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mallorypen's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
mysterious
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
I knew this was going to be a challenge when I started it, but I didn’t anticipate how much of a challenge it would really be. Overall, I think there were some really special moments in this book; however, the stream of conscious storytelling method, the inherent cruelty of the majority of the characters, and the one dimensional portrayal of women made this book a really tough read.
Not to mention the length.
I like a long book, don’t get me wrong - but the meandering pace of this novel felt like a structural issue and not a storytelling choice. It does read like nonfiction in the sense that it goes from plot point to plot point without what feels like an overarching through line, but overall I felt like so much could have been trimmed to tighten up the story while still getting the philosophical points across.
I was over Karla as a character pretty much from the start. A weird mix between a manic pixie dream girl and a tortured soul, I got the impression that Lin fell in love with the idea of her, rather than who she actually was. There was no trust, no communication, and really nothing but the “put her on a pedestal” behavior that could have been generated from his time in prison and the relationship he had there.
All of the female characters were one dimensional. The male characters were allowed to be flawed and imperfect and ugly and handsome and smart and foolish, but the women all felt like caricatures. Madame Zhou was a villianess; Karla was the sultry femme fatale; Lisa was the virgin prositute; Orla was the flighty ditz; Prabaku’s mother was just a mother.
Other than the people in the slum, I disliked all the main characters. There was a lot of philosophical discussions on how to take evil deeds and make excuses for them, and to see the people enacting those deeds as Robin Hood-esque heroes. So many terrible things were done and explained away by “he was like my father/brother” and none of the kindnesses or wisdom from those characters felt honest or admirable as a result.
I gave the 2.75 stars because there were vignettes that were beautiful and enjoyable to read, and though initially I got flavors of white savior from Lin, I really did think he braces the culture in the end and respected it and its people authentically.
Not to mention the length.
I like a long book, don’t get me wrong - but the meandering pace of this novel felt like a structural issue and not a storytelling choice. It does read like nonfiction in the sense that it goes from plot point to plot point without what feels like an overarching through line, but overall I felt like so much could have been trimmed to tighten up the story while still getting the philosophical points across.
I was over Karla as a character pretty much from the start. A weird mix between a manic pixie dream girl and a tortured soul, I got the impression that Lin fell in love with the idea of her, rather than who she actually was. There was no trust, no communication, and really nothing but the “put her on a pedestal” behavior that could have been generated from his time in prison and the relationship he had there.
All of the female characters were one dimensional. The male characters were allowed to be flawed and imperfect and ugly and handsome and smart and foolish, but the women all felt like caricatures. Madame Zhou was a villianess; Karla was the sultry femme fatale; Lisa was the virgin prositute; Orla was the flighty ditz; Prabaku’s mother was just a mother.
Other than the people in the slum, I disliked all the main characters. There was a lot of philosophical discussions on how to take evil deeds and make excuses for them, and to see the people enacting those deeds as Robin Hood-esque heroes. So many terrible things were done and explained away by “he was like my father/brother” and none of the kindnesses or wisdom from those characters felt honest or admirable as a result.
I gave the 2.75 stars because there were vignettes that were beautiful and enjoyable to read, and though initially I got flavors of white savior from Lin, I really did think he braces the culture in the end and respected it and its people authentically.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Drug abuse, Sexual assault, War, Vomit, Gun violence, and Violence
Moderate: Hate crime and War
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