Reviews tagging 'Death of parent'

The Gift of Rain by Tan Twan Eng

5 reviews

kieranyes's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

Finally got to this after really enjoying Garden a few years ago. The vivid descriptions of Malaysia's landscapes and culture alone are, as in Garden, really thoughtful, skillful and engaging. The Gift of Rain's story picks up slowly in the first half, but acclerates following the movements of a Shakespearean tragedy. The first half was a slog but the payoff was worth it. 

From a character perspective, am I the only one who got the queer subtext between Philip and Endo? Had this come out in the 2020s this may have been a bit less ambiguous than it is here. 

I liked this much more than I didn't, but definitely found this too long and also overly sentimental in parts. Despite my gripes its an incredible piece of work for a debut and clearly Tan built on this a lot in his later work.
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dryriver's review against another edition

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challenging emotional reflective sad slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

After reading The Garden of Evening Mists, I was looking forward to The Gift of Rain. 
I absolutely love Tan Twan Eng’s atmospheric descriptions of Malaysia and the complex characters he creates. The first half of this book was slower and focused on the web of characters as well as the setting. The second half was much more action driven, and as Tan Twan Eng’s books tend to be, heartbreaking. 

I encourage anyone considering this book to read at least behind the initial setting where Philip and Michiko meet. The beginning could feel a bit slow, but framing Philip’s youth as his own recollection really adds to the poignancy of the story and it’s worth getting into. 
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talonsontypewriters's review

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challenging emotional reflective slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

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georgie_mb's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful reflective relaxing sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I feel like I’ve found another favourite author in Tan Twan Eng. 

Like The Garden of Evening Mists, I feel right into a comfy familiarity with the prose, and I was transported back to the streets of Georgetown which I know and love so much. 

The pace flows beautifully, like the fall of rain down a window, and even though there is a clear difference between the first and second half, it didn’t feel too jarring. You end up going on a rollercoaster of emotions, but the shift is gradual as much as it is devastating within the story. 

Highly recommend!
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theroyaltyreader's review against another edition

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emotional informative sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

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