my normal read. However, after reading a review it was added to my “to be read” list. The book did not disappoint in any way. Burnt Shadow made me what to disappear into its pages and live with the central characters. I could almost smell the places they lived and visited.
Although only 360 pages this is an epic read in all ways. Starting with the Nagasaki bomb and moving through to the 9/11 bombing. Primarily this starts to tell the story of one Japanese woman post Nagasaki. This book then develops into telling the story through three generations of families connected to the central character. The essence of the book deals with conflict through world wars and civil wars. The conflict is dealt with from a range of perspectives from the trained young Afghanistan men to refugees removed from their homeland.
This book will make you think and question society, religion and the essence of war. One interesting line states that post world war 2 UK people who lived in India were more ready to accept Germans living with them than someone from another class. This is just one example of the thought provoking prose used.
This book is extremely well recommended and is a book that will love with me for many years. You will not be disappointed.
geetswrites's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-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
4.5
tcm_62's review against another edition
5.0
This was the best book I have read so far this year. It is very thought provoking and would make a great book club read, there is so much to discuss. Its scope is huge, covering the period from the destruction of Nagasaki in 1945 to the years immediately after 9/11. It traverses continents and intersects cultures through a focus on the stories of two family groups, the Tanaka-Ashrafs and the Weiss-Burtons, and the relationships between them through the generations. We see the intricacies of their lives through some of the most sweeping moments in the 20th century: Japan at the end of WWII, India at the time of Partition, Afganistan and the lead up to 9/11, New York.
The prologue introduces us to an unnamed, newly arrived detainee at Guantanamo Bay. The reader is then swiftly transported back to Nagasaki on that fateful day, where we are introduced to a young Hiroko Tanaka and her German soon-to-be husband Konrad Weiss. She survives, he does not. Most compelling for me was the notion that, although as individuals we try to make 'good' decisions, some events are just too big for us to have any control over.
Discovering the intention behind the title 'Burnt Shadows' is, I think, one of the most poignant things I have read in recent years. Just read it!
The prologue introduces us to an unnamed, newly arrived detainee at Guantanamo Bay. The reader is then swiftly transported back to Nagasaki on that fateful day, where we are introduced to a young Hiroko Tanaka and her German soon-to-be husband Konrad Weiss. She survives, he does not. Most compelling for me was the notion that, although as individuals we try to make 'good' decisions, some events are just too big for us to have any control over.
Discovering the intention behind the title 'Burnt Shadows' is, I think, one of the most poignant things I have read in recent years. Just read it!