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plumdustsuns's review
emotional
reflective
relaxing
slow-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? N/A
3.0
I enjoyed almost every story but the end section of Time and Space truly lost me and lacked the finesse and artistry the previous stories had, idea and writing wise. Maybe besides the concept of the wine ager. The closing story also felt rushed and unspectacular.
catsbreadbikes's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
A nice collection of stories, well-written and engaging. Not my favorite, but definitely enjoyed.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Cursing, Infidelity, Ableism, Alcohol, Death, and Suicide
geekwayne's review
4.0
'Home Remedies' by Xuan Juliana Wang is a debut collection of 12 stories featuring immigrants, families and people from China.
There are quite a wide variety of characters in this collection, from a duo of gay synchronized divers preparing for the Beijing Olympics to a father and daughter who change roles when they arrive in a new culture. There is time travel and stories of the wealthy.
This is a pretty interesting collection because it features a variety of characters and they all feel fully formed. The author has a grasp of character that is impressive. I have my favorites, as well as a couple I was less impressed with, but overall, this is a striking debut by a new voice.
I received a review copy of this ebook from Crown Publishing and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this ebook.
There are quite a wide variety of characters in this collection, from a duo of gay synchronized divers preparing for the Beijing Olympics to a father and daughter who change roles when they arrive in a new culture. There is time travel and stories of the wealthy.
This is a pretty interesting collection because it features a variety of characters and they all feel fully formed. The author has a grasp of character that is impressive. I have my favorites, as well as a couple I was less impressed with, but overall, this is a striking debut by a new voice.
I received a review copy of this ebook from Crown Publishing and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this ebook.
breadandmushrooms's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.0
gabi_tron's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
sunsun886's review
4.0
"Theirs was a Chinese love. It was not about making each other happy. It was about sacrifice. It was a love devoted to suffering for the beloved. They were supposed to sacrifice over and and over again for each other, each getting a turn to give up something he or she did not want for the other, until one of them died."
"We also learned English. We realized how different it really was to speak Chinese. We didn't used to have to say what we meant, because our old language allows for a certain amount of wiggle room."
"There were many selves that belonged to him, existing simultaneously. There was a self he knew he was, a self he wished he was, and a self he was going to be. All of these possible Tutus presented themselves to him and he realized he could choose beyond them all. A rebirth."
"Seeing the old woman reminded her that being a mother was so difficult, that you love a child more than yourself, that you want to give the child more than you have. This is what we've got, she thought, only this endless wanting, for our children and for ourselves. "
"Boredom(Born from general confusion stemming from lack of clear direction/ complete misunderstanding of life's purpose)."
"Regrets (Big ones. They look just like your mother's and they are getting worse. On top of inheriting her big laugh, you also got these: her regrets. Not wanting to disappoint others, leading to betrayal of self, romantic failures, and loss of hope. Marrying the wrong man leads to a lifetime of unhappiness. Her regrets overtake you, until you drink her bitterness and cry her tears. These big regrets your mother gave to you, they take root, scratch, and grow."
"Wanton Tenderness (Mercenary empathy for strangers you have nothing to do with.)"
"Longing (After you realized that every real lover you've ever had has moved on and perhaps you haven't got a clue about what you're doing. Longing that tastes biter like your fingers after you absentmindedly kiss them while remembering someone else doing the same.) "
"He told me the secret to building things was listening. You had to open yourself to the wants of the materials, the feelings of the stones, the wind and water surrounding the earth, the nature of the wood, and feel their responses to your touch. Then after you reach an understanding you can play."
"On the first day of class I asked, 'What if life is a space that can be mapped, what would yours look like?' "
"Neutrality only aids the opressor," she would have said. "What do we really have but our moral consciousness?"
"We also learned English. We realized how different it really was to speak Chinese. We didn't used to have to say what we meant, because our old language allows for a certain amount of wiggle room."
"There were many selves that belonged to him, existing simultaneously. There was a self he knew he was, a self he wished he was, and a self he was going to be. All of these possible Tutus presented themselves to him and he realized he could choose beyond them all. A rebirth."
"Seeing the old woman reminded her that being a mother was so difficult, that you love a child more than yourself, that you want to give the child more than you have. This is what we've got, she thought, only this endless wanting, for our children and for ourselves. "
"Boredom(Born from general confusion stemming from lack of clear direction/ complete misunderstanding of life's purpose)."
"Regrets (Big ones. They look just like your mother's and they are getting worse. On top of inheriting her big laugh, you also got these: her regrets. Not wanting to disappoint others, leading to betrayal of self, romantic failures, and loss of hope. Marrying the wrong man leads to a lifetime of unhappiness. Her regrets overtake you, until you drink her bitterness and cry her tears. These big regrets your mother gave to you, they take root, scratch, and grow."
"Wanton Tenderness (Mercenary empathy for strangers you have nothing to do with.)"
"Longing (After you realized that every real lover you've ever had has moved on and perhaps you haven't got a clue about what you're doing. Longing that tastes biter like your fingers after you absentmindedly kiss them while remembering someone else doing the same.) "
"He told me the secret to building things was listening. You had to open yourself to the wants of the materials, the feelings of the stones, the wind and water surrounding the earth, the nature of the wood, and feel their responses to your touch. Then after you reach an understanding you can play."
"On the first day of class I asked, 'What if life is a space that can be mapped, what would yours look like?' "
"Neutrality only aids the opressor," she would have said. "What do we really have but our moral consciousness?"
balletbookworm's review
4.0
A wonderful collection of short stories about Chinese citizens in the "new" China, immigrants, Chinese Americans (first and second generation), family, love, ambition (or lack thereof), desire, and the way that life seems to spin out of our control. Beautiful sentences. Though some stories seem to just end, like we need a few more paragraphs to get a good conclusion. The beginnings are all fabulous; Wang really knows how to draw the reader in.
beccamcostello's review
4.0
A couple stories stood out and a couple others fell flat. The most memorable are the Olympic diver and the wine ager. I appreciate the wide variety of stories and characters; often collections like these have tropes and quirks in nearly every story.