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4.02 AVERAGE
4.02 AVERAGE
emotional
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:
No
challenging
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
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:
No
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Ugh. I loved this book. And I hate math. It was the bane of my education. It was the only subject I got a D in in high school. But this is a beautiful story of a mathematician trying to make her way through an academic world dominated by men and despite my hatred of math, I was fascinated. I was captivated by Katherine. She was strong but flawed. Sometimes too stubborn for her own good. I just wanted her to be happy. When this story turned into a mystery about her family history, I became even more enthralled. This book was a delight to read from start to finish. Twisty and turny with gorgeous prose and sparkling characters. Read it.
Katherine becoming a mathematician, becoming herself, discovering a complicated family history, solving math mysteries.
Feels like a season of episodes of "Numb3rs"
Feels like a season of episodes of "Numb3rs"
dark
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny, Racism, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Xenophobia, Antisemitism, Grief, Abandonment
Moderate: Sexual content, Death of parent, Pregnancy
Both a story about a female mathematician in the 1950s struggling to get her amazing talent recognized, and a story about a woman in search of her roots. Both stories are told well, but I was most interested in how the men in K's life are portrayed. Very few are actively trying to shut her down. Instead, the biggest threat comes from the men close to her, the ones who like her. For the most part they are oblivious to the barriers she faces or that her ambition is as great as theirs, or that normal human thoughtlessness or selfishness on their part can result in huge consequences for her.
Definitely for math lovers, as well as those who like reading about WWII history, Chinese-American lives in the US, and women in STEM fields. The mix is fine, as is the writing. It just felt that somehow, something was missing or needed a little more "oomph" to make this a really wonderful read. Katherine's life, her search for her family and the depth of her interest in math are all told in the literary equivalent of a sepia tone. Plus, the professor/student relationship, while very much of the time, felt wrong in this day and age.
eARC provided by publisher.
eARC provided by publisher.
I first heard about The Tenth Muse when it was advertised on Goodreads as an upcoming must-read, so when I received an ARC via Netgalley, I knew I had to read it immediately.
I finished it last night, and it is everything Goodreads promised and more! There is something about the way that Chung wove the story that I was entranced from the very beginning and could not put it down. Katherine is a fully-realised character, and it felt like you went on a journey with her. I don’t want to write too much about the plot, as this won’t be released in the UK until November and I feel like the best way to experience this novel is with knowledge from the blurb and nothing else. All you need to know going into it is that it is an amazing read, possibly one of my favourites of 2019, and I can’t wait to see the reaction upon publication.
I finished it last night, and it is everything Goodreads promised and more! There is something about the way that Chung wove the story that I was entranced from the very beginning and could not put it down. Katherine is a fully-realised character, and it felt like you went on a journey with her. I don’t want to write too much about the plot, as this won’t be released in the UK until November and I feel like the best way to experience this novel is with knowledge from the blurb and nothing else. All you need to know going into it is that it is an amazing read, possibly one of my favourites of 2019, and I can’t wait to see the reaction upon publication.