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chrisljm's review against another edition
challenging
dark
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
it’s giving the purge
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Gore, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Moderate: Bullying, Cursing, Infidelity, Rape, Sexual content, Torture, and War
Minor: Ableism, Domestic abuse, Incest, Misogyny, Grief, and Cannibalism
proust_mobile's review against another edition
3.0
A curious and hypnotic novel that uses a mass sleepwalking event as a metaphor for ancient and hidden resentments, desires, and power fantasies coming to life. An interesting look at how family histories can calcify into condemnations and how people struggle to escape those generational fates.
The novel's odd use of repetition and its perfunctory and overabundant use of similes aims to give a hallucinatory feel to the prose, but it becomes grating and makes it easy to zone out if you're not careful. Its meandering plot, though intentional and thematically appropriate, also doesn't help.
Much more successful is the novel's bizarre internal logic and its mangling of time. It's dark humor is also handled well, and the way it coalesces into an explosive end is satisfying. Though occasionally frustrating, its odd uniqueness kept me engaged.
The novel's odd use of repetition and its perfunctory and overabundant use of similes aims to give a hallucinatory feel to the prose, but it becomes grating and makes it easy to zone out if you're not careful. Its meandering plot, though intentional and thematically appropriate, also doesn't help.
Much more successful is the novel's bizarre internal logic and its mangling of time. It's dark humor is also handled well, and the way it coalesces into an explosive end is satisfying. Though occasionally frustrating, its odd uniqueness kept me engaged.
tseren's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
maryreadstoomuch27's review against another edition
dark
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gore, Violence, Blood, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and War
Moderate: Suicide and Classism
textpublishing's review against another edition
‘A powerful, captivating work of art.’
South China Morning Post
‘This exuberant but sinister fable confirms its author as one of China’s most audacious and enigmatic novelists.’
Economist
South China Morning Post
‘This exuberant but sinister fable confirms its author as one of China’s most audacious and enigmatic novelists.’
Economist
tyler709's review against another edition
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
filo_zofia's review
dark
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
suprconman99's review against another edition
I was excited about the premise of this book — a biting political critique of authoritarian China disguised as a nightmarish fable. It is that, but unfortunately the execution is incredibly tedious. Glacial pacing, a strange writing style in which phrases and sentences are repeated often and unnecessarily (an effect of the translation maybe?), excessive use of similes and metaphors. It renders the whole reading experience a chore. Which is a shame because their is definitely substance and merit in the underlying themes and messages of this book. But after slogging through about 60% of it I found I was actively not enjoying it, which is reason enough to stop. DNF.
paramrb's review against another edition
challenging
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0