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4.01 AVERAGE
4.01 AVERAGE
First things first: I received an advance copy of this through a Goodreads "first reads" giveaway. And as much as I love free stuff, I won't let that color my review.
This novel is a sequel to [b:Shanghai Girls|5960325|Shanghai Girls|Lisa See|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1255570412s/5960325.jpg|5991850], which I haven't read. Thought about checking it out of the library, but decided to try reviewing [b:Dreams of Joy|9500416|Dreams of Joy A Novel|Lisa See|http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/517eAagLttL._SL75_.jpg|14385974] first, to see how it works as a standalone. It does, and doesn't.
The novel is narrated entirely in the first-person present tense, though it (thankfully!) alternates narrators. We begin with Joy, a nineteen-year-old girl fleeing her Los Angeles home in 1958 after the death of her father and a fight with her mother and aunt. And where does she flee? Communist China on the eve of the Great Leap Forward and subsequent famine. Our other narrator is Pearl, Joy's mother, who rushes to China in hopes of finding her daughter and bringing her back to the U.S. Not the easiest of tasks at this particular point in history.
Joy was... not my favorite character. She's naive and hypocritical, and comes across (sometimes) as almost a deliberate simpleton. I think we're supposed to be sympathetic to her, since she blames herself for her father's death, but I spent most of her chapters wishing she would wake up and pay attention to what's going on around her. Pearl's chapters were a relief by comparison. Still, even in Pearl's case, it was difficult to connect to her. This is partly because I hadn't read [b:Shanghai Girls|5960325|Shanghai Girls|Lisa See|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1255570412s/5960325.jpg|5991850]; Pearl's most emotional scenes (reunions with people in Shanghai) had little resonance for me, since these other characters were basically strangers.
Not all of this can be blamed on the sequel-ness of the work, though. The author uses one of my least favorite devices: characterization shortcuts. There's probably a literary term for this, but to me, it's any instance where an author uses a cultural shorthand as a substitute for creating a character from scratch. In See's case, she uses Zodiac signs: Tao is a Dog, therefore he is likeable; Z.G. is a Rabbit, therefore he is cautious. Paolo Giordano did it in [b:The Solitude of Prime Numbers|6613956|The Solitude of Prime Numbers|Paolo Giordano|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1275625540s/6613956.jpg|3873004]: Alice is an anorexic, Mattia is a self-mutilator. Lionel Shriver notably did not do it in [b:We Need to Talk About Kevin|80660|We Need to Talk About Kevin (P.S.)|Lionel Shriver|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1170984758s/80660.jpg|3106720], and let me tell you -- Kevin was a lot more disturbing for not having an easy label plucked from the DSM. Anyway. It's hard to describe, but I know it when I see it.
Plot-wise, the novel works. Through Pearl and Joy, we see two very different perspectives of life in China during the Great Leap Forward. See did her homework; the descriptions of life in Green Dragon Village, especially as the famine worsens, are indelible. Again, my disappointment stems mostly from my lack of connection to any of the characters.
Recommended for those who liked [b:Shanghai Girls|5960325|Shanghai Girls|Lisa See|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1255570412s/5960325.jpg|5991850].
This novel is a sequel to [b:Shanghai Girls|5960325|Shanghai Girls|Lisa See|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1255570412s/5960325.jpg|5991850], which I haven't read. Thought about checking it out of the library, but decided to try reviewing [b:Dreams of Joy|9500416|Dreams of Joy A Novel|Lisa See|http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/517eAagLttL._SL75_.jpg|14385974] first, to see how it works as a standalone. It does, and doesn't.
The novel is narrated entirely in the first-person present tense, though it (thankfully!) alternates narrators. We begin with Joy, a nineteen-year-old girl fleeing her Los Angeles home in 1958 after the death of her father and a fight with her mother and aunt. And where does she flee? Communist China on the eve of the Great Leap Forward and subsequent famine. Our other narrator is Pearl, Joy's mother, who rushes to China in hopes of finding her daughter and bringing her back to the U.S. Not the easiest of tasks at this particular point in history.
