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3.57 AVERAGE
3.57 AVERAGE
This book is very well written and I will first acknowledge that part of the lower review is more of a reflection of how chaotic my life has been and how difficult it has been to really enter any book recently. However, also playing into my rating is the sheer amount of murder and death - this book is unsurprisingly pretty gory, but by the end it really started to seem a touch over the top and it gets to a point where, despite the main character’s personal journey and arch, he continues to resort only to that. It’s less the gore that was getting to me and more the sheer volume of it without reprieve.
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
challenging
emotional
informative
reflective
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
N/A
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
adventurous
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Having the comparisons to McCarthy before I started this book did it a disservice. For better or worse (I mostly fall in the worse category here), it's is not that. I see what Lin was trying to do in this novel, and there were flashes of the prose and style I was hoping to see, but the cast of characters and plot arc were too comfortable. As much as bad things happen, everything felt guaranteed in this book and I was not a fan of that -- there's no fun in security, and not enough of the other characters to develop an attachment.
I would suggest How Much of These Hills is Gold over this any day.
I would suggest How Much of These Hills is Gold over this any day.
adventurous
dark
emotional
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I have read both the audiobook and the paperback now, and even after a reread I found this book really enjoyable! The plot moves fast, all the characters are interesting and I really liked the development of the story. It never really feels like it drags too bad.
There is some light magical realism in this book which I really enjoyed. I think that really enhances what would otherwise just be a book about a guy traveling to California for revenge. It made the plot feel like there was more to it.
If you are looking for a quick western that has a little something more to offer, this would be the perfect book to scratch that itch!
There is some light magical realism in this book which I really enjoyed. I think that really enhances what would otherwise just be a book about a guy traveling to California for revenge. It made the plot feel like there was more to it.
If you are looking for a quick western that has a little something more to offer, this would be the perfect book to scratch that itch!
3.75 ⭐️
I had to marinate on this review a little bit. On initially finishing, I wasn’t super keen on the book. The magical realism felt very convenient in Part 3, and some of the themes were lost. Listening to the book, I was often struck by the language/word choices and descriptions being unusual for the genre (not that I actually read a lot of westerns, but my expectations were for straightforward plain language).
*** SPOILERS AHEAD ***
But then, at the culmination of his revenge quest, finally Ming opens his eyes to what was trying to stare him in the face. And then I looked back on the book and I found a lot of justice in Ming murdering everyone who was the least bit racist towards him. Micro aggressions included. Even the death of the ringmaster and the pagan, while technically not Ming, he still had a hand in. And the sheer violence of Ada saying she couldn’t have his kid and that she was so “terrified” of him… I support Ming’s survival. While the title is The Thousand Crimes *OF* Ming Tsu, it could have easily been The Thousand Crimes AGAINST Ming Tsu.
Maybe I’m interpreting too much.
But I read another review that criticized how Ming didn’t empathize with the other Chinese of the story — first, that’s incorrect. He’s well aware of his genetics. No one will let him forget, in fact. But his upbringing is completely different and he cannot relate to them. He even discusses with the ringmaster how they are NOT his countrymen. I think it’s a subtle book on being Asian American, especially if you’ve completely embraced your American-ness. It’s 2023 and still no one will let you forget your appearance.
I had to marinate on this review a little bit. On initially finishing, I wasn’t super keen on the book. The magical realism felt very convenient in Part 3, and some of the themes were lost. Listening to the book, I was often struck by the language/word choices and descriptions being unusual for the genre (not that I actually read a lot of westerns, but my expectations were for straightforward plain language).
*** SPOILERS AHEAD ***
But then, at the culmination of his revenge quest, finally Ming opens his eyes to what was trying to stare him in the face. And then I looked back on the book and I found a lot of justice in Ming murdering everyone who was the least bit racist towards him. Micro aggressions included. Even the death of the ringmaster and the pagan, while technically not Ming, he still had a hand in. And the sheer violence of Ada saying she couldn’t have his kid and that she was so “terrified” of him… I support Ming’s survival. While the title is The Thousand Crimes *OF* Ming Tsu, it could have easily been The Thousand Crimes AGAINST Ming Tsu.
Maybe I’m interpreting too much.
But I read another review that criticized how Ming didn’t empathize with the other Chinese of the story — first, that’s incorrect. He’s well aware of his genetics. No one will let him forget, in fact. But his upbringing is completely different and he cannot relate to them. He even discusses with the ringmaster how they are NOT his countrymen. I think it’s a subtle book on being Asian American, especially if you’ve completely embraced your American-ness. It’s 2023 and still no one will let you forget your appearance.
If you like westerns and magic realism, you might like this book. I started it and didn’t really enjoy it and finished it out of obligation. In spite of its violent and action sequences, it is quite literary. But like magic realism novels, there are often long stretches of description with a little dialogue. The writer is very talented, but I found this book a chore to read.
I’ve struggled to finish books this year, and while my reading of THE THOUSAND CRIMES OF MING TSU was slow going, I never felt the urge to abandon it. Tom Lin’s voice is both lyrical and abrupt. His western has a certain magical realism quality to it, especially once Ming falls in with a circus group, all of whom have mystical abilities. Ming Tsu is on a quest for revenge, and it doesn’t take long to realize it won’t end well for him. It’s the fact this story managed to dig its teeth into me and not let go that made it an easy call for me to give it five stars. Lin delivers gunslinging, blood-filled trip through the Old West, and I’m eager to read whatever journey he writes next.