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4.58 AVERAGE
4.58 AVERAGE
emotional
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
The main character is a Chinese-American boy who grows up experiencing bigoted remarks about his heritage, and deals with the pain by putting distance between himself and his Chinese-born mother. Meanwhile, his mother possesses a magical ability to fold paper into little animals that come to life. The boy goes from loving them to shutting them away in a box until the spark of life is extinguished in them.
It's a story of internalized racism. But also, it is about the pain we experience when we realize how much we've hurt our parents by not returning their love. And somehow, all too often we realize this too late. Personally, I have a vivid experience of this.
I read this story on my quest for a piece of short fiction that I find gripping. Only one short story has ever captured my attention well enough for me to read it in one sitting, without wanting to stop and do something else. That was in 2018. I figure it's about time I find another short story that's interesting. There's got to be one somewhere in the world, right?
Enter the list of Nebula awards for Best Short Fiction. The Paper Menagerie was the 2011 award winner (and got a few other well known prizes). That sounded promising. Plus, there's a podcast where Levar Burton reads it, and how could I turn down something like that?
Despite its accolades, which are surely well deserved, The Paper Menagerie didn't do the trick for me. Even though some of the protagonist's experiences mirror my own, I felt a lack emotional reflection that made the story feel like it was being made up by someone who hadn't actually experienced this - which I doubt is the case.
The choices made by Liu put me outside the story's reach. The dialogue didn't sound real to me, more hyperbolic, like it was written to fit the public's idea of what people say in the situations described here. The scenes chosen to tell the story felt artificially put together to construct a piece that would be most likely to tug on the readers' emotions.
Many reviewers say that this story's impact made them cry. Personally, I also cry when I fail to find something interesting and then read it anyway. Crying from reading The Paper Menagerie, however, was not in stars for me, for better or worse.
It's a story of internalized racism. But also, it is about the pain we experience when we realize how much we've hurt our parents by not returning their love. And somehow, all too often we realize this too late. Personally, I have a vivid experience of this.
I read this story on my quest for a piece of short fiction that I find gripping. Only one short story has ever captured my attention well enough for me to read it in one sitting, without wanting to stop and do something else. That was in 2018. I figure it's about time I find another short story that's interesting. There's got to be one somewhere in the world, right?
Enter the list of Nebula awards for Best Short Fiction. The Paper Menagerie was the 2011 award winner (and got a few other well known prizes). That sounded promising. Plus, there's a podcast where Levar Burton reads it, and how could I turn down something like that?
Despite its accolades, which are surely well deserved, The Paper Menagerie didn't do the trick for me. Even though some of the protagonist's experiences mirror my own, I felt a lack emotional reflection that made the story feel like it was being made up by someone who hadn't actually experienced this - which I doubt is the case.
The choices made by Liu put me outside the story's reach. The dialogue didn't sound real to me, more hyperbolic, like it was written to fit the public's idea of what people say in the situations described here. The scenes chosen to tell the story felt artificially put together to construct a piece that would be most likely to tug on the readers' emotions.
Many reviewers say that this story's impact made them cry. Personally, I also cry when I fail to find something interesting and then read it anyway. Crying from reading The Paper Menagerie, however, was not in stars for me, for better or worse.
I have loved everything from Ken Liu. He is definitely one of the greatest voices in Science Fiction today. This story is amazing! Warning it will probably make you cry. It's a must-read.
Wow, I am lost for words. This story is devastating yet beautiful in a strange way. I couldn’t stop sobbing! Although the magic realism makes this story come to life (literally), I love how Ken Liu manages to keep the story real at the same time. This is by far one of THE best short stories I’ve read. You need tissues for this one!
So many poignant emotions packed into a short story. Left me teary-eyed.
This story tore my wide open. It's been a while since I had a morning cry like this.
So here I sit, crying at my computer because this story is just so SO good. Before I write about it, I will say you need to read it if you haven’t. It’s amazing; I'd give it ten stars if I could.
Kan is a young Chinese-American boy whose mother was brought over from China as a mail-order bride. To soothe him one day, his mother uses wrapping paper to make an origami tiger. When she breathes into the design, it comes to life (this is her magic) and becomes Kan’s friend, a tiger named Laohu. Kan’s mother eventually makes him an entire menagerie of animals, all which come to life and become his playmates.
As Kan gets older, the lure of “real” toys like Star Wars figurines, his schoolmates’ and neighbor’s ridiculing about his mother being a “bought” wife, and the vestiges of his Chinese heritage in his own appearance all combine to make him become resentful towards his mother. Add to that her not speaking much Chinese with the usual distance that happens between parents and kids as time goes on and by high school, Kan isn’t talking much to his mother at all. He’s more concerned about his pursuit of the American dream.
Tragedy strikes and, well, I don’t want to spoil it for you, but suffice it to say, this story manages to break your heart, uplift your spirit, and make you believe in magic all at once.
Using a relatable trope (the natural distance and embarassment that usually forms between parents and children as the child gets older and has to make their own way in the world), Liu puts his own fantastical spin on it by making it a story about assimilation, communication, and love. And, in the end, he makes you realize that while life is littered with heartbreak, disappointment, tragedy, and people mistreating others, in the end a glimmer of love can shine through and possibly heal some of the wounds.
Kan is a young Chinese-American boy whose mother was brought over from China as a mail-order bride. To soothe him one day, his mother uses wrapping paper to make an origami tiger. When she breathes into the design, it comes to life (this is her magic) and becomes Kan’s friend, a tiger named Laohu. Kan’s mother eventually makes him an entire menagerie of animals, all which come to life and become his playmates.
As Kan gets older, the lure of “real” toys like Star Wars figurines, his schoolmates’ and neighbor’s ridiculing about his mother being a “bought” wife, and the vestiges of his Chinese heritage in his own appearance all combine to make him become resentful towards his mother. Add to that her not speaking much Chinese with the usual distance that happens between parents and kids as time goes on and by high school, Kan isn’t talking much to his mother at all. He’s more concerned about his pursuit of the American dream.
Tragedy strikes and, well, I don’t want to spoil it for you, but suffice it to say, this story manages to break your heart, uplift your spirit, and make you believe in magic all at once.
Using a relatable trope (the natural distance and embarassment that usually forms between parents and children as the child gets older and has to make their own way in the world), Liu puts his own fantastical spin on it by making it a story about assimilation, communication, and love. And, in the end, he makes you realize that while life is littered with heartbreak, disappointment, tragedy, and people mistreating others, in the end a glimmer of love can shine through and possibly heal some of the wounds.
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
emotional
reflective
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Moderate: Cancer, Terminal illness, Xenophobia
Minor: Suicide, Trafficking