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joannielee27's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
kathykekmrs's review against another edition
4.0
I loved this book through the first three quarters. I liked that the different characters stories were starting to come together and the reader was going to find out how five different people were connected in the large city of Shanghai, China. This did not happen as this is a sad story of revenge. Revenge may be a great motive to move a plot though, in the case of this book it falls a little flat. The ending is not satisfactory and leaves the reader wondering what the purpose was anyway.
The central character is an author writing how-to novels to make money to destroy a family who he believed stole
his father's life. When he meets the children of the two men who he believed took his fortune he takes theirs. He uses another character to destroy a would be partner's main business solely to exact revenge from when he was nineteen. This is a sad way to end what started out to be such a promising novel.
The book is well-written and so it can have four stars. There are a few f-bombs so those who like zero swearing may e disappointed. Shanghai sounds like a brutal place to have grown up or to live in currently and for all these Malaysians it must have been quite a culture shock.
Phoebe is a young girl following the advice in the self-help books of the author which will steal everyone's money although they may rebuild after the novel is over. I hope so because I would like to see a deeper ending than the one that I read.
The central character is an author writing how-to novels to make money to destroy a family who he believed stole
his father's life. When he meets the children of the two men who he believed took his fortune he takes theirs. He uses another character to destroy a would be partner's main business solely to exact revenge from when he was nineteen. This is a sad way to end what started out to be such a promising novel.
The book is well-written and so it can have four stars. There are a few f-bombs so those who like zero swearing may e disappointed. Shanghai sounds like a brutal place to have grown up or to live in currently and for all these Malaysians it must have been quite a culture shock.
Phoebe is a young girl following the advice in the self-help books of the author which will steal everyone's money although they may rebuild after the novel is over. I hope so because I would like to see a deeper ending than the one that I read.
geelizreads's review against another edition
3.0
This book was really difficult to get in to at first, I think it was down to how each chapter involved a different character, and you had to wait another 4 or 5 chapters before that characters story continued.
It was also difficult remembering who was who until about 150 pages in.
Eventually, their lives began to come together and this is when the book became really good and I couldn't put it down.
The ending was disappointing. I feel like I had just began to know the characters and become involved in their lives and then the book ended without much of a conclusion as to what happened to who.
I wish I could give it 3.5 stars but I can not.
This is not usually the type of book I would read but I am glad I read it. It has the potential to be a great story, but I think it needs a better conclusion.
It was also difficult remembering who was who until about 150 pages in.
Eventually, their lives began to come together and this is when the book became really good and I couldn't put it down.
The ending was disappointing. I feel like I had just began to know the characters and become involved in their lives and then the book ended without much of a conclusion as to what happened to who.
I wish I could give it 3.5 stars but I can not.
This is not usually the type of book I would read but I am glad I read it. It has the potential to be a great story, but I think it needs a better conclusion.
ywanderingreads's review against another edition
3.0
I fell in love with Tash Aw’s writing after reading Map of the Invisible World two years ago. When I chose this, I already had a high expectation from the story and he didn’t disappoint! This is definitely my kind of story as it’s very character driven.
This story is set in Shanghai and follows five individuals who are trying to make something out of their lives. There is Phoebe, an ambitious woman who has come to Shanghai to find love and be rich (marry a rich husband). Justin, who is an heir to a rich company went into hiding after his family’s business fails. Next is Yinghui, who became a successful entrepreneur after years of hard work but wants more, and Gary, a teen singer who found fame too fast and suffers a painful fall from grace. Finally, there is the narrator himself, Walter who seems to be very rich and invests in alot of business but is he all he appeared to be?
All of these individuals seem to have something in common. They all have a ‘fake it till you make it’ mentality. All of them are striving to be rich and successful but at what cost? They slowly realise that all the wealth and success they have doesn’t necessarily bring them happiness. They lose sense of themselves and reality wondering if all their sacrifices were worth it. I love how Aw connected these characters together in such a big city. They are intertwined in their ambitions to move up in life. It is also very interesting to note that all of them are Malaysians!
I was very caught up in the characters, not knowing if I wanted to root for them to succeed or not but at the same time, I was also very curious to know their endings. I must say, I wasn’t completely surprised as to how they ended up.
I love Aw’s vivid depiction of Shanghai. Like all big, fast-paced cities, Shanghai is ruthless amidst its glory. This is a city that encourages people to have dreams but uncaringly stamps on those who failed to make their dreams come true. It’s a city where you are allowed to be fake and materialistic.
“People come here like explorers, but soon they disappear and no one remembers them; no one even hears them as they fade away."
This story is set in Shanghai and follows five individuals who are trying to make something out of their lives. There is Phoebe, an ambitious woman who has come to Shanghai to find love and be rich (marry a rich husband). Justin, who is an heir to a rich company went into hiding after his family’s business fails. Next is Yinghui, who became a successful entrepreneur after years of hard work but wants more, and Gary, a teen singer who found fame too fast and suffers a painful fall from grace. Finally, there is the narrator himself, Walter who seems to be very rich and invests in alot of business but is he all he appeared to be?
All of these individuals seem to have something in common. They all have a ‘fake it till you make it’ mentality. All of them are striving to be rich and successful but at what cost? They slowly realise that all the wealth and success they have doesn’t necessarily bring them happiness. They lose sense of themselves and reality wondering if all their sacrifices were worth it. I love how Aw connected these characters together in such a big city. They are intertwined in their ambitions to move up in life. It is also very interesting to note that all of them are Malaysians!
I was very caught up in the characters, not knowing if I wanted to root for them to succeed or not but at the same time, I was also very curious to know their endings. I must say, I wasn’t completely surprised as to how they ended up.
I love Aw’s vivid depiction of Shanghai. Like all big, fast-paced cities, Shanghai is ruthless amidst its glory. This is a city that encourages people to have dreams but uncaringly stamps on those who failed to make their dreams come true. It’s a city where you are allowed to be fake and materialistic.
“People come here like explorers, but soon they disappear and no one remembers them; no one even hears them as they fade away."
squiddybooks's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
aaronlindsey's review against another edition
4.0
I enjoyed this book much more than I expected. In a way, it reminded me of Raymond Carver's style, but the characters were more grounded. Lot's of story lines, which at first was a bit confusing, but came together in the end for a surprising, exciting conclusion.
timbooksin's review against another edition
3.0
Well-conceived. Densely delivered. The past tense was crushing; it felt like one big flashback. 2.75 stars.
benevolentreader242's review against another edition
4.0
Jump into the lives of 5 seemly different people who are trying to make it in Shanghai, China. Follow their paths and they intertwine in different ways while chasing the Chinese way. Life is not always nice, and these characters find out first hand who are looking to reinvent them selves though an ideal that can't be sustained.