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3.77 AVERAGE
3.77 AVERAGE
2 1/2 stars
While the premise of this book was interesting and I enjoyed the story (except for the last 3 chapters or so), the prose had no personality despite being told in the first person, the ending seemed to come out of nowhere, and the main character was boring. Li Lang, our protagonist, seemed to have few thoughts of her own, which was particularly annoying given that the entire book is written in the first person point of view. In addition, our protagonist seems to have very little agency. She constantly needs to have someone else do something for her, and even her "plans" are the brain child of somebody else. It doesn't help that the narration doesn't feel organic. When the different aspects of Malayan culture are described it feels like I'm reading an anthropologist's field guide, not the narration of somebody who describing the aspects of her own culture. This book is an interesting read, but not one I highly recommend.
While the premise of this book was interesting and I enjoyed the story (except for the last 3 chapters or so), the prose had no personality despite being told in the first person, the ending seemed to come out of nowhere, and the main character was boring. Li Lang, our protagonist, seemed to have few thoughts of her own, which was particularly annoying given that the entire book is written in the first person point of view. In addition, our protagonist seems to have very little agency. She constantly needs to have someone else do something for her, and even her "plans" are the brain child of somebody else. It doesn't help that the narration doesn't feel organic. When the different aspects of Malayan culture are described it feels like I'm reading an anthropologist's field guide, not the narration of somebody who describing the aspects of her own culture. This book is an interesting read, but not one I highly recommend.
3.5-ish/5
I really liked the folklore and mythology this book trying to invoke, but that did not outweigh the overall flatness of the main character, and the uncoordinated pace of the mystery.
I really liked the folklore and mythology this book trying to invoke, but that did not outweigh the overall flatness of the main character, and the uncoordinated pace of the mystery.
I couldn’t put this one down! And now I’m so sad it’s over! Loved all the Chinese folklore and the historical time period/setting.
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
adventurous
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I might have missed this book but I'm glad I didn't. I read it as a part of a MOOC course on historical fiction. Loved the book & the lecture (and the course), & will definitely read more of her books.
This book is different than most Asian historical books I've read, but I do think if you like Lisa See or Amy Tan, or Diana Gabaldon you'll enjoy this. I include Gabaldon, because although I agree that this is historical fiction, due to the historical element itself, the story is also fantasy, like Outlander.
Did you know that in the a Far West, along with the tradition of continuing to look after the dead in the afterlife, some dead persons marry? I really didn't either, but after reading this well written page turner, I do now.
So now I'm a fan, and I was even more wowed by the author's reading in the audio version. Here is a link to get blog about that, where she reads the first Chapter of the book. Check it out! http://yschoo.com/2013/08/12/recording-my-audiobook/
This book is different than most Asian historical books I've read, but I do think if you like Lisa See or Amy Tan, or Diana Gabaldon you'll enjoy this. I include Gabaldon, because although I agree that this is historical fiction, due to the historical element itself, the story is also fantasy, like Outlander.
Did you know that in the a Far West, along with the tradition of continuing to look after the dead in the afterlife, some dead persons marry? I really didn't either, but after reading this well written page turner, I do now.
So now I'm a fan, and I was even more wowed by the author's reading in the audio version. Here is a link to get blog about that, where she reads the first Chapter of the book. Check it out! http://yschoo.com/2013/08/12/recording-my-audiobook/
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
What I liked about this book was the exploration of Chinese myth and tradition surrounding death and ancestor worship. That aspect of the book was quite fascinating. The story itself is a bit convoluted but I suppose that's bound to happen in a tale that journeys between life and death.
I got this book on a sale for Kindle after seeing some good reviews for it online, and I was not disappointed. I found the book to be fascinating in setting, well written, and to have a protagonist that grew and changed throughout the course of the novel. Li Lan is a genteel young Chinese lady whose father has allowed his fortunes to slip as his opium dependence grows, leaving the family on hard times and leaving few prospects for her future. Another local family offers for Li Lan to be the bride in a ghost marriage to their recently deceased son, a situation that Li Lan is less than thrilled about. The novel follows her as she tries to get out of the situation, falls in love with the ghost groom's cousin, and goes on a mysterious journey through the Plains of the Dead.
I greatly enjoyed the fact that Li Lan starts off as a generic genteel young lady, and slowly begins to take charge of her own life and determine what she wants and how she can get it throughout the course of the novel. Her time on the Plains of the Dead really solidifies that course of action, and her decisions once she returns to Malacca show how she's grown and changed, right up to the last page when she makes her final decision of who to marry. I like that this young woman had agency over her own life, even when it looked like that agency would end badly for her, and this is a worthy novel for that alone. The characters are all well drawn as well and vary greatly, with detail given to even single-scene characters that make them fully-formed and interesting. The detailed descriptions of funeral offerings and how those translate into items for the dead were interesting, imaginative, and fascinating, and gave me a glimpse into a culture that I know very little about.
My one complaint is that it's never really explained why Li Lan's ghost groom wants her so badly, other than the glossed-over comment that she was originally betrothed to his cousin. That's the only weakness in the novel that I see, especially as it's the groom's pursuit of Li Lan that really causes everything to unravel for him. He certainly had enough nasty personality traits that this is really a minor quibble, however, so it did not affect my rating.
Great book - definitely pick this up if you're looking for something a little different this summer.
I greatly enjoyed the fact that Li Lan starts off as a generic genteel young lady, and slowly begins to take charge of her own life and determine what she wants and how she can get it throughout the course of the novel. Her time on the Plains of the Dead really solidifies that course of action, and her decisions once she returns to Malacca show how she's grown and changed, right up to the last page when she makes her final decision of who to marry. I like that this young woman had agency over her own life, even when it looked like that agency would end badly for her, and this is a worthy novel for that alone. The characters are all well drawn as well and vary greatly, with detail given to even single-scene characters that make them fully-formed and interesting. The detailed descriptions of funeral offerings and how those translate into items for the dead were interesting, imaginative, and fascinating, and gave me a glimpse into a culture that I know very little about.
My one complaint is that it's never really explained why Li Lan's ghost groom wants her so badly, other than the glossed-over comment that she was originally betrothed to his cousin. That's the only weakness in the novel that I see, especially as it's the groom's pursuit of Li Lan that really causes everything to unravel for him. He certainly had enough nasty personality traits that this is really a minor quibble, however, so it did not affect my rating.
Great book - definitely pick this up if you're looking for something a little different this summer.