Joy was... not my favorite character. She's naive and hypocritical, and comes across (sometimes) as almost a deliberate simpleton. I think we're supposed to be sympathetic to her, since she blames herself for her father's death, but I spent most of her chapters wishing she would wake up and pay attention to what's going on around her. Pearl's chapters were a relief by comparison. Still, even in Pearl's case, it was difficult to connect to her. This is partly because I hadn't read [b:Shanghai Girls|5960325|Shanghai Girls|Lisa See|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1255570412s/5960325.jpg|5991850]; Pearl's most emotional scenes (reunions with people in Shanghai) had little resonance for me, since these other characters were basically strangers.
Not all of this can be blamed on the sequel-ness of the work, though. The author uses one of my least favorite devices: characterization shortcuts. There's probably a literary term for this, but to me, it's any instance where an author uses a cultural shorthand as a substitute for creating a character from scratch. In See's case, she uses Zodiac signs: Tao is a Dog, therefore he is likeable; Z.G. is a Rabbit, therefore he is cautious. Paolo Giordano did it in [b:The Solitude of Prime Numbers|6613956|The Solitude of Prime Numbers|Paolo Giordano|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1275625540s/6613956.jpg|3873004]: Alice is an anorexic, Mattia is a self-mutilator. Lionel Shriver notably did not do it in [b:We Need to Talk About Kevin|80660|We Need to Talk About Kevin (P.S.)|Lionel Shriver|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1170984758s/80660.jpg|3106720], and let me tell you -- Kevin was a lot more disturbing for not having an easy label plucked from the DSM. Anyway. It's hard to describe, but I know it when I see it.
Plot-wise, the novel works. Through Pearl and Joy, we see two very different perspectives of life in China during the Great Leap Forward. See did her homework; the descriptions of life in Green Dragon Village, especially as the famine worsens, are indelible. Again, my disappointment stems mostly from my lack of connection to any of the characters.
Recommended for those who liked [b:Shanghai Girls|5960325|Shanghai Girls|Lisa See|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1255570412s/5960325.jpg|5991850].
Dreams of Joy is the continuation of Shanghai Girls, a novel by See that explored the lives of two sisters displaced by the war in China, and their life in America as they struggled to assimilate and be accepted by their community. Dreams of Joy follows Joy, the daughter from that book and her want to return to her roots, find out about her father, and join the revolution she believed to be happening.
I had a harder time with this book. Joy was just not a likable character for me. Too gullible when she was supposed to be smart, always did the opposite of what she should. It was frustrating to read; you think she'd make a good choice at least some of the time. Thankfully Pearl was steadfast, and even more likable in this one as she evolved her character quite a bit.
The ending, while a bit too neatly wrapped up for me, was good. I think the book as a whole definitely let you into the world and understand a little more of that time period. Although the subject matter was often sad or horrific at times, there was also a strong sense of family in the book and people looking out for each other.
So in conclusion, not as good as Shanghai Girls, but it still gave a glimpse into history.
Review by M. Reynard 2021
I had a harder time with this book. Joy was just not a likable character for me. Too gullible when she was supposed to be smart, always did the opposite of what she should. It was frustrating to read; you think she'd make a good choice at least some of the time. Thankfully Pearl was steadfast, and even more likable in this one as she evolved her character quite a bit.
The ending, while a bit too neatly wrapped up for me, was good. I think the book as a whole definitely let you into the world and understand a little more of that time period. Although the subject matter was often sad or horrific at times, there was also a strong sense of family in the book and people looking out for each other.
So in conclusion, not as good as Shanghai Girls, but it still gave a glimpse into history.
Review by M. Reynard 2021
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
challenging
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
tense
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
challenging
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I had never heard of the Great Leap Forward that took place from 1958-1962 and as usual Ms. See did an excellent job of writing another portion of Chinese history in where you feel like you've been transported in time reading about these characters lives. It's enjoyable how she includes Chinese adages and horoscopes to add depth to characters personalities. I enjoyed Shanghai Girls and was wishing at first that I'd read it closer to that book, but with the character conflict/development I remembered there was a reason I waited. Learning about some of this history can be a lot to take in, but very single book I've read by her has been great.
it sucks that i have to dig for the historical context of the country my parents escaped from from poverty core like this rather than them just telling me about it lol
dark
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I really like the ending; even though their ending was undoubtedly in the minority, I am happy, happy with the results, happy for them, happy for me. I am so glad for Pearl, she really came into her own.
dark
emotional
informative
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes