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3.89 AVERAGE
3.89 AVERAGE
2 stars for Ruth's section of the book, 4 stars for LuLing. The final section seemed wasted. There's a reason it took me 4 months to finish.
This is the latest selection for book club.
Update: Managed to read another 25 pages last night. I am just not that interested.
Update: Managed to read another 25 pages last night. I am just not that interested.
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Perhaps I read this at the wrong time. I kept falling asleep reading this. I was incredibly bored throughout the book, but particularly the whole first part, which is about a modern woman's unhappy life. I felt tricked when finding out that the bonesetter's daughter is actually the grandmother (who will never meet Ruth), making me think the book didn't actually have anything to do with Ruth. The ending tied up a lot of points, though. It tied the characters together, loving beyond their flaws, knowing the difficulties that they endured. It showed the lengths they go to do things for each other and to allow themselves to be loved. There were some lovely lines, for instance about remembering what you want of the past. I hope that I can appreciate this book better at a later time when I'm older.
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This might possibly be my favorite book of all time.
Never before have I felt so seen by a piece of literature. The contents of the book made me shed tears I have never cried over literature. I honestly didn’t know that reading could make me feel this way: so seen, so heard, and so understood.
This book is a beautiful depiction of how generational trauma often manifests in Chinese households. The 20th century was not kind to the Chinese people, and it’s legacies are still felt in the lives of current Chinese Americans. The book is a beautiful exploration of this fact, and in unearthing these often purposefully forgotten about traumas, gives its readers an opportunity to heal from them.
I saw so much of myself and my own mother in Liu Luling. I loved how she was depicted as a beautiful and strong woman, and that an immense depth was given to her character.
Lastly, I loved that the lens of the book is firmly Chinese American. The book never feels like it caters to the perspectives of others, and gives a true raw authentic view of what this life world is like.
Never before have I felt so seen by a piece of literature. The contents of the book made me shed tears I have never cried over literature. I honestly didn’t know that reading could make me feel this way: so seen, so heard, and so understood.
This book is a beautiful depiction of how generational trauma often manifests in Chinese households. The 20th century was not kind to the Chinese people, and it’s legacies are still felt in the lives of current Chinese Americans. The book is a beautiful exploration of this fact, and in unearthing these often purposefully forgotten about traumas, gives its readers an opportunity to heal from them.
I saw so much of myself and my own mother in Liu Luling. I loved how she was depicted as a beautiful and strong woman, and that an immense depth was given to her character.
Lastly, I loved that the lens of the book is firmly Chinese American. The book never feels like it caters to the perspectives of others, and gives a true raw authentic view of what this life world is like.
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
mysterious
reflective
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:
Yes