You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.
Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.95 AVERAGE
3.95 AVERAGE
adventurous
emotional
informative
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
reflective
slow-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
emotional
informative
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Beautiful imagery. The author evokes life in Penang throughout the early 1900s in such a gorgeous and musical way. I could feel the humidity and smell the flowers.
That said, I'm never a fan of novels featuring real people as characters, and while I gave it a good try, this wasn't really for me. Interested in reading more by Tan Twan Eng after this.
That said, I'm never a fan of novels featuring real people as characters, and while I gave it a good try, this wasn't really for me. Interested in reading more by Tan Twan Eng after this.
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
hopeful
informative
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
teetering on the edge to a 5-star read. only reason I'm not awarding it is that I knew long ago what plottwist he was going to write for Ethel. And maybe because Arthur's and Lesley's relationship felt rushed and not very developed. We're told they talk about things but we rarely see it. The romance is incredibly fast and takes up very little space in the story considering it is one of its main plot points. I did appreciate the communication through the book at the end, though. all in all very enjoyable. Also I think its very funny how little room the children take up. Maybe its because Tan Twan Eng does not have children but he kinda makes Lesley look like an apathic mother. She very rarely interacts with her own children, doesn't make any effort to move to be closer to them and her son's death in WWII is glossed over in a single sentence lol. who thinks like that.
[this was my pick for Malaysia in the read around the world challenge!]
[this was my pick for Malaysia in the read around the world challenge!]
An interesting, beautifully written historical fiction. This was my first book by Tan Twan Eng and I loved his writing style and how evokes the sense of time and place and an incredibly engaging novel. The characters were brilliant and I loved learning about Chinese political history through them. Generally I highly recommend this for a thought evoking and engaging historical read.
reflective
medium-paced
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes