You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.
Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.27 AVERAGE
3.27 AVERAGE
informative
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Builds up in pace as you get through the start bit. Lots of interesting history but reads more as a non fiction novel rather than fiction
I don’t know how to rate this book. I struggled through it but am glad I read it.
I did, eventually receive a copy of this book and found it to be an enjoyable read which succeeded in pulling me into the story. Would recommend.
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
This book was so promising at first. Told from the points of view of a Chinese spy (from the 1940s to 1980) and his Chinese-American daughter (approximately contemporaneous with the book's publication--early 2010s) who is investigating his past. The author treats the spy-dad character with great subtlety and nuance.
The part of the plot involving the nephew seemed shoehorned in. I understand the need for an interesting secondary plot, but this one was pretty lame. Worse, the author uses the narrator (the daughter) to express his own views in a very unsubtle, preachy way. The narrator, her husband, and her nephew become unconvincing characters toward the end of the book, woodenly playing out a protracted tableau for the benefit of... ?
Disappointing. Not sure I will be going back to Ha Jin.
The part of the plot involving the nephew seemed shoehorned in. I understand the need for an interesting secondary plot, but this one was pretty lame. Worse, the author uses the narrator (the daughter) to express his own views in a very unsubtle, preachy way. The narrator, her husband, and her nephew become unconvincing characters toward the end of the book, woodenly playing out a protracted tableau for the benefit of... ?
Disappointing. Not sure I will be going back to Ha Jin.
This was a strange one. At times, it read like a scholarly text on the formation of modern China rather than a novel. When the fictitious characters did appear, they sometimes felt flat, like a framing device for the author's exploration of his native country's recent history. Of the characters, Gary Shang felt the most lifelike, which is a good thing because this is essentially his story. He is a mole within the CIA, spying on the U.S. government for "Red China". But if you're looking for a spy thriller, this isn't it. The book spans his whole career under deep cover and focuses mostly on Gary's efforts to understand his place in the world, torn between the U.S. and China. His daughter and other family members grapple with his story and how it has shaped their own lives. But those characters feel less real, and I almost think the story could have focused on Gary alone.
I hesitate to recommend this to anyone who doesn't already have some familiarity with, or at least interest in, modern Chinese history. It was a good fit for me, but I could see other readers becoming overwhelmed by all the historical detail the author includes. Ha Jin covers topics that interest me, which other authors rarely cover, so I will definitely read more of his books in the future. But if they're anything like A Map Of Betrayal, I'll have to brace myself for a somewhat dry and detached presentation. This may have been a conscious stylistic choice on the author's part, to convey the numbness Gary cultivated to endure his double life, but it left me feeling somewhat left out as a reader.
I hesitate to recommend this to anyone who doesn't already have some familiarity with, or at least interest in, modern Chinese history. It was a good fit for me, but I could see other readers becoming overwhelmed by all the historical detail the author includes. Ha Jin covers topics that interest me, which other authors rarely cover, so I will definitely read more of his books in the future. But if they're anything like A Map Of Betrayal, I'll have to brace myself for a somewhat dry and detached presentation. This may have been a conscious stylistic choice on the author's part, to convey the numbness Gary cultivated to endure his double life, but it left me feeling somewhat left out as a reader.
Ha Jin is a great storyteller: compelling content - events occurring within 20th century Chinese history; great characters - spies, daughters, diplomats; and clear, well-plotted prose. Jin is a great storyteller.
Truly wonderful though very sad. A Chinese American woman delves into the history of her father, a longtime Chinese mole in the CIA, and connects with his other family in China. What happens to a man who belongs to two countries? Can he ever avoid falling in the cracks between them?
When her dead dad’s mistress mails her his journals, Lillian Shang learns about a whole side of her father beyond what she has been told. She knew he was a spy, but his journals show just how invaluable he had been to the Chinese government and the breadth of intelligence he provided. She also learns about a first family and siblings back in China, showing just how deep her father’s secrets were. With no blood relatives to speak of in the states she visits China to try to understand the man she called dad. Armed with her father’s secrets she must protect her family while also healing herself and learning so many twists along the way. Told in an engaging style we jump between present day Lillian and Gary Shang’s journey as one of the most influential spies to infiltrate the US government. Just the right amount of excitement while also weaving sympathy to a man who quickly lost control of his life and autonomy. It didn’t get too political, which was nice and made the book understandable to those of us who do not know a ton of the history with diplomatic relations from the 50s onwards.