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raji_c's review against another edition
2.0
It’s been tough to sit down and read thanks to personal matters that demanded attention. It did not help that I couldn’t engage with this book.
I was looking forward to Land Where I Flee as my Sikkim read for my #ReadingIndia challenge. It’s been shortlisted for the Dylan Thomas Prize for young writers. And I will say that it enlightened me about socio-political aspects such as the Nepali population in India and the Nepali refugees in Bhutan. And I think its descriptions of Gangtok, Kathmandu, and Kalimpong seem very accurate.
Sadly, that’s about all I liked in the book. There wasn’t a single character I liked in it, no one I was rooting for or whose fate I was invested in. And there was so much potential! Each of the characters holds the promise of so much but just the silhouettes were tantalising. They were not fleshed out and all the hyped-up drama about events ends up as an anti-climax. I remember reading parts of the book and thinking that I felt exactly as I did when I read The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck — over-the-top and all for the eyeballs. But this might well be just me.
However, I read Hurricane Season last year and it was a difficult book to get through, unlike anything I have ever read in structure, in plot, in writing. And there wasn’t a character there either that I loved but the writer’s power was very real on the page, even in the translated version, and I admired the book immensely. And there was a sense of if not true empathy then at least sympathy for the characters. I couldn’t muster that for anyone in Land Where I Flee, unfortunately.
At any rate, I was keen that I would not have any DNFs in my #ReadinIndia challenge and so I slogged through this.
I was looking forward to Land Where I Flee as my Sikkim read for my #ReadingIndia challenge. It’s been shortlisted for the Dylan Thomas Prize for young writers. And I will say that it enlightened me about socio-political aspects such as the Nepali population in India and the Nepali refugees in Bhutan. And I think its descriptions of Gangtok, Kathmandu, and Kalimpong seem very accurate.
Sadly, that’s about all I liked in the book. There wasn’t a single character I liked in it, no one I was rooting for or whose fate I was invested in. And there was so much potential! Each of the characters holds the promise of so much but just the silhouettes were tantalising. They were not fleshed out and all the hyped-up drama about events ends up as an anti-climax. I remember reading parts of the book and thinking that I felt exactly as I did when I read The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck — over-the-top and all for the eyeballs. But this might well be just me.
However, I read Hurricane Season last year and it was a difficult book to get through, unlike anything I have ever read in structure, in plot, in writing. And there wasn’t a character there either that I loved but the writer’s power was very real on the page, even in the translated version, and I admired the book immensely. And there was a sense of if not true empathy then at least sympathy for the characters. I couldn’t muster that for anyone in Land Where I Flee, unfortunately.
At any rate, I was keen that I would not have any DNFs in my #ReadinIndia challenge and so I slogged through this.
nityareads's review against another edition
5.0
I came across this book randomly. Had never heard of the author and had no previews or recommendations for the book. But I'm really glad I read this. Its beautifully written. The characters are unique and the story is beautifully woven. The prestine locations of Sikkim and kalimpong so beautifully described that I found myself wanting to wake up to a magistic view of kanchenjunga. The book stayed with me for days after I finished it and I didn't want to start another book because I didn't want to get over the feeling this book gave me. That, I believe, is the best feeling any book can give.
I have already bought the authors " The Gurkha's daughter" and its next on my reading list!
I have already bought the authors " The Gurkha's daughter" and its next on my reading list!
lottpoet's review against another edition
emotional
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
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