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benjamin_oc's review against another edition
5.0
Nicole Mones’s Night in Shanghai has a lot of what I love in historical fiction—atmosphere, compelling plot, rich characters, and an endless number of historical tidbits to google.
beastreader's review against another edition
2.0
Another book that I picked because I wanted to read it. I was in the mood for a good love story set in a foreign area. Sadly this book was not for me. I tried really hard to want to love or even like this book as I read so many did like this book. I did not fall in love with the characters. It was the location that did win me over. However this was not enough for me to stick with this book after a while. It started out slow. I then jumped a few chapters and started reading again. I was starting to get into the story and thought ok, I just did not give it enough time. My excitement was too quick and I soon faltered again. The descriptive writing by the author was nice as it did help me to envision Shanghai but it was this same writing that helped drag the story on for me. So with a lack of interest in the characters and the long drawn out writing of the story, I finally threw in the towel.
atmorrell's review against another edition
2.0
I read this book for the book club at my local library. Being historical fiction, it is probably not something I would have picked up on my own. The strongest aspects of this book involve the historical setting. The author crafts a beautiful depiction of Ye Shanghai, and the city takes on a life of its own as it transforms throughout the beginnings of WWII. I really enjoy the juxtaposition of Thomas' life in America and his life in Shanghai. I also felt like I learned a lot from this novel; I didn't realize that China had done so much for the Jews throughout WWII.
That being said, this book totally falls down on plot. Spoilers ahead. When Song is trying to figure out how to get money for the Communists, all of a sudden Du's vegetable of a wife becomes lucid and reveals to Song a hidden stash of diamonds. How convenient! She then returns to her vegetative state and doesn't even remember showing them to her, allowing Song to take them as she pleases. Come on. It's just so unrealistic and unbelievable. I also have a problem with Lin's storyline, especially at the end. He wants to buy his lover, Pearl, from the brothel so he can marry her. After Du sets him free, he works for HH Kung, who is referred to multiple times as the wealthiest man in China. It's also said that Kung thinks of Lin as a son. So why doesn't Kung just front Lin the money? He mentioned that he approved of Lin's marriage, and Pearl isn't even that expensive because she was 28 years old. I felt that Lin and Pearl's tragic ending could have easily been avoided.
This book also has a lot of very descriptive scenes about music. If you are a music lover I think you will appreciate them greatly. I'm not huge into music composition or playing music, so I wasn't really into it. But I felt like they were really vibrant for people who love jazz or classical music.
Overall... I'm happy that I read it, but I won't read it again and I probably won't recommend it to anyone. It does, however, spark my curiosity to learn more about 20th century China.
That being said, this book totally falls down on plot. Spoilers ahead. When Song is trying to figure out how to get money for the Communists, all of a sudden Du's vegetable of a wife becomes lucid and reveals to Song a hidden stash of diamonds. How convenient! She then returns to her vegetative state and doesn't even remember showing them to her, allowing Song to take them as she pleases. Come on. It's just so unrealistic and unbelievable. I also have a problem with Lin's storyline, especially at the end. He wants to buy his lover, Pearl, from the brothel so he can marry her. After Du sets him free, he works for HH Kung, who is referred to multiple times as the wealthiest man in China. It's also said that Kung thinks of Lin as a son. So why doesn't Kung just front Lin the money? He mentioned that he approved of Lin's marriage, and Pearl isn't even that expensive because she was 28 years old. I felt that Lin and Pearl's tragic ending could have easily been avoided.
This book also has a lot of very descriptive scenes about music. If you are a music lover I think you will appreciate them greatly. I'm not huge into music composition or playing music, so I wasn't really into it. But I felt like they were really vibrant for people who love jazz or classical music.
Overall... I'm happy that I read it, but I won't read it again and I probably won't recommend it to anyone. It does, however, spark my curiosity to learn more about 20th century China.
anniew415's review against another edition
4.0
Wonderful - complex - wild - cosmopolitan - romantic - spicy...and also terrifying. Intriguing slice of Shanghai pre-war...Colorful and fun - a great melting pot of people and politics.
halfcentreader's review against another edition
3.0
This was certainly a story I had never heard before. Especially about the Jews that sought asylum in Shanghai... and the Jazz musicians, I never knew much about them either. Glad I read this book! As for the plot itelf.. things between Thomas and Song weren't all that involved, and sometimes the narrative seemed to repeat itself... But makes me curious to see Shanghai of the 20's and 30's.
dmsreader09's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
I absolutely LOVED this book! What I enjoyed the most about the novel was how seamlessly music played such a role and how Nicole Mones explored the concept of freedom for each character. She dived deeply into what Ye Shanghai really was and beautifully captured the rise and fall of such a unique story/city. Shanghai was a rarity in that everyone really was welcomed. It was heartbreaking to see how many people tore that apart. I laughed and cried while I was reading. I also loved how the included Ho Feng-Sha and his efforts to help the Jews to escape Vienna. This was a great story that captured a little known history about expats in Shanghai and I wished I had read this with The Song of the Jade Lily.
corine's review against another edition
emotional
informative
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Very well researched (sometimes to the point of unnecessary detailed descriptions), very interesting setting, somewhat melodramatic writing style. Had not expected the second part of the book which focused mostly on the runup to WWII and the attack on Pearl Harbor, but it was interesting to read about what was going on in China at the time.
bellatora's review against another edition
3.0
Thomas Greene is a classically trained African-American who gets recruited to play at a jazz orchestra in Shanghai in 1936. He falls straight into love-lust with Song Yuhua, who has been sold into slavery to the crime lord that owns the jazz club where Thomas works.
The history felt very solid, but the pace was far too slow. The love story was also underwhelming. Thomas is with Song because...she's pretty? And he got tired of his Russian professional mistress? It clearly didn't work for me and I could never buy into the supposed grand passion of Thomas and Song's love story as Shanghai falls into war.
The history felt very solid, but the pace was far too slow. The love story was also underwhelming. Thomas is with Song because...she's pretty? And he got tired of his Russian professional mistress? It clearly didn't work for me and I could never buy into the supposed grand passion of Thomas and Song's love story as Shanghai falls into war.
mckenzierichardson's review against another edition
4.0
I received a free copy of this book through Goodreads' First Reads in exchange for an honest review.
On the whole, I really enjoyed this novel. I will admit that it took me quite a while to get into. Throughout the beginning, none of the storylines really interested me and I was really lost throughout most of the narration. During this time, I felt the narration was jumpy; it would follow one character then jump to the next without much transition. Likewise, the timeline felt jumpy as the descriptions skipped from present to past and back. So to begin with I throughout it was really slow and just could not get into it.
However, about halfway through, I felt myself actually enjoying it and able to follow the characters. There are a lot of stories within the text, which can be confusing at times, but overall makes a very dynamic and interesting read. Mones provides a very in-depth look at life in Shanghai during the last 1930s and early 1940s. I loved all of the details regarding Chinese culture, language, and nightlife as well as the descriptions of American jazz in Shanghai.
I also really enjoyed the various notes of racial and ethnic discrimination (against African-Americans, Jews, Chinese, Japanese, etc.). Each character was so complex as they tried to navigate their ever-changing world. Song's character was marvelous on so many levels that she basically stole the story away from the other characters. If you need a reason to read this book, read it for Song's character and stay for everyone else's. Would definitely recommend this book; it was an excellent read once it got going.
On the whole, I really enjoyed this novel. I will admit that it took me quite a while to get into. Throughout the beginning, none of the storylines really interested me and I was really lost throughout most of the narration. During this time, I felt the narration was jumpy; it would follow one character then jump to the next without much transition. Likewise, the timeline felt jumpy as the descriptions skipped from present to past and back. So to begin with I throughout it was really slow and just could not get into it.
However, about halfway through, I felt myself actually enjoying it and able to follow the characters. There are a lot of stories within the text, which can be confusing at times, but overall makes a very dynamic and interesting read. Mones provides a very in-depth look at life in Shanghai during the last 1930s and early 1940s. I loved all of the details regarding Chinese culture, language, and nightlife as well as the descriptions of American jazz in Shanghai.
I also really enjoyed the various notes of racial and ethnic discrimination (against African-Americans, Jews, Chinese, Japanese, etc.). Each character was so complex as they tried to navigate their ever-changing world. Song's character was marvelous on so many levels that she basically stole the story away from the other characters. If you need a reason to read this book, read it for Song's character and stay for everyone else's. Would definitely recommend this book; it was an excellent read once it got going.