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3.57 AVERAGE
3.57 AVERAGE
very good read. interesting characters and unique approaches throughout.
Just not in the mood for the style. I’ll try again another time.
Westerns are another one of those genres like Noir where I thought I had a pretty good idea of what to expect until I actually started reading those books. What I want out of a Western is some good ol' rootin', tootin' and shootin' with a dash of sad introspection and commentary on the futility of raging against technological progress. Instead, I've been getting miserable protagonists that I find myself rooting against and stories with long stretches of absolutely nothing happening at all.
This book was a pleasant surprise in that it was exactly what I wanted it to be.
At its heart, this is a revenge tale that we join already in progress, some of the names on the eponymous Ming Tsu's hitlist already taken care of. The slight he experienced was pretty rough and I understand why a character in this situation would develop a singular focus to seek vengeance on those that wronged him. I didn't think it'd feel very cathartic to watch him get that comeuppance, but I was invested enough to see it through. And I'm glad I did, because that climax and final chapter alone bumped this up another star rating for me; that was a fantastic conclusion in my opinion.
There was a recurring motif and theme about memories not being perfect that was hammered on a lot in the first half of the book that was pretty much dropped in the second half, which I found strange. And there's a good portion of the book where the protagonist is traveling with a troupe of roadside performers for lack of a better description, but they didn't stick around as long as I expected and wanted them to. The last quarter or so, Ming Tsu is alone, but even these chapters devoid of dialogue kept me engaged with some frankly beautiful prose. It was very environmental, but also felt very different from all the parts that preceded it.
It's hard to make a revenge tale that's not too predictable, but it was rewarding to see one that didn't do what I expected.
This book was a pleasant surprise in that it was exactly what I wanted it to be.
At its heart, this is a revenge tale that we join already in progress, some of the names on the eponymous Ming Tsu's hitlist already taken care of. The slight he experienced was pretty rough and I understand why a character in this situation would develop a singular focus to seek vengeance on those that wronged him. I didn't think it'd feel very cathartic to watch him get that comeuppance, but I was invested enough to see it through. And I'm glad I did, because that climax and final chapter alone bumped this up another star rating for me; that was a fantastic conclusion in my opinion.
There was a recurring motif and theme about memories not being perfect that was hammered on a lot in the first half of the book that was pretty much dropped in the second half, which I found strange. And there's a good portion of the book where the protagonist is traveling with a troupe of roadside performers for lack of a better description, but they didn't stick around as long as I expected and wanted them to. The last quarter or so, Ming Tsu is alone, but even these chapters devoid of dialogue kept me engaged with some frankly beautiful prose. It was very environmental, but also felt very different from all the parts that preceded it.
It's hard to make a revenge tale that's not too predictable, but it was rewarding to see one that didn't do what I expected.
adventurous
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
Westerns aren't usually my genre of choice but this one is quite unusual. Ming Tsu is a murderous, gunslinger and the story follows him on a very mystical and violent journey. And, yes, it is is graphically violent. I enjoyed the book very much and I look forward to more books from this Tom Lin.
adventurous
challenging
dark
funny
hopeful
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:
Complicated
As someone who doesn’t often reach for the western genre, The Thousand Crimes of Ming Tsu stands as one of those instances where choosing adventure was worth it. I loved it, in short. Tom Lin writes with a voice that emulates the mid 19th century in such a straightforward, yet mystic cadence that it was difficult not to be consumed by the story at the speed of a quick draw. The reading goes quick but purposeful; the chapters are short, but packed with necessary moments of characterization, growth, progress on Ming’s path to rescue his wife and get revenge on the men who ruined his life, and rumination. To add, Lin purposefully uses language from the era he writes in–calling Native Americans “Indians”, “Californie” instead of California–and this choice brings in that western feel. In the dialogue, Lin gives a same but different dialect to each character that embodies the era as well. Also, to listen to Feodor Chin as he reads Ming Tsu is to be brought to the campfire and hear the complicated, yet intriguing story of a Chinese hitman and his grueling journey.
It may seem negative to invoke the term camp here, but I mean it in the delighted sense of the word. Camp is what adds to the pleasure of reading this novel. There’s a circus show of traveling miracles who join Ming on his expedition, there’s shootouts, a prophet, romance, outlaws, dangerous pathways, horses. Camp in this novel with a person of color at the lead is claiming the escapism POC are often denied when it comes to traditionally white–and sometimes problematic–genres. And it’s just fun. What we would consider overdone in other novels of the same genre work for Ming Tsu because of Lin’s skill when it comes to balancing camp and a good story that carries deeper meanings and conversations in its pack.
To speak of themes, the most apparent theme is revenge. As readers, we’re asked to think about our morality as we root for Ming to see his mission through. We’re made to question whether or not reaching that dark goal is healing or more painful than the reason that fueled its plan. Brewing within that greater theme of revenge are other, more poignant themes that ask us to look inward. Lin asks his readers to think about life and death. He weaves a narrative that lures readers into examining the power of memories and the consequences of remembering and forgetting. Lin wants us to engage and engage deeply with our views on these things as the characters do within the story. Is it our memories of what was and who we were that we cling to during our reflections? What do we do with memories we want to forget but the body remembers? Do we hold fast to our pain or release it to move on? Is revenge really worth it in the end? These questions and more stew in the mind as we travel alongside Ming and witness how morality and mortality wrap around each other in this tale of a man whose memories, good and bad, plague his steps. We want to root for Ming. We want Ming to see his plan through. We want Ming to heal, and we want that healing to be fruitful, even if, in the end, it’s founded on melancholy.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Infidelity, Racial slurs, Racism, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Grief, Murder, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Child abuse, Chronic illness, Confinement, Drug use, Mental illness, Misogyny, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Dementia, Kidnapping, Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Fatphobia, Vomit, Stalking, Death of parent, Sexual harassment
adventurous
dark
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
i’m here for any magic realism Cormac McCarthy-esque Western fantasy hybrid, but perhaps i’m easily oversold. this one’s heavy on the revenge violence, super light on the character development, with all the form of something quite promising, but wanting in its delivery. i remember reading “Outlawed” last year and having similar high hopes, though that book disappointed in a way that made me angry. i’m not angry at this one, just bummed that it felt kinda phoned in.
adventurous
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-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