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3.73 AVERAGE
3.73 AVERAGE
Don’t judge a book by its cover because I admit that I only picked up this book due to the catchy cover art. The story follows a young British translator as she translates letters between a Chinese man in political exile writing to his lover in China, who’s desperate to find him. The book was supposed to relate the political and cultural angst of mainland China. A noble cause to be sure. But completely ineffective because the writing and pace of this book were so blah. That’s all I can really say. I was basically bored out of my mind.
Something about this book is just so poetic and strikes me in a very personal way. It evokes strong sensory memories of my time in Beijing.
Love the sense of adventure and fantasy in this novel. I'm a fan of intersection of cultures so this is a lovely read. The act of translation is pivotal to this book's plot and theme and the execution of that idea is almost perfect.
PSA: The jacket copy for this book is really inaccurate. Mu is a poet, not a singer. And Jiang leaves China long before Mu goes on a very short tour of the US - maybe 5 collective pages out of the entire book.
The majority of the book explores the relationship between Jiang and Mu and the odd triangle of intimacy it creates with Iona, their translator (who has her own battles, chiefly that she feels disconnected from people). Beautiful writing, occasionally illustrated by "photocopies" of the actual letters or pictures.
The majority of the book explores the relationship between Jiang and Mu and the odd triangle of intimacy it creates with Iona, their translator (who has her own battles, chiefly that she feels disconnected from people). Beautiful writing, occasionally illustrated by "photocopies" of the actual letters or pictures.
When I come across a new book I really want to read, by an author I haven't read before, I often try and read one of their earlier books first (I'm not sure why).
Xiaolu Guo's I Am China is wonderful - covering language, politics and culture across multiple countries and continents, and yet deeply personal and very touching.
Xiaolu Guo's I Am China is wonderful - covering language, politics and culture across multiple countries and continents, and yet deeply personal and very touching.
challenging
emotional
reflective
fast-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
adventurous
emotional
funny
mysterious
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
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Suicide, Death of parent
Minor: Violence, War
challenging
informative
reflective
slow-paced
Bright and beautiful and impossible to put down, even after the last page. Guo is an amazing writer.