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sebarose's review
1.0
I made it to page six:
Page one: used the hated, non-word "soul" twice.
Page two: every sentence starts with the word "She."
Page three: She said, "flat dialog." I said "flat dialog," my manner disguising some hint of obvious mystery, perhaps romantic mystery?
Page four: Unfeeling statements of feeling. Deep feeling. Stirring-in-my-soul type of feeling.
Page five: Only 273 pages to go!
Page six: My god this book is horrible.
Page one: used the hated, non-word "soul" twice.
Page two: every sentence starts with the word "She."
Page three: She said, "flat dialog." I said "flat dialog," my manner disguising some hint of obvious mystery, perhaps romantic mystery?
Page four: Unfeeling statements of feeling. Deep feeling. Stirring-in-my-soul type of feeling.
Page five: Only 273 pages to go!
Page six: My god this book is horrible.
chicagobob's review
4.0
This was a really fun read for me because I'm an American Caucasian who is deeply interested in food, and deeply interested in Chinese food. This was light and not brilliant and just a tad on the chick-lit side, but I enjoyed reading it, and it made me both want to finish the book and go down to Chinatown and order a good meal.
youli14's review
3.0
3/5
the romantic plot was too predictable for anything more than 3 stars but i did enjoy the book’s reminder to revisit traditional chinese foods and it’s foundational principles.
the romantic plot was too predictable for anything more than 3 stars but i did enjoy the book’s reminder to revisit traditional chinese foods and it’s foundational principles.
gimchi's review
2.0
a very quick read, a bit of fluff and not very deep.
maybe i'm a total asshole cynic, but i'm often turned off by sentences like this (last sentence of the summary on the back), "It is here, amid lessons of tradition, obligation, and human connection that she finds the secret ingredient that may yet heal her heart." ok, it's the last 3 words. ugh.
the only part that kept me interested were the descriptions and talk about chinese food, and honestly, it wasn't that enlightening for me. maybe cause i'm chinese? where my dad cooks incredible food like this all the time? i've visited china? this shit ain't new.
this book should be enjoyed by someone who enjoys food and other cultures. BAM. done.
but for me, it was just lacking. sentences felt clumsy and... dialogue felt weird and stilted. i get it, she's writing dialogue for people speaking chinese, and it felt like a weird direct translation.
i mean, dude, my dad has a crazy accent and speaks in broken english. i read amy tan and her dialogue is incredible, it doesn't make me feel awkward, or displaced, but this book totally did that - i felt awkward and it seemed so clunky.
and i write all that and at the same time, there were teeeeeensy blips where i connected with the main character. she feels kinship with the people she meets in beijing, and like when i visit my family in china, even though i can't communicate with them via language, i feel loved. it feels wonderful and calming - it's this great sense of community and the lack of territorial bubbles is a surprisingly welcome facet of life (not in stores or on the street, dear god no, but in a home; it's surprising how not touchy feely we americans are).
so if you're interested in chinese food and the hows and whys of it's interconnectedness with chinese culture in its entirety, give this book a try. i mean, it's not *terrible*, it's just not great. but the food stuff is interesting.
... and thus ends my crappy review.
maybe i'm a total asshole cynic, but i'm often turned off by sentences like this (last sentence of the summary on the back), "It is here, amid lessons of tradition, obligation, and human connection that she finds the secret ingredient that may yet heal her heart." ok, it's the last 3 words. ugh.
the only part that kept me interested were the descriptions and talk about chinese food, and honestly, it wasn't that enlightening for me. maybe cause i'm chinese? where my dad cooks incredible food like this all the time? i've visited china? this shit ain't new.
this book should be enjoyed by someone who enjoys food and other cultures. BAM. done.
but for me, it was just lacking. sentences felt clumsy and... dialogue felt weird and stilted. i get it, she's writing dialogue for people speaking chinese, and it felt like a weird direct translation.
i mean, dude, my dad has a crazy accent and speaks in broken english. i read amy tan and her dialogue is incredible, it doesn't make me feel awkward, or displaced, but this book totally did that - i felt awkward and it seemed so clunky.
and i write all that and at the same time, there were teeeeeensy blips where i connected with the main character. she feels kinship with the people she meets in beijing, and like when i visit my family in china, even though i can't communicate with them via language, i feel loved. it feels wonderful and calming - it's this great sense of community and the lack of territorial bubbles is a surprisingly welcome facet of life (not in stores or on the street, dear god no, but in a home; it's surprising how not touchy feely we americans are).
so if you're interested in chinese food and the hows and whys of it's interconnectedness with chinese culture in its entirety, give this book a try. i mean, it's not *terrible*, it's just not great. but the food stuff is interesting.
... and thus ends my crappy review.
katiez624's review
5.0
I purchased this book at a used book store and did not realize the gem I had in my hands. I am of Chinese descent but grew up in the US. I still speak Chinese fluently, and I was able to get so much out of this book. I really wish that the fictional book mentioned was a real book because the excerpts were so well written. I was able to pick up on almost all of the pinyin references that the author made about Chinese food and customs, based on my own upbringing and growing up with Chinese food as my main means of sustenance.
The plot of the book (the protagonist traveling to China to find out the truth about her deceased husband) really took a backseat to the food in the book and the backstories of Sam's grandfather and uncles.
I do believe that a non-Chinese speaking person who was not familiar with authentic Chinese cuisine would not be able to get as much out of the book as I did, but it is still very educational and is able to articulate such nuances and subtleties of Chinese food that I always knew about but was never able to express to others.
The plot of the book (the protagonist traveling to China to find out the truth about her deceased husband) really took a backseat to the food in the book and the backstories of Sam's grandfather and uncles.
I do believe that a non-Chinese speaking person who was not familiar with authentic Chinese cuisine would not be able to get as much out of the book as I did, but it is still very educational and is able to articulate such nuances and subtleties of Chinese food that I always knew about but was never able to express to others.
innae's review
medium-paced
4.0
I had in my mind this was non-fiction, but it is a fictional tale told in such a way as you might believe it WAS true. I left the check boxes for characters unchecked, because the main “character” in this novel is the food of China. This is a love story and of food and of grief. I truly loved it.
stacyjenson's review against another edition
3.0
Snappy plot, likable characters, and lots of time lingering over food, which is the part I liked best.
But, I was bothered by the frequent switching of POV; it robbed the story of any dramatic tension. The moment you wondered what another character must be thinking, you leaped inside his brain and discovered it.
There was also a fair bit of "China is wonderful because its so foreign and mystical! ... but only old China!" I wasn't expecting this novel to revolutionize Asian American literature, but it was still disappointing.
But, I was bothered by the frequent switching of POV; it robbed the story of any dramatic tension. The moment you wondered what another character must be thinking, you leaped inside his brain and discovered it.
There was also a fair bit of "China is wonderful because its so foreign and mystical! ... but only old China!" I wasn't expecting this novel to revolutionize Asian American literature, but it was still disappointing.
the_sassy_bookworm's review against another edition
5.0
This was an utterly delicious read, beautifully written, entertaining and informative, one of those books you just can't put down. The information about Chinese culinary traditions was especially riveting and the author weaves it into the story in such a poignant and beautiful way, that you can't help but want to be there sharing a meal with everyone! Love, good food, family and friendship, what more could you want in a good book!
jerihurd's review
4.0
Really, really enjoyed this. I suppose it helps to be foodie (not to mention moving to Beijing in 3 weeks), but still... Evocative prose that creates a real sense of the history behind Chinese cuisine. I've never been a big fan of Chinese food, but this makes even me want to try more. Though maybe not the jellyfish